Yesterday, the Islands’ Partnership hosted a special lunch at St. Mary’s Hall Hotel for its volunteer team of Cruise Ship Welcome Hosts who have greeted no less than 43 ships this season - a record for Scilly! More than 18,000 cruise passengers went ashore to St. Mary’s, Tresco and the other islands, generating more than £700,000 for the islands’ coffers.

The final cruise liner of 2015, the Albratross, left Scilly’s shores last Saturday 19^th September, but with around 35 cruise liners already confirmed to the visit the islands in 2016, it won’t be long before our Ambassadors are preparing once again to offer a warm Scilly welcome to these valued guests.

“Our cruise ship ambassadors play a crucial role in rolling out the red carpet and, anecdotally, we know that passengers genuinely appreciate the welcome they receive. What is also pleasing is that our Ambassadors really enjoy the experience going on board ships to help visitors to Scilly make the most of the islands whilst here,” says Islands’ Partnership Executive Director, David Jackson. “I hope their enthusiasm for what they do will encourage others to sign up as ambassadors next year.”

Prior to the lunch, the volunteers met with the Islands’ Partnership team and Isles of Scilly Harbour Master, Dale Clark, to discuss their experiences of going aboard the ships and being on the quaysides to greet passengers and offer information packs. They also considered how Scilly’s Cruise Ship Ambassador programme could be enhanced for next season. Ideas and suggestions included an improvement to the “goody bags”; a “Things to Do / What to See / Where to Go” handout for passengers coming that specific day, and working more closely with boat operators and other guides to create opportunities for additional organised tours and off-island visits from St. Mary’s quayside.

“Of the 18,000 passengers who came ashore this season, only a relatively small proportion went on pre-booked tours arranged by the cruise ships,” says David. “So there is definitely an opportunity to improve the product offer for our cruise passengers – particularly in terms of getting them to the other islands to experience Scilly as a whole and not just Hugh Town on St. Mary’s.”

“This has been an excellent first year for the Cruise Ship Ambassador Programme, and everyone – from the Ship’s Agent, Gerald Thompson and the St. Mary’s Boatmen to the Islands’ Partnership and the Ambassadors themselves - has worked really well together to create a lasting impression for the passengers,” adds Dale Clark, St. Mary’s Harbour Master. “The commitment and enthusiasm of the ambassadors really adds value to the visitor experience, not just with the cruise ship passengers, but also with the cruise operators themselves. As the programme develops for 2016, I am sure we will have another record-breaking year – which is fantastic news for Scilly.”

The Islands’ Partnership has congratulated Juliet’s Garden after winning Best Cafe at this week’s Great Cornish Foods Awards. The awards, organised by Cornish Food & Drink, were announced at a ceremony held at Trelissick Gardens in Feock, near Truro on Monday. They celebrate the very best food and drink talent in Cornwall and Scilly.

“Juliet’s is a worthy winner and is a credit to Scilly. We are delighted that they have been recognised for their excellent product and for helping to raise Scilly’s profile as a foody destination of choice,” says David Jackson, Executive Director of the Islands’ Partnership. “Juliet and her team should be justifiably proud of their achievement adding as it does to their Gold Award two years ago at the Cornwall Tourism Awards.”

The Great Cornish Food Awards have been established to recognise businesses that go to the greatest lengths to ‘buy local’ as well as leaders in product development and marketing, outstanding individuals and those bringing something new to the food scene.

Two of our key marketing tools for Visit Isles of Scilly - the front cover of our 2015 Visit Isles of Scilly Guide and the Home Page of the Visit Isles of Scilly website - have been shortlisted in the British Destinations and Carrier Direct Marketing “Brochure Front Cover of the Year” and “Website Homepage of the Year” Awards. Last year, Visit Isles of Scilly scooped the top award last year, so we wait to see if we can do the double!

The winners will be announced at the British Destinations Conference in Blackpool, 5th-6th October 2015.

Members of the Islands’ Partnership are being encouraged to register to attend Cornwall Expo 2015 in the unique setting of the impressive Hangar 4, Aerohub, Newquay Airport on Tuesday 29th and Wednesday 30th September.

Cornwall Expo 2015 combines an exhibition and conference, and provides the opportunity for businesses to view the infrastructure improvements programmed for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly over the next five years, and learn more about how these schemes and initiatives will continue to transform and grow our business, skills and tourism industries.

The Conference element is divided into two. The first day focusses on Infrastructure and Skills, with speakers ranging from the Secretary of State for Transport Peter McGloughlin, Tim O’Toole Chief Executive, First Great Western; Sandra Rothwell, Chief Executive of the CIOS Local Enterprise Partnership; a senior executive (tbc) from the Bristow Group and Matthew Thomson Chief Executive Cornwall Food Foundation.

Day 2 hosts the Tourism Conference comprising speakers including James Beresford, Chief Executive, VisitEngland; Rob Goldsmith, Chief Executive, Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, David Jackson from Islands’ Partnership; Malcolm Bell, Chief Executive, VisitCornwall; Kurt Janson, Director, Tourism Alliance; Chris Pomfret, Chair of the LEP, and a senior figure from First Great Western.

The Exhibition comprises the Rail Zone, complete with Sleeper Carriage, Saloon Carriage mock up and information boards; Highways Zone and key initiatives such as the A30 widening at Temple; Isles of Scilly Transport Zone offering an insight into to developments for our air and sea links; Culture Zone; EU Convergence and Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Hub Zone; Tourism Zone; Technology Zone; and Marine Zone.

“This really is an essential event for businesses across the Isles of Scilly, not just for those working within tourism, but for operators in all industry sectors across our locality,” says David Jackson, Islands’ Partnership Executive Director. “With so many highly influential senior personnel in attendance, this is a great opportunity to view and hear what’s planned in terms of our local infrastructure, business and up-skilling investments as well as question and probe those at the heart of the decision making for Cornwall, the Isles of Scilly and beyond.”

Cornwall Expo 2015 has been organised by the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, Cornwall Council and the Council of the Isles of Scilly.

The Islands’ Partnership has launched the 2015 Isles of Scilly Annual Visitor Survey - open to anyone who has visited (or who will visit) Scilly this season. It runs until 15th November.

The online survey builds on the 2014 Visitor Survey asking similar questions - plus a few more for this year - so that we are able to build up a larger picture and identify trends that may be occurring. The results will be collated and analysed by an external company ready for circulation to members in early 2016. All members of the IP are being requested to help encourage as many people as possible to complete the survey to ensure we have a healthy and robust sample size.

More than a quarter of visitors to Scilly in 2014 were new to the islands and of these new visitors, half of them came for a short break. 55% of visitors came to Scilly for their main holiday of the year, however this proportion was highest amongst those on a repeat visit. Of those first timers on a short break, the majority opted to stay in serviced accommodation – hotels, B&Bs or guesthouses.

These are just some of the findings from the 2014 Visitor Survey conducted by the Islands’ Partnership throughout last season in association with The South West Research Company.

The 74% of visitors who returned to our islands in 2014 remain very loyal to the Scilly brand and alongside our new visitors, cite the scenery (81%) and peace and quiet (79%) as the overwhelming reasons which make Scilly special. 64% of respondents were further inspired by our beaches.

Many of our first time visitors (42%) had come to Scilly on the recommendation of others. A further 17% had heard of the islands via visitislesofscilly.com and 6% via the Visit Isles of Scilly Guide (brochure). 11% of first timers had come to Scilly as a result of seeing the islands on television. The Visit Isles of Scilly and Isles of Scilly Travel websites were both considered the most useful sources of information for planning and booking their trips. Of all respondents 59% were regular Facebook users.

The survey also found that 98% of visitors were from the UK but, interestingly the proportion of visitors from the southwest fell from 38% in 2013 to 33% in 2014, indicating that Scilly is attracting visitors from further afield in the UK. Of the 2% of overseas visitors 24% came from Germany; 14% from the Netherlands.

