Dundee Tourism Strategy and Action Plan

Client

Dundee Tourism Leadership Group

Website

dundee.com

Length

min read

Publication

Nov 05 ― 2024

TOPOSOPHY Team

#Sustainable Tourism #SCOTLAND #visitoreconomy #tourismstrategy

TOPOSOPHY returns to a rapidly changing Scottish city to guide the responsible growth of its visitor economy. In less than a decade, the city of Dundee has been on a significant journey, turning heads and gaining accolades as the ‘coolest little city in the UK’ (GQ). In 2018, V&A Dundee opened as part of a major redevelopment of the city’s waterfront (itself taking advantage of the city’s stunning location facing south onto the River Tay, making it Scotland’s sunniest city). A thriving creative community bolsters the city’s positioning as a centre of design and creativity, which also helps to explain why the city has such a burgeoning video games industry. Looking ahead to the future, the opening of Eden Project Dundee (estimated to open by 2030) and the story behind its location on the site of the former East Dock Street Gasworks will herald a new chapter for Dundee, as it provides the opportunity to tell a broader story about the city and its transformation, as well as open conversations about its broader approach towards sustainability and nurturing biodiversity.

Nurturing a long-term relationship

TOPOSOPHY worked with the city’s stakeholders at the outset of this renaissance in 2018, when we developed the Tay Cities Regional Tourism Strategy (a collaboration between Dundee and the three surrounding regions), and back then, the city’s potential and ambition to achieve it were clear. Yet since that time, similar to destinations everywhere, the city’s visitor economy sector has faced severe headwinds due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the challenges of managing high costs that have affected the hospitality sector in particular. Social challenges in the city, such as homelessness and deprivation, remain, and these are issues which the major attractions and tourism businesses are committed to playing their part in addressing along with public sector organisations.

c. Shahbaz Majeed / Frame Focus Capture Photography

About the Project

Five-Year Strategy and Action Plan

TOPOSOPHY is now working with the city’s major visitor economy stakeholders to develop a Five-Year Strategy and Action Plan to guide the responsible growth of the visitor economy. With much place-led development having taken place in recent years, and a thriving community of creatives who are passionate about their city, we shall focus on combining these assets to ensure that everyone has an ambitious but clear plan to follow, to strengthen the city’s product offer and appeal even further. The project, which is set to run between September 2024 and March 2025, will include key elements such as:

1:1 interviews and focus groups with tourism businesses, community representatives, volunteer organisations, and the local authority to identify key priorities and actions.
Prioritisation workshop to ensure that destination management and marketing efforts are targeted for their effectiveness over the coming five years.
Production of strategy and action plan, aligned with local and national strategic objectives.
Development of tailored KPIs that will help all stakeholders to stay on track and measure success.
International benchmarking to guide ambition and identify actions that can be adopted in Dundee.
Recommendations on tourism governance and financing models to ensure resourcing can support strategy delivery in the long term.

c. Shahbaz Majeed / Frame Focus Capture Photography

Further updates will be provided once the city’s strategy and action plan are published.

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