Coventry - Visitor Accommodation Growth Study Brief Invitation to Tender Introduction Coventry City of Culture Trust is seeking a consultant to undertake a visitor accommodation growth study. This work is linked to a new Tourism Strategy and destination management plan, approved by the City Council, and will inform future visitor accommodation growth in the city and efforts to improve standards of visitor accommodation in Coventry. Context Coventry is located close to Birmingham Airport and the NEC and the city is just 59 minutes from London on the train. Coventry has 40 million people within a 2-hour travel catchment. Birmingham is 20 minutes by train and Stratford upon Avon is 35 minutes by car. The city sits in Warwickshire. Research has shown that the city s leisure tourism has significant room for growth and that more needs to be done to promote its assets. A 2 million Great Places and Cultural Destination programme is making excellent progress to re-position the visitor product and the City Council has committed considerable resource to bolstering the tourism and visitor economy leadership and delivery team locally. The city s assets include cultural institutions, medieval heritage, cathedral, modernist architecture, motor and cycle heritage, the 37 million waterpark attraction opening in 2019, and its youthfulness and diversity. The Ricoh Arena is home to the Wasps rugby union team, Wasps netball and Coventry City Football Club. It is also a venue for large scale pop and rock concerts and one of our most successful conferencing venues. The city s food and drink offer is constantly diversifying, reflecting the changing nature of the city s residents and visitors. Additionally, the growth of festivals including hosting BBC Music s Biggest Weekend 2018, the annual Coventry Godiva Festival (Europe s largest free family music festival), Motofest and the Shop Front Festival is driving more leisure business to the city. We have a growing University population attending our two top 12 universities (Guardian), a high spending international student base and significant conferencing, especially Warwick Conferences based at the University of Warwick.
Current Accommodation Analysis The city currently has approximately 4,700 hotel beds and more than 300 homes listed as Air BnB s. All report exceptionally high mid-week occupancy for much of the year, which is driven by the growth of the universities, the conference and business market and international travel trade. It is perceived that over the past 10 years there has been less visitor accommodation growth in Coventry than some similar destinations. There are currently only two hotels within the city centre (Britannia and Premier Inn) though confidence in the market is seeing the development of the old Coventry Telegraph building into a 100-bed boutique hotel, opening in time for 2021. The city only has one destination hotel on its outskirts (Coombe Abbey) and has limited stock in hostel, 2-star or 4-star property. Significantly the West Midlands does not have a 5-star hotel at all, so whilst as a region we benefit from direct international flights into Birmingham we have little offer to visitors from these areas who expect a high-quality hotel and are known to bring with them high visitor spend. There are also limited facilities with wellness, spa and conference facilities. Some existing hotels, the Ramada, Premier Inn Belgrade Plaza and IBIS, have recognised the benefits of improving existing stock and have each made significant 1m plus investment in upgrading facilities. The Ricoh Arena hotel has also seen improvements and rebranding. There is limited self-catering accommodation or apart-hotels, no permanent camping or caravanning locations, and the canal and riverways are under used for accommodation. Opportunities The city is at a turning point. In 2021 Coventry will be UK City of Culture and in 2022 Birmingham will host the Commonwealth Games with Coventry providing a key venue and accommodation base. The UK City of Culture designation will bring major investment to the city with an estimated extra 2.5 million visitors in 2021. This equates to 6,000 additional visitors every day in 2021. Since winning the bid 12 months ago, the city has already attracted over 30 million in media value, with this expected to increase exponentially through a formal partnership with both BBC and Channel 4 from 2019. The City of Culture year will see the city host major national events and performances and, through its focus on youthfulness and diversity, will help position the city in new national and global markets. When Liverpool hosted the European Capital of Culture in 2008 there was a 34% increase in tourism with over 2,000 hotel rooms subsequently added to the city s stock. The previous City of Culture, Hull 2017, saw hotels full within a 30-mile radius with 14% growth over the full year in the city and a 20% increase in room rates. However, the city did not have enough accommodation to cope with the increase in visitors, let alone the ancillary conferencing and banqueting interest in the year. We are seeking to avoid this for Coventry in 2021.
Coventry s new Tourism Strategy and Destination Management Plan identifies that there is significant potential to develop the leisure, heritage and cultural tourism market. The City Council and partners have pledged to invest over 100 million in the next three years in cultural and heritage facilities associated with the delivery of the UK City of Culture and the city s 10-year Cultural Strategy. These include Charterhouse Heritage Park and Monastery, Coventry Cathedral, Warwick Arts Centre and St Mary s Guildhall with its 500-year-old tapestry and relatively unknown links to Shakespeare. A further 30 million investment will see a new city centre based family water park, The Wave, open in 2019. The new 31 million railway station redevelopment, planned to be completed by 2021, will complete extensive works on the city s gateways. The accommodation offer in our area needs to be as diverse as our visitors - and should be accessible, good quality and value for money. We wish to adopt a more pro-active approach to attracting the right types of visitor accommodation in the development period up until 2021. In the context of sustainability, the authorities also wish to be confident that there is enough demand to sustain growth in visitor accommodation provision though recognise that this is principally a matter for the market to decide. In addition, whilst development opportunities in the core urban area need to be exploited, the authorities are seeking to ensure a ripple effect so other adjoining areas, including Warwickshire and the combined West Midlands areas, can benefit.
