Issue - meetings

To consider the attached report of the Director of Environment and Corporate Assets.

The Head of Museums and Tourism presented the report on the Accommodation Charter for the Dover District.

Members were advised that the current Council policy reflected the historic government one, in that Local Authorities and their Visitor Information Centres (VICs) should not work with or promote non-accredited/graded accommodation providers. However, in 2012 the Department of Culture, Media and Sport had advised that Government had changed its position, recognising changes in the ways that providers marketed their products, leaving it for the industry to determine the most appropriate arrangements.

As a consequence, the current scheme had seen a steady decline in the number of registered providers as increasingly providers opted not to seek costly accreditation/grading and instead promote themselves through alternative means. The Dover VIC had experienced problems finding sufficient accredited accommodation during the months of July and August and often had to resort to booking accredited accommodation in Shepway and Canterbury instead of good quality, but non-accredited, accommodation in the Dover District.

The proposed Accommodation Charter developed in conjunction with Visit Kent and Tourism South East would set out the basis for accepting non-accredited providers and end the exclusion of good quality non-accredited providers from accessing marketing through the Council, expanding the range of good quality local accommodation that could be offered to visitors.

There would be an appeals system to assess complaints and monitor on-line reviews of providers that were signed up to the Accommodation Charter. The Council reserved the right to withdraw any property from the Accommodation Charter as a result.

Members asked for an update on the performance of the Accommodation Charter later in the year.

RESOLVED: That it be recommended to Cabinet:

(a)  That the Accommodation Charter be adopted to enable working with district wide non-graded accommodation.

(b)  That Visitor Information Centres within the District be permitted to book customers into non-graded accommodation through The Accommodation Charter.

(c)  That authority be delegated to the Head of Museums and Tourism to exclude a property from the Accommodation Standards Charter where it is considered necessary following investigation.

(Councillor T A Bond declared a Disclosable Pecuniary Interest (DPI) by reason of his employment in the hotel industry and withdrew from the meeting for the consideration of that item of business.)

To consider the attached report of the Director of Environment and Corporate Assets.

Responsibility: Portfolio Holder for Skills, Training, Tourism, Voluntary Services and Community Safety

It was agreed:

(a)  That the Accommodation Charter be adopted to enable working with district wide non-graded accommodation.

(b)  That Visitor Information Centres within the District be permitted to book customers into non-graded accommodation through The Accommodation Charter.

(c)  That authority be delegated to the Head of Museums and Tourism to exclude a property from the Accommodation Standards Charter where it is considered necessary following investigation.