Reconnect in Kinsale 2021 Recovery Strategy - Your gateway to e Wild A antic Way
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Your gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way
Reconnect in Kinsale
2021 Recovery Strategy
Introduction and summary of Kinsale
Comeback Campaign to date
Kinsale has proven over the last 12 months that our
spirit and ethos of working together for the greater
benefit of Kinsale, can deliver very powerful results.
In March 2020, at the start of the pandemic, Kinsale
set about creating a Comeback Campaign for the
changed landscape the Pandemic would create
and started a body of work which culminated in a
Recovery Strategy document which is available at
www.kinsale.ie.
Our vision and proposition remains unchanged from
this initial strategy but our target audience and media
strategy for 2021 will be adjusted to the current
research findings and expected trends in the market We have successfully achieved all of the objectives
but keeping to the core principles of our Comeback and targets set out in the 2020 strategy for that year.
Strategy.
Our Kinsale Comeback Campaign strategy looked at
all the available national and international consumer
insights and research and also included global
experts in the area of Pandemic Recovery such as
former WHO Executive Dr Ian Norton who advised
Kinsale on how to emerge safely as a town from the
crisis along with other leading experts in Tourism.
The Campaign was a huge success with very strong
tourism numbers and performance across all sectors
when businesses were allowed to trade. The overall
feedback from the consumer was extremely positive
and this will result in repeated return business and
annual return visitors to Kinsale, given the quality of
the experience for the consumer.
Your gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way
2020 Review and Results in detail –
The building blocks of 2021 success:
A full review and report on the initial campaign is available at www.kinsale.ie but in summary the following has
been achieved in the last 12 months:
• A full rebrand of the town with a new colourful vibrant • Kinsale was one of the first towns in Ireland to take
branding the lead in outdoor dining and pedestrianisation,
which proved to be a phenomenal success. We
• A new mobile first website www.kinsale.ie
believe we can become the outdoor dining capital of
• A new Kinsale Video by Chapter which is available Ireland given our food history and streetscape which
on Kinsale.ie and also available to members for their lends itself perfectly to a long term all year round
websites and social media. dining model given the right level of investment.
Plans are now in place to continue this for 2021.
• A mainstream media and social media campaign
which delivered close to 1m euro in coverage with • Following on from the 2020 Comeback Campaign
one of largest ever targeted Digital Marketing we were finalists in the Bank of Ireland Enterprise
Campaigns ever undertaken by any town in Ireland. Towns Awards and won the overall prize in
November last year.
• A video collaboration with Cork County Council
• The impact of the above has put Kinsale on the
• Over the last 12 months, Kinsale has been
international radar of various high profile travel
represented on a number of County and National
writers who have included Kinsale in the ‘’Top Places
Committees as part of the recovery including the
to Retire in Europe’’ and also the ‘’Most Beautiful
Cork Tourism Taskforce last year so was able to
Towns and Villages in the UK and Ireland”. The
access trend information and data to assist us in
national and international perception of Kinsale is
our campaign. Through our Comeback Campaign
very positive and we now need to build on that and
we have developed a very strong communication
deliver on expectations which are at an all time high.
infrastructure with our key stakeholders at a national
level.
Your gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way
The Research
The latest Failte Ireland research is showing that:
• Consumers who did take domestic breaks last year • Daytrips are expected to be a huge market again this
had a very positive experience year
• 59% of the population took less trips in 2020 • Price is a concern for consumer so added value is
really important and highlighting the free activities in
• There is a higher intent to travel this year across all
a region or area in particular relating to outdoors
demographics
• Over 60s market will travel when vaccinated but not
• 25% of the population did not move at all which is up
until then and confidence in travel will take time to
from 9% in normal times
rebuild
• Families are again expected to be the largest mover
• Reconnection with family, friends and nature are the
domestically this year again
key reasons for travel and front of peoples minds.
• The younger age demographic are still looking to the A renewed sense of appreciation and reconnection
international market this year and a need also for exploration.
• 46% want to go overseas but may not be able to until • The barriers to travel are uncertainty around
Q4 at least depending on restrictions restrictions, price and cancelation policies
• Bookings are expected to again be made with very • In the latest research, the Wild Atlantic Way is
short lead times due to uncertainty by far the most appealing to consumer with 47%
highlighting WAW for long trips and 49% saying WAW
• Consumers are expected to take more frequent
for short trips.
breaks this year once restrictions are lifted
• There is a need for human connection, warmth of
• Outdoors is once again expected to by a key focus
welcome and connection with the outdoors.
and requirement
• Night stays are expected to increase and there has
been a significant increase in the demand for 4+
night stays to substitute for the foreign week or more
holiday
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The 2021 Strategy
Our strategy in 2021 is to focus on three phases of activity and target
markets:
The Domestic Family and 2020 early mover market: The over 60s Vaccinated Market looking to reconnect
with family, friends and nature:
We intend to focus the first phase of the 2021 campaign
on this market and execute a top up PR and Digital This is a primary focus of our 2021 campaign and we
Marketing Campaign based on the 2020 strategy which believe this market will travel regularly domestically and
was hugely successful. Part of this campaign will focus return to locations they trust and have visited previously.
on a key pillar called ‘’The Characters of Kinsale’’.
