Quality in Tourism

Quality in Tourism has been relaunched as an independent accreditation service, offering grading, mystery shopping and specialist tourism and hospitality expertise.

Our experienced team have worked in various tourism and hospitality roles, giving them a true empathy and understanding of the issues within the industry. From mystery customer visits and website reviews to RevPAR and marketing analysis, we work with our members to offer practical help and assistance, with the aim of driving additional sales and increasing profit.

Our assessor team can star rate your property without the prescriptive standards of other schemes, recognising your quality and its appeal to customers, without insisting on outdated physical measures irrelevant to your customers. Our entry level scheme gives assurances to your customers, it is appropriately named Safe Clean & Legal TM. We offer special accolades to help you promote your properties to customers looking for your particular offerings.

Our experience, expertise and insight into the industry allows us to respond to current trends and assist members to deliver what the customer actually wants.

Clockwork Marketing

Clockwork Marketing has spent a quarter of a century fuelling the growth of hospitality businesses, with a focus on independent hotels and holiday parks.  They understand the critical aspects of hospitality marketing, unfamiliar to industry outsiders, such as:

• How customers use hotel websites
• Current hospitality marketing trends
• Room yield and other industry KPIs
• Channel Managers & booking engines
• Google Analytics relating to hotels and holiday parks
• Shoulder months

Clockwork fuses this inside knowledge with ever creative marketing and unique growth strategies. The result? Businesses with strong personalities, clear voices and the right tools to convert interest into direct revenue.

In the digital world, Online Travel Agents are giants. Clockwork helps properties take bookings back and strengthen their independence from the OTAs.

They are the marketing force behind some nationally respected tourism brands, and provide a complete service, including – web design, SEO, digital marketing, direct mail, email marketing, branding, marketing management (inc social media) and copywriting.

Saffery Champness

Saffery Champness is a national chartered accountancy practice which has been established in Bournemouth for 30 years. We support and work with a significant portfolio of clients in leisure, hospitality and tourism. Our experience has given us an invaluable understanding of the issues and challenges faced by businesses in the sector, which has enabled us to develop a range of successful strategies and solutions.

Our team, based in Bournemouth, provide advice to hotels, restaurants, marinas, holiday parks, clubs, associations and attractions. Having the specialist resource in house allows us to fully support clients on such matters as tax efficient structures and profit extraction, employee remuneration packages, VAT planning, business planning & strategy, funding arrangements and corporate finance transactions. We also provide a comprehensive range of compliance services to ensure that our clients meet their statutory obligations.

Dorset Food & Drink

Dorset Food & Drink is a membership organisation for food, drink and hospitality businesses based in Dorset who produce, serve, and sell great local products – celebrating their connection to the county.  The resourcefulness of food and drink businesses throughout the pandemic has been inspirational. As we adapt to our new normal, we will help get our local food and drink businesses back to doing what they love – bringing top quality food and drink to visitors and local consumers across the county and beyond. Dorset Food and Drink is a community interest company limited by guarantee and not-for-profit

Visit Dorset

Visit Dorset is the Destination Management Organisation for Dorset, helping to support and grow Dorset’s visitor economy. Visit Dorset is funded by Dorset Council and is supported by over 500 paying business members.

Our key aims are to promote Dorset as a world class destination to attract visitors year round and support the local economy and tourism industry through marketing, PR and strategic partnerships. The team manage the visit-dorset.com website which is recognised as Dorset’s official visitor website and receives 2 million visits a year. Visit Dorset has a very active social media presence across all platforms and works closely with VisitEngland as well as national and international press and media to ensure that Dorset competes as a leading UK tourism destination.

Dorset LEP

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is proud to sponsor this year’s Winner of Winners category of the Dorset Tourism Awards.

Dorset LEP is a business led private and public sector partnership, promoting local economic growth and prosperity. Dorset LEP delivers projects that support and develop infrastructure, housing, skills, enterprise and business growth to achieve long-term economic benefit for all in Dorset.

For more information visit the Dorset LEP website dorsetlep.co.uk or follow us on Twitter @dorsetlep’

Bournemouth Water

Bournemouth Water is proud to sponsor this year’s Ethical, Responsible & Sustainable Tourism category of the Dorset Tourism Excellence Awards.   

In our beautiful region we want to lead the way to a sustainable water future for us all and to ensure that we can keep our rivers and streams flowing and nature thriving in our precious environment. With population growth and climate change there’s less water to go around. We’re doing everything we can to make sure there’s enough water for everyone, and we are pleased to collaborate with Tourism businesses within Dorset to promote water efficiency initiatives to reduce water consumption within the tourism sector. 

We would welcome  any bids for funding to deliver water efficiency within the Non-Household (NHH) sector – specifically Tourism, within our region. https://www.southwestwater.co.uk/commercial-services/bioresources/water-resources-market-opportunities/

Goadsby

Established in 1958, and having celebrated 60 successful years in the industry in 2018, Goadsby has grown to become an influential property practice covering both residential and commercial disciplines. 

The group comprises a branch network of 24 offices across the South of England with specialist commercial centres in Bournemouth, Southampton and Winchester.  Expert teams cover all aspects of residential and commercial business including sales, lettings, new homes, land, mortgage services, hotels and leisure, business space, retail, investment consultancy, survey & valuation, building consultancy, town planning, property management, CAD services, corporate consultancy and public sector appointments.

The Hotels and Leisure division of Goadsby is one of the longest established nationally. A wide spread of clients range from the dedicated B&B owner to corporate hotel groups. Restaurants, public houses, holiday flat blocks, camping and touring parks, catteries and kennels also fall within the remit of Ian Palmer and Mark Nurse, between them able to call upon a combined 57 years of practise.

Currently ranked in the top 25 of all composite property service providers in the UK, the commercial arm is acknowledged as a major practice in the Central South having won multiple awards throughout the last ten years based on the volume of business transacted.

Tourism is the lifeblood of the South Coast and Goadsby is committed to maintaining an active support role within an industry justifiably recognised as a principal contributor to the local economy.

Resort Dorset

Time is precious for all of us, and making the most out of that all-important family break has never been more important. The Resort Dorset magazine has been providing millions of visitors with information about our county since 1992. Distributed throughout the area, it’s the most high profile, free-to-pick-up tourist guide in the area.

Quick to identify the internet as a tourism publishing medium, Resort was one of the first online visitor guides in the south way back in 1996! Therefore, it is not surprising that whilst still publishing successfully in print, the business today provides its customers with an ‘all inclusive’ approach to their tourism marketing requirements.

Advertisers benefit from being featured on a mobile-responsive website at resortdorset.com, which also powers dedicated mobile apps for iPhone and Android. The combination of print, digital and mobile helps bring new business direct to the door of Resort’s advertisers. Resort Dorset also helps businesses gain exposure on social media with over 35,000 followers. To find out more please call 01305 770111 or email info@resortuk.com.

Hotel Perfect

At Hotel Perfect we don’t just sell software, we use our collective experience and extensive knowledge of technology to bring you an all-encompassing hospitality package. Our range of products include a Property Management System (PMS), Direct Online Booking Engine, Channel Management, Hospitality EPoS, Dashboard Reporting, Guest Relationship Management; and an array of APPS and additional products and services to help maximise revenue and increase efficiency.

A well-established company based in the South West providing specialist IT solutions to the hospitality industry throughout the UK.

Pear

Pear has existed for a number of years and from our humble beginnings, we slowly became the largest print distribution agency in the UK. We connected 1000’s of brands to new audiences,  help them reach the local market both during and post-covid, and engaged their visitors on multiple levels.

Pear expanded into several partner companies - giving multiple branches for our clients’ marketing needs.
Now, all of the brands you knew and loved are coming under one Pear-tree to make Pear Marketing. A full-service, multi-disciplinary marketing powerhouse that offers a full range of in-house offline and online marketing services.

Yellow Buses

Yellow Buses is back under local ownership after being acquired by its management team for an undisclosed sum. David Squire, who was appointed as Managing Director of Yellow Buses in 2017, said: “This puts the local management team firmly in the driving seat. We are now masters of our own destiny.

“We remain as BTL and there are no changes to the terms and conditions of our employees or pension schemes. We have injected fresh capital into the company and will be looking to invest in our staff, fleet and systems going forward.

“We are over 18 months into the plan that we started in 2018 and are in a strong place with passenger growth, improved income and a booming coach operation.  As an independent company we will be quicker, more agile at decision-making and, therefore, better able to react to opportunities as they arise.”

