This study employs a qualitative methodological research approach whereby workshops with key stakeholders were used to understand how tourism stakeholders think and feel about the concept of well-being in relation to tourism and the potential to use it as a destination tourism business development resource. A tracking study was also conducted to gauge the adoption, implementation and reaction of organisations to the more effective use of wellbeing as a marketing tool. Phase 1: The study uses a mixed methodology approach of quantitative survey and qualitative interview data. Businesses attending each ideas café were given a questionnaire to complete. The questionnaire was designed to get a destination overview of the current importance of ‘feelgood’ business to Bournemouth (this term was used to incorporate all aspects of health and wellbeing products and services). The questionnaire elicited information relating to the type of business and how wellbeing featured in terms of the business offering and operations (questionnaire at appendix 4). Following each Ideas Café, businesses which had indicated they were willing to be interviewed, were contacted for a face to face interview. These were designed to be semi-structured, to enable interviewees to elaborate as they wished around different aspects of the business and wellbeing strategies. The purpose of the interview was to obtain more detailed responses regarding how wellbeing, health and ‘feelgood’ strategies were used in local tourism and hospitality businesses in the key areas of; marketing, operations and managing staff (interview schedule has been uploaded). Phase 2: The study was repeated with the same businesses to enable comparisons to be made regarding the uptake of ‘feelgood’ thinking and strategies and what difference it has made to business performance.This proposal offers the opportunity for connecting different destination stakeholders, with the specific aim of facilitating innovation in healthy lifestyle products while contributing to a competitive local tourism economy. Through inter-stakeholder dialogue, tourism businesses will be in a position to increase their marketing effectiveness, and develop new products and services that will provide an enhanced value-added experience for visitors. This proposal will accelerate tourism business growth via an improved understanding and implementation of wellbeing and it will facilitate the exchange of knowledge between tourism businesses, policy makers (both public health and tourism), and wellbeing academics. Tacit knowledge in particular is required for innovation and this network will provide the platform for the conduit translating this into action to enhance destination competitive advantage. Five outputs are proposed in the geographic context of Bournemouth & Poole and the surrounding environs (areas that have a natural potential for wellbeing): 1. Wellbeing Destination Knowledge Networks and Ideas Café A self-selecting network recruited through the NCTA will meet three times through 2014-15 commencing June 2014. Each session will be facilitated by BU and NCTA staff and feature invited speakers on a specific aspect of wellbeing whilst allowing for mentoring activity, business to business. Examples of best practice via case studies will act as a catalyst to foster innovation in co-creating destination and well-being products. These sessions will occur in Bournemouth with two additional sub-regional Ideas Cafés (an identified requirement from the recent pilot event), one at Kingston Maurward College on the outskirts of Dorchester and one at a hotel in Weymouth. 2. Facilitating Student and Employer Engagement This component of the network will seek to involve the participation of 20 businesses assigning consultancy projects to final-year students across the spectm of hospitality, sport, tourism and wellbeing. This will enhance the student learning experience providing them with real life research opportunities. Employers will benefit from the opportunity for cost-effective research and tacit knowledge exchange. 3. Wellbeing Hub A web presence within the NCTA will act as a resource for business and local government to communicate and engage in active dialogue. Emphasis will be on the exchange of knowledge in a manner that sets the foundations for a longer-term self-sustaining network based on 'Destination Wellness'. A common platform will be supplied to provide opportunities for cross-disciplinary dialogue and capacity-building, establishing a knowledge bank in this field. Social capital theory supports this tacit knowledge base facilitated by knowledge exchange between experts and dissemination of their expertise. 4.

Topics: