I was pleased to be invited to attend the AGM of the Bath Independent Guest House Association (BIGHA) earlier this week. Lots of new faces and new businesses to get to know! And some fantastic B&Bs and Small Hotels to discover - I already have some first hand experience, having done my road trip around Bath of 'four B&Bs in 4 nights' in early January.
At tyhe AGM, which was held at the fabulous 'Museum of the Building of Bath', I was keen to stress two things that are at the centre of my approach to my job - partnership and supporting the independent sector:
Now partnership is something that lies at the very heart of our potential for success. I want Bath Tourism Plus to be at the very heart of the business community. We need to be proactive and to work hard to develop and nurture a partnership approach to our activities. We need to consult and engage. The early signs are encouraging - our joint work with the Business Improvement District will soon be very visible when our fantastic new Spring marketing campaign goes live.
The Independent Sector is alive and kicking on Bath. It's what makes our city special and it gives a fantastic USP in these days of dreary clone towns. But we need to protect and nurture our independent accommodation providers, restaurants and retailers if we are to continue to maintain Bath's visitor appeal. With this in mind, I want BTP to have an open dialogue with our partners at BIGHA. I hope that they are up for it!
