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Proving to the visitor that you offer a high quality, value for money
experience is a challenge. A quality endorsement, however, will provide
you with a stamp of approval, providing a useful marketing tool with which
to sell your product and making you stand out from your competitors. It
will also allow visitors to book a product or service with confidence,
assured that quality is guaranteed.
There are currently schemes for both the accommodation and attractions
sectors.
Accommodation
New LDA Business Support Programme
- How can you stand out from the crowd in your marketing?
- How can you improve your business performance?
- Can you attract the “green pound”?
- Are your premises accessible to all?
- Do you know the benefits of being star rated?
- Can you cope in a crisis?
These are some of the questions that will be answered by the LDA’s major new Business Support Programme, available from June 2007.
This free business support will help London’s tourism businesses tackle critical areas such as improving quality and business performance, going green, managing resources, planning for emergencies and becoming more widely accessible.
The programme, also supported by Visit London, runs over three years and consists of one to one business advice, practical ‘how to’ guidelines, workshops, on-line learning and subsidised award schemes. Its aim is to help London’s tourism businesses increase their quality standards and business performance leading up to 2012.
Outline of programme
There are two main strands:
1. Quality and Business Performance
The LDA is offering an extensive support programme for accommodation businesses looking to improve quality and business performance and to become graded in the national AA or VisitBritain schemes. This support is open to ungraded accommodation businesses.
VISIT LONDON ENVISAGES THAT ALL ACCOMMODATION PARTNERS WILL BE QUALITY ASSESSED BY APRIL 2008.
2. ‘I need to know’ workshops
The LDA is offering free ‘I need to know’ workshops for businesses keen to improve resource efficiency, contingency planning, accessibility and quality standards. This support is open to all types of tourism business.
Eligibility
The Business Support Programme is open to all tourism businesses in London, although a special focus in year one will be on central London and gateways such as Victoria, Kings Cross, Paddington and Earls Court. The Business Support Programme is tailored for smaller businesses although is open to businesses of all sizes.
If you would like to know more about the LDA Business Support Programme for tourism businesses in London, then please go to www.lda.gov.uk/tourismsupport.
Attractions
 VAQAS is a national service and all English attractions are able to take part. The service offers a quality assessment on all areas
of the attraction which impact on the quality of the visitor experience.
The assessment is an annual visit at any time when the attraction is open
to the public, by an experienced quality assurance assessor.
Meeting the VAQAS standard can be achieved by all well run attractions
- not only is the accreditation an excellent marketing tool, but in addition,
many attractions benefit from the consultancy aspects as well.
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