Other statistics revealed by the survey – which attracted 1,552 usable online submissions – suggested that more than half (57%) of visitors to Scilly are at least 45 years old; 18% were older than 65. Three quarters (74%) of respondents travelled by car to reach their Scilly connections. Only 6% of respondents were day trip passengers.

Specific features that were considered most important on the islands were rest and relaxation, island hopping and beaches. Although local events did not rate highly as an important aspect on their holiday, a third of respondents did say that a food and drink festival would definitely encourage them to visit Scilly, as would music events and a maritime celebration. An overwhelming 98% of visitors rated their holiday experience as either excellent or good, with 99% saying that they would come again and 94% suggesting they would recommend Scilly as a holiday destination to the friends and family. Furthermore, 71% said they would consider a winter break on Scilly.

The highest level of satisfaction amongst visitors whilst on the islands was with accommodation and inter-island boating, closely followed by eating out and island activities. Only the retail offer and grocery provision on the islands scored less than average for the overall visitors’ experience. The travel experience also scored fairly well for customer service and information but not so well for cost or flexibility of travel. Satisfaction levels were generally higher amongst those travelling to the islands via Skybus than those using the Scillonian.

“This was a comprehensive survey that touched many aspects of the visitor experience on Scilly, and something which we are repeating this year so that we can compare statistics and start to look at trends over time,” says David Jackson Executive Director. “We’re already aware that we’re attracting a healthy number of first time visitors to the islands and we’re working hard to enhance the overall visitor experience and maximize the economic benefits without losing that overall essential essence of Scilly,” he notes. “In line with this, the Islands’ Partnership is looking ahead with some major events next year and seeking to extend the season. We’ll continue with our marketing efforts and our winter training programme for businesses to help them enhance their offering and, of course, we’ve recently taken up the mantle of looking for solutions that will improve the transport provision for both businesses on and visitors to the islands.”

Islands’ Partnership members can view the full survey in the Members area of the IP website:
www.islandspartnership.co.uk > Members Home > Industry Reports > Surveys

The Islands’ Partnership is seeking the views from its members on the key transport issues affecting the Isles of Scilly. It follows the decision earlier this month to form a new business and community led transport group for the islands after the existing Transport Task & Finish group was disbanded. The Islands’ Partnership has stepped forward to coordinate the new group and provide fresh leadership in driving forward solutions to the islands’ transport issues.

“It is vital that the business community is given the chance to have its say and to help influence the transport agenda,” says IP Executive Director, David Jackson. “With this in mind, we are inviting our members to give us their views on what the islands’ transport priorities should be and to help shape the agenda going forward. As a guide, we have listed a number of transport related topics, ranging from reliability, cost (passenger and freight), and capacity, to scheduling, connectivity and customer service and we are welcoming all views whether they be issues or suggested solutions. We are keen to understand what issues are felt to be most critical to businesses and where the emphasis should lie in terms of priorities,” he notes.

Members have received a dedicated email regarding this topic and have been asked to respond to David in an email by next Monday 27th July, 12 noon.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall visited the Isles of Scilly yesterday as part of their “Tourism and Community” tour of the Duchy and the Islands’ Partnership team was honoured to meet them. Prince Charles learnt about the Islands’ Partnership role in marketing the Isles of Scilly brand and helping to increase visitor numbers in the past two seasons. He also learnt how in 2016 we shall be bringing an events programme to the islands, including a bigger Walk Scilly Week, a Maritime Festival, an Arts & Culture month, a Gardens event and Foody festival.

The Islands’ Partnership was exhibiting alongside the Local Produce Market, where local producers enabled TRH to sample TroyTown ice cream, Island Fish, Ales of Scilly, and Veronica Farm Fudge, amongst others. Local produce plays a vital role on the islands and forms an essential part of our visitor economy. The Duchess also visited the Holy Vale Vineyard, before both headed off to St Agnes to enjoy a school production of George and the Dragon, to learn more about the island’s Seabird Recovery Project and to enjoy tea with Duchy farm tenants.

David Jackson, Executive Director for Islands’ Partnership was also interviewed by West Country news.