Yellow Buses operates a fleet of 140 buses and 16 coaches with more than 410 staff.  The company carries just under 15m passengers a year with its vehicles operating nearly five million miles across the Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch and East Dorset area.

Furleigh Estate

Furleigh Estate is a serious vineyard and winery.  It is owned and run by Ian Edwards and Rebecca Hansford with Furleigh being Rebecca’s childhood home.   All their wine is made in the purpose-built winery by Ian from grapes grown on the Estate.  This means they control all aspects of the wine-making process from, as it were, ground to glass and insist on the highest quality at all stages of production. 

Average annual production is around 50,000 bottles of sparkling wine and 10,000 bottles of still wine.  The sparkling wines are made in the traditional method using the Champagne grape varieties of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Their wine is available locally in many wine merchants, delis, farm shops and directly from the Estate, where tours of the vineyard and winery are available. Furleigh Estate wine is also sold around the UK and across the world from Tokyo to Toronto.

Tozers

Tozers are the award-winning leading lawyers when it comes to park law. As legal advisers to the British Holiday and Home Parks Association for over 65 years, we are at the cutting edge of legal developments affecting the parks industry. Our dedicated and experienced team advise parks businesses small and large, throughout the whole of England and Wales, on a wide range of issues.

With over 165 colleagues, we offer a comprehensive legal service for both our commercial and private clients by taking the time to get to know you and your business.

Tozers has been repeatedly listed in the Legal 500 and Chambers in a number of fields.

Clipper

We’ve been making magical teas in Dorset since 1984, from small beginnings in our founders’ kitchen with a single chest of Assam.

Today, our tea guys, Dan & James travel the world to work with amazing growers from the best tea gardens to source, select and blend all our own products. We only work with progressive tea estates who look to improve the quality of life for their workers and their families and we were the 1st brand in the UK to carry the Fairtrade mark. Today we’re the world’s largest Fairtrade tea brand, and all of our teabags are plastic free!

At Clipper, we believe that every cup of tea counts. So we only use premium grade tea, we blend and pack our teas where we began in Beaminster, Dorset, and we are dedicated to making sure every cup of tea is natural, fair & delicious. 

You see, Natural, Fair & Delicious, isn’t just a strap line, but a guide to absolutely every decision we make.

Anytime Booking

Anytime is an innovative online booking and management software, powering the outdoor holiday market around the clock. We support hundreds of campsites, holiday parks, glamping sites, motorhome hire businesses and holiday let agencies all around the UK. Our multi-accommodation focus is one of our key differentiators in this market, along with our reputation for having the fastest and highest quality support.

Save precious time with automation, live availability and payments, intuitive dashboard and reporting, and integrated guest services. Drive up sales using our carefully selected partnerships with leading distributors like campsites.co.uk, Cool Camping, Pitch Up, TXGB and Rentals United. If you need a new website, create one with our new drag and drop website builder - beautiful results with no need to code! Fully supported from our HQ in Cornwall, our cloud-based platform is mobile-friendly and is racked, stacked and packed with all the tools a busy holiday business needs to stand out and thrive.

Lovetovisit.com

Lovetovisit.com is the revolutionary new way for people to discover and book things to do. Using the latest cutting-edge technology and industry insight, the platform promotes attractions, theatres, events, tours, destinations, and experiences to millions of monthly users.

Brimming with curated content, the user journey on Lovetovisit.com is simple: inspire, book, experience. Written by a team of in-house journalists, this content is engaging and inclusive – in turn, driving visitor numbers and ticket sales across the UK.

Operating a results-based model for partners and an on-booking experience for consumers, Lovetovisit.com ensures that everyone wins.

South West Coast Path Association

For almost half a century, the South West Coast Path Association has been helping to protect, care for and champion the South West Coast Path as one of the world’s greatest trails and one of the region’s most important environmental and tourism assets.   The Path now attracts over 9 million visitors a year and brings over £520 million into the local tourism economy.

As a charity, our mission is to help people access, enjoy and share in the amazing health-giving benefits and spectacular wildlife which our 630 mile National Trail offers.  We work with businesses along the Path (Way Makers), volunteers and members to raise funds to improve and care for the Trail – a task which is becoming increasingly important in light of current climate change.

