Events like this are a great opportunity for like-minded businesses - hotels, tourist attractions, self-catering providers and destination marketing organisations - to meet and hear the latest developments in their sector. But, just as importantly, these gatherings are a good test of mood in the tourism sector.
The day started with a few key statistics. 2012 was a mixed bag as far as UK domestic tourism was concerned, with an overall 3% decline in visitor numbers, but with the large cities faring slightly better than the traditional rural hot-spots. No doubt the Olympics had a part to play in this.
But a dive into the more "qualitative" data behind the hard numbers reveals an interesting fact. The domestic tourism sector has seen underlying growth over recent years - the so-called "Staycation" effect. And the research shows that the underlying growth in domestic tourism over recent years has been about people actively choosing to holiday in the UK - because they want to, not for financial reasons.
So that is good news for the UK, and good news for hotels like Mill End and destinations like Dartmoor. But we must, and will, continue to meet and exceed the expectations of domestic (and overseas) visitors by delivering a top quality experience.
Talking of quality, the conference programme also included a top-notch presentation by highly respected travel journalist Sally Shalam. UK domestic tourism is a speciality of hers, and there's not much she doesn't know about the sector. Sally entertained and informed delegates with her own list of "loves and hates" about UK destinations and accommodation. As a sector, there is much that we do well, and much upon which we can improve (which is good news, as constant improvement is the lifeblood of any successful industry). But the key theme was one of attention to detail. Attention to detail in every sense, whether it's the little extra touches provided when a guest arrives at a hotel, or the attention to detail in ensuring that photography on websites does justice to the product it is portraying. We all enjoyed the marketing photo of a beautiful, ancient UK town, which included a carelessly-left overflowing litter bin in mid-shot!
Everyone who attended the conference learned a lot, made new contacts, caught up with old friends, and came away with a long "to-do" list. The economic climate isn't great, but the West Country's tourism businesses can grow their slice of the tourism cake by getting quality right, by delivering great experiences in great natural environments, and by collectively doing a great job of marketing the region. The delegates were asked who was looking forward to the challenges of 2013 - the unanimous show of hands said it all.
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