(Photo credits: Radio Scilly for main photo; Amy Langdon for ITV interview)

The Events Team at Islands’ Partnership has announced the full programme for the autumn Walk Scilly Weekend, 1st – 4^th October 2015. The weekend, a little later than last year’s inaugural event, was selected because research across the islands suggests that September occupancy rates remain strong but that occupancies in early October could do with a lift.

With its highly varied programme, the walking weekend should attract an array of ramblers, stargazers, wildlife lovers, sun worshippers and foragers alongside those who simply enjoy great walks with fabulous views and a knowledgeable guide. It will be ideal for visitors travelling alone to Scilly as well as couples or friends looking forward to an active weekend away once schools are back.

One particular highlight, and an exciting addition to the Walk Scilly Weekender is “Michael Morpurgo’s Bryher”, which will be lead by Bryher local, Issy Tibbs. Walkers will be able to appreciate some of the precise spots that are featured in Morpurgo’s books Why the Whales Came, The Sleeping Sword and Listen to the Moon.

Also expected to be popular are the foraging walks with Scilly regular Rachel Lambert. She’ll be leading two walks - the Edible Seaweed Walk & Chef Demo on St. Martin’s and Coastal Foraging & Cook Up on St. Mary’s. Other Walk Scilly Weekend programme highlights include a Starry Skies Walk on St. Mary’s, Historical walks to St. Helen’s and Samson; the old favourite Tresco Abbey Garden stroll, Top to Toes and a special Scilly at Sunrise surprise.

In response to feedback after April’s main Walk Scilly event, an evening programme is also being re-introduced. Opening the event on the evening of Thursday 1^st October will be a Folk Night, incorporating a complimentary reception for all walkers, kindly sponsored by Kier Group. The Islands’ Partnership is also working with the St. Martin’s Film Festival, also running that weekend, and local blues band “Roadrunner” will perform on the Saturday evening.

“This is our second Walk Scilly Weekend and we’ve packed a lot of variety into the three days to ensure that there really is something for everyone to enjoy,” says Events Manager, Zoe Parry.

All the details and the full Walk Scilly Weekend Programme can be found on the Visit Isles of Scilly website. Tickets will be available from Monday 13th July.

The importance of a warm, friendly welcome is unrivalled when it comes to offering the best visitor experience. The volunteer Games’ Makers at London 2012 nailed it, and so too are the Cruise Ship Meet & Greet Ambassadors here on the Isles of Scilly who this season will welcome each of the 46 cruise ships scheduled to visit these outstandingly beautiful islands, just 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall and like nowhere else in England.

The ambassadors – residents from all five of Scilly’s inhabited islands – are dedicated volunteers who are keen to ensure that passengers make the most of their short stay in Scilly, in the hope that they are tempted to return for a longer holiday or short break. They board the liners to hand out goody bags containing maps, island information and an enticing competition to come back, as well as offer friendly advice on what to do and where to go. The ambassadors also provide on-shore services, assisting cruise teams with coordinating on-island excursions.

“There is a great sense of community on Scilly as well as the realisation that the archipelago relies heavily on the tourism economy,” says David Jackson, Executive Director Visit Isles of Scilly. “We’re very grateful to our enthusiastic volunteers who give their time to ensure that our visitors enjoy these remarkably beautiful islands by sharing their genuine passion for Scilly. Perhaps it is one of the reasons why a recent BBC survey rated those living on the Isles of Scilly as the most conscientious and agreeable in the UK!”

The islands are the most popular stop-off point for cruises anywhere in the South West with 46 ships and 17,000 passengers due here throughout the 2015 season. May and June are the busiest months – with 30 ships arriving within the two-month period.

Pictured here are: Back row left to right: Sabine Schaudolph; Mike Skaife; David Jackson; Mair Allen-Williams. Front row left to right: Oriel Hicks; Maggie Wagstaff; Steve Douglas. Those volunteers not pictured are: Kathy Stedeford, Kris Taylor, Val & Graham Thomas, Julia Walder, Chris Simmonds, George & Margaret Tiedeman, and Alan Davis.