For more information visit southwestcoastpath.org.uk  or email waymaker@southwestcoastpath.org.uk

Touch Stay

Touch Stay makes your guests happier!

Our digital guest books replace and revolutionise the printed guides and leaflets of the past. It’s time to put those wasted years managing Word docs, PDFs, binders, and clunky website templates behind you. Our digital guidebooks enable you to answer all your guests’ questions in a format that’s convenient and easy to use.

It works by storing your content in a single online location. Then we package the content into an easy-to-use format that guests love. It looks beautiful on any device or computer, works offline, and can even be saved to a PDF and printed.

If you’re wondering what the ROI is, it’s simple: better reviews lead to more bookings, and fewer questions mean more time to run your business. It’s a win-win.

Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Tourism

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Tourism’s mission is to work with industry partners to offer an inspiring holiday destination for the millions of visitors both from the UK and overseas.

We are responsible for delivering successful integrated marketing and communications campaigns to our tourism partners, in promoting the destination throughout the year.  We manage three high performing official tourism websites and 49 social media channels for the three towns and cover all aspects of tourism marketing and PR. Our Events Team creates and manages a year-round festival and events programme, welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors, and helping to raise the profile of  Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole in supporting the tourism economy worth over £1 billion . We work closely with our members and partners via the Destination Management Board (DMB) and respective Marketing Groups.

For more information visit the business portal at: business.coastwiththemost.com

Darren Northeast PR

Multi-award winning Darren Northeast PR Ltd is one of the South’s leading PR agencies.  From their base in Bournemouth, over the last seventeen years they have helped a wide variety of organisations increase their profile and brand awareness through dedicated public relations and marketing activity. Launched in 2005, with CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) Fellow Darren Northeast at the helm, they have grown an enviable client base across Dorset, Hampshire and indeed all over the UK.

They excel in creating and sustaining content to effectively communicate with the public and engage with target audiences. With experience in a huge number of sectors, they pride ourselves on getting to know each and every client offering our time and dedication.

Sculpture By The Lakes

Nestled in the Dorset countryside, Sculpture by the Lakes at Pallington Lakes near Dorchester, is a popular 26-acre sculpture park offering beauty, peace and tranquillity.

Owned by Simon Gudgeon, an internationally recognised sculptor favoured by royalty and rockstars alike, and his wife Monique, head gardener and garden designer, the space is populated with more than 30 of Simon’s pieces and is currently also home to works but several other contemporary sculptors too. The sculpture park has a gallery, a café, and event spaces for hire, and hosts many events and exhibitions throughout the year.

Bournemouth University

Bournemouth University is a leading institution for teaching and researching tourism and hospitality.  We were jointly the first university in the country to offer an undergraduate degree in tourism in 1986. We are ranked 7th in the UK for Tourism, Transport and Travel (Complete University Guide 2021) and 13th in the world for Hospitality and Tourism Management (Shanghai Rankings, 2021).  We currently offer undergraduate degrees in Tourism Management, International Hospitality Management and International Tourism and Hospitality Management, along with Masters degrees in Tourism Management, Tourism Marketing Management, and International Hospitality and Tourism Management. 

Dorset Magazine

Dorset magazine celebrates all aspects of this beautiful county, from coast and countryside to towns and villages. Every month Dorset magazine gives you the inside track on interesting places to visit, fabulous arts and music events, award-winning food and drink, wonderful walks and wildlife. Along the way we uncover hidden gems, reveal exciting stories from the past and present, and introduce you to new aspects of the county you may not be aware of. 

We also champion the wonderful food and drink made and served in the county, and meet the people who proudly fly the flag for Dorset

NFU Mutual

It’s our mutuality which sets us apart. We’re owned by and run for you, over 900,000 members, and we work hard to protect your interests. From our 300 local agent offices offering personal service to our tailored quotes you can’t get on price comparison sites, your needs are at the heart of everything we do.

Gaining accolades is one way of being recognised for the high standards of customer service and cover which we provide. We take pride in the fact that many of our general insurance products have received recognition from third parties, demonstrating our commitment to providing a comprehensive level of cover.

But we’re not standing still. Supporting our communities is very important to us. We’re committed to helping protect the environment, championing rural communities through events and initiatives, and continuing to offer the best care possible.