The negative effect the Foot-and-Mouth outbreak had on domestic tourism has been turned on its head by a group of companies in Pembrokeshire who have put rivalry aside and agreed to co-fund a £370,000 joint-marketing campaign for 2002.
The Pembrokeshire Marketing Consortium was formed when the chairman of Coastal Cottages of Pembrokeshire, Matthew Evans, saw the potentially catastrophic effect Foot-and-Mouth could have on tourism and began gathering support for a joint-campaign amongst other similar businesses, many of which had previously been fiercely competitive.
Donations from around 40 companies involved in tourism in Pembrokeshire, along with funding from Welsh Assembly and the local authority, has enabled the consortium to develop the £370,000 marketing campaign aimed at attracting more visitors than ever in 2002.
The campaign begins with television advertising broadcast in Pembrokeshire's key catchment areas (HTV Wales and West) and continues with distribution of more than two-million promotion leaflets and CD-ROMs to a highly targeted database of potential visitors; a national press advertising campaign; an aggressive web and email-based campaign; and a 12-month public relations programme targeting national and regional television, radio and press.
Pembrokeshire Marketing Consortium's chairman, Matthew Evans, who owns Coastal Cottages and Activity Wales, said: "Almost a quarter of Pembrokeshire's population is employed in the tourism industry. The potentially massive downturn caused by the impact of Foot-and-Mouth, hot on the heels of reduced visitors caused by the petrol crisis, made it a very sensitive and talked about issue, so we pulled together to promote our way out of the crisis.
"The consortium realised that it is not similar operators, hoteliers or B&Bs in Pembrokeshire who are rivals, but other regions offering similar holidays or cheap flights abroad.
"By working together to promote the county as an ideal location for family holidays, activity breaks, long weekends and relaxation, we have achieved far more than we ever could have as individuals."
Footnote: Funding for the £370,000 marketing campaign consists of the following: £36,000 initially raised by 40 Pembrokeshire companies involved in tourism; £36,000 match-funding donated by the Wales Tourist Board; £290,000 donated by the above 40 companies from funds given to them by the Pembrokeshire local authority; £10,000 donated by the British Tourism Authority to promote Pembrokeshire in Ireland.