Background to Study The City Council have undertaken a regional study into visitor profiles which will provide background context and data to inform this work. This brief identifies the need for a more in-depth local study into hotel provision and growth potential in the urban area of Coventry, but we also have data for Warwickshire, whose Destination Management Organisation (Shakespeare s England) have recently commissioned an accommodation study. It is important that these studies are aligned. Amongst the partners in the city there is a wide range of information available to inform the evidence base for examining the recent and current visitor accommodation market. The city has a range of development sites including Friargate, City Centre South, land around the inner ring road and out of city centre locations such as the Ricoh Arena. The City Council and the representatives of the City of Culture team will be attending MIPIM in Spring 2019, to showcase the visitor accommodation development opportunities. The aim of the study is: To provide a robust evidence base, conclusions and recommendations to underpin how we proactively plan and steer the right type and scale of visitor accommodation development, in appropriate locations within Coventry To advise on the relationship of potential locations in relation to the future growth market for visitor accommodation To identify the most interesting brands in the national supply chain of visitor accommodation and to stimulate interest in Coventry though the study To achieve this, the study will likely cover the following: Analysis of current baseline and market trends Define the geographical coverage of the study in consultation with the study team focusing on the core urban area Collate and interrogate existing information, data and literature and provide a comprehensive commentary on the current visitor accommodation market Summarise background information on recent trends in the visitor accommodation market Summarise background information on current market conditions including details of current occupancy and room rates in different locations Comment on the impact of existing and new magnet attractions such as the Water Park and the opportunities created by City of Culture status and the Commonwealth Games
Comment on issues of competitiveness and benchmark against other cities of a comparative nature/size Consider the importance of demand linked to known visitor markets including heritage, universities and arts, sports and cultural attractions (including those in Warwickshire) Comment on the current visitor accommodation provision in relation to the business tourism and conference market. Identify any links between the offer in Birmingham and Warwickshire Identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities (gaps) and threats to delivering the right type and scale of visitor accommodation development Visitor accommodation stock and growth analysis Examining the issues for the core urban area as well as having regard for their relationship with visitor accommodation developments within peripheral urban and rural areas in the future years Identify prospective operators/ investors with an interest in the areas and analyse the attitudes of potential investors in visitor accommodation to the strengths and weaknesses of the market and future upside and downside risks to new investment Assess the current visitor accommodation trends and future implications to the tourism industry and local and regional economy Review the accessibility of visitor accommodation and make recommendations for improved accessibility Advise on the issues around refurbishment of older hotels that may not be quality assessed but may be well placed in terms of the city centre location, proximity to transport nodes and attractions Comment how the planning system can be linked to quality standards and support national inspection schemes Advise on projection of occupancy and room rates in relation to expansion in the market given the expected growth from UK City of Culture, Commonwealth Games and University growth Tactics for attracting and delivering appropriate visitor accommodation developments Comment upon optimum visitor accommodation size for different markets including the conference market Predict scenario-based supply of visitor accommodation needed based on projected trends and identified need both in quantitative and qualitative terms Assess the risk and impact of the market delivering an oversupply of visitor accommodation and what if anything might be done to mitigate the risk Identify site suitability criteria for different types of visitor accommodation development to inform the preparation of statutory planning documents Consider viability of short term, temporary visitor accommodation solutions which could meet City of Culture related demand in 2021 The document should assist in the swift assessment of individual planning applications including the need for visitor accommodation development on nondesignated edge of centre, out of centre and out of town locations
Undertake consultation with relevant stakeholders identified by the client including the airport, hoteliers, City of Culture Trust, West Midlands Growth Company, local enterprise partnership, transport providers, Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council, Coventry Destination Management Partnership, Shakespeare s England Destination Management Organisation, the Camping and Caravanning Club, Commonwealth Games organising committee and conference organisers. The selected consultants will have access from the commissioning partners to: Visitor profile research Other tourism data Background briefing material on recent visitor accommodation development Reference list of key planning documents Anticipated Outputs The study documentation will be developed in collaboration with the City of Culture Trust and the City Council who will meet with the chosen consultants at briefing, midway and final reporting stages of the study. At the end of the research period the Consultants will provide a report that reflects the brief requirements, along with appendices containing information referred to in the main document and an executive summary which outlines the report s main findings. Two copies of a bound final report (plus appendices) are required together with digital copies. An additional output will be the production of the framework/text for an advocacy document which will act as a marketing tool for development opportunities amongst potential visitor accommodation developers. Timescales This will be as follows: Submission of tender 25 February 2019 Interview and appoint Consultants 4 March 2019 Draft report required by 15 April 2019 Final report and supporting documents by 7 May 2019 Management Arrangements The Study will be commissioned by Coventry City of Culture Trust on behalf of the Place Partnership. Day to day management will be provided by Chief Executive, Martin Sutherland.
Required Experience and Expertise Consultants should be able to demonstrate experience and expertise in similar studies. Submission Requirements Tenderers are invited to submit a proposal outlining how they would intend to undertake the contract. The submission should include: A description of the proposed methodology; Details of the company background; Information on previous projects undertaken by the company which establish its credentials for undertaking the commission; CV s of the individual staff who will be involved in the contract work (including hourly rates); The lead consultant(s) should be identified; Details of the time spent by every member of staff on the commission; Contact details for two referees; Total Project Cost (including presentation and reports). Allowance being made for incidental expenses. Tenders will be assessed on Experience and track record 30% Price and allocation of time 30% Approach and methodology 20% Ability to deliver to timescale 10% Added value demonstrated in the 10% understanding of the brief No more than three companies or consultants will be invited to an interview. Enquiries and submissions should be sent to: Martin Sutherland, Chief Executive, Coventry City of Culture Trust by email to martin.sutherland@coventry2021.co.uk Supported by: