Enhanced programme: Review and evaluate the programme
Review and evaluate the programme
Reviewing and evaluating the process is an important step. It will help you to assess what has been achieved, the impact the process has had and gather learning points for the future.
Evaluate your progress against the objectives and KPIs you set at the beginning of the Enhanced programme. You may also want to commission a professional evaluator to provide a comprehensive, structured and objective overview of your programme.
Quotations
The following quotes are from the North York Moors project evaluation:
“I think what it has made us do is realise how far behind we are with some basic accessibility issues that could be easily rectified, without it costing a fortune. And I think it’s woken us up to some much bigger issues that we’ve got to start thinking about addressing in the next 5 to 10 years” – attraction.
“I’m dedicating probably an hour or two each week to accessibility. It’s been a kick change for us to go this is not just something we need to do but there’s an opportunity here to bring new audiences in. I think that there’s been a change in mentality” – experience provider.
“Over the next five years, if it doesn’t double the amount of income that we have generated specifically from our accessibility features, then I’ll be really surprised. Hopefully, it does even more than that but that’s just putting a monetary value on it, in terms of having the confidence to deal with guests with accessibility needs that impact you can’t put a figure on it but will have benefits way, way, way into the future” – accommodation provider.
Reviewing and evaluating continued
It is also important to take time to consider what you have learned as an LVEP team as a result of the process:
“It’s certainly made us all think more about accessibility in more detail. Rather than think about accessibility in general, think in more detail about actually what a consumer is looking for and what the information should be that we’re providing, and how that sits as well on the website and to make sure it’s in a prominent position” – destination organisation.
Continuously improve
Whilst it is important to recognise what has been achieved through your programme, it is also vital that you remember that this is not ‘the end’ of the journey. Going forward, it is important to build on this programme and integrate accessibility into the mainstream offering of your LVEP.
You can continue to improve the accessibility of your destination by
- maintaining the initiatives and networks you have started;
- incorporating accessible tourism in your day-to-day activities;
- including accessible tourism on agendas at partner events;
- continuing to signpost to the business toolkit;
- encouraging businesses to regularly review and update their accessibility information to reflect any changes to provision;
- sharing best practice within the destination and further afield, on a continual basis;
- ensuring that your website is continually updated with accessible tourism products;
- providing opportunities for new businesses to be part of your accessible tourism portfolio;
- seeking to influence new developments and refurbishment schemes in your region to build accessibility into their plans;
- sharing what you have learned by offering to mentor another LVEP just starting out;
- continuing to include accessible products within your marketing campaigns;
- providing recognition through awards.
Sharing the things you have learned with other LVEPs will help not only to share good practice, but to make accessible tourism an integral part of the tourism landscape across England, benefitting businesses, visitors, the regional and national economy and the people who call our destinations home.
Thank you
Thank you again for engaging with this toolkit and showing interest in physical, digital and operational improvements in accessible tourism. We wish you the very best of luck with your own inclusivity journey.