Kinsale is ideally positioned to capture this market and
We believe the Irish domestic market has become our focus on our ‘’Safety First’’ last year will resonate
crowded in the home staycation marketing messaging strongly with this market while this age profile builds up
so to set us apart and create a Unique Selling Point, we trust in travel. Kinsale's natural landscape, ease of
have decided to focus on what makes Kinsale great access, historical assets and culture, along with our
and why visitors return and that's the people. We have food culture and unique offering makes the perfect
selected 8 people from a cross section of what gives choice for the over 60 and 70s, many of which have
Kinsale its uniqueness and character and intend to been cocooning for the last 12 months.
feature them in a series of interviews and other media
to tell the Kinsale story and what the return of some This market is also not seasonally sensitive and prefers
normality will mean to them. to travel in the shoulder and off season months, so we
have a strong focus on attracting this market as the
We hope this will show the depth and meaning to the younger millennial market will move early to overseas
Kinsale story and how it sets us apart. See details of the destinations when international travel begins.
2020 strategy below for further details on how we
intend to attract this market back to Kinsale. The Overseas Market
Our intention is, while focusing on 1 and 2 above, to
also continue to monitor the reopening of the overseas
market and prepare ourselves for this market to return
in Q3 and Q4.
Research has shown this will be lead by the expected
early movers set out in the 2020 campaign below and
we also believe that based on recent booking activity,
the international golfing market will be one of the early
mover markets in 2021.
We intend to conduct a body of work in preparation
for this market so that once it becomes clear when the
international travel dates are announced we are ready
to go live with a Kinsale Campaign specifically aimed at
the international visitor.
Your gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way
The 2021 Strategy Drill Down
The latest research from Failte Ireland shows that Irish people take more domestic holidays as a ratio
to foreign holidays, than our European Counterparts so our strategy is not just about attracting the
domestic market to Kinsale once, it is about getting repeat customers to re visit and having such a
positive experience that they will want to return while also using this time to reimagine what Kinsale's
future can hold. The following are the key focus areas of the 2021 strategy:
Reimagining Kinsale Plan Characters of Kinsale
Since our success at the Enterprise Towns Awards and As part of our 2021 Campaign and in light of the
the relationships established with our key stakeholders research from Failte Ireland which shows the need for
over the course of the pandemic, we have turned our human reconnection and the strong emotions around
attention to building on this success as a town and what reconnection, we have decided to do a series called
the next steps are to become a better place to both live ‘The Characters of Kinsale’.
and visit.
These will be a series of interviews which will showcase
Over the last 6 months we have put a huge amount a host of local characters at key strategic locations
of time and effort into a discussion document called around Kinsale and what re-opening will mean to them.
Reimagining Kinsale and have worked with leaders in The intention of these interviews is to show the depth
the field of Public Realm and Town regeneration Scott and warmth of character that Kinsale has and also
Tallon Walker to create a blue sky plan which we hope bring the emotion of freedom and re-opening of both
will become the foundation of the future of Kinsale. the visitor and local characters into the spotlight. We
believe these can create a powerful and emotional
We have been determined that the last 12 months connection with the consumer and also the local
would be used as time to look at the long term residents.
objectives as a town and we believe this could be the
starting point in making Kinsale an iconic example of
best practice in everything we do both from a local
resident perspective and also from a visitor perspective.
As part of this plan we are currently pursuing various
grants and funding lines that have become available
through regeneration schemes and are actively
engaging with Cork County Council and Failte Ireland in
this regard. A copy of this plan is available on request.
Your gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way
The 2021 Strategy Drill Down (cont)
Culturally Curious Cocooners wanting to Family and friends desperate to reconnect:
spread their wings once more
As travel restrictions are eased, extended families will
Recently named in the top 9 places to Retire in Europe, be driven to reconnect with each other, travelling and
Kinsale has always attracted the semi-retired market, staying within Ireland for short trips as extended family
primarily couples in their late 60’s early 70’s with high groups. These will most likely start with fun days out
disposable income and an appreciation for the finer to celebrate missed birthdays, special occasions and
things in life. Whether over 70 and being subject to the to allow physical contact (for example grand children
enforced cocooning or merely just feeling restricted being once more able to hug grandparents).
by the recent travel guidelines, this market is primed to
travel for short breaks and treat themselves again. Small family groups will want to gather in restaurants,
bars and private small function rooms for meals,
Ordinarily, this market will have enjoyed 2 to 3 short entertainment and light fun. They will also want to
domestic breaks per year. This market has a pre- re-engage with each other by arranging fun outdoor
existing awareness of Kinsale, and may well be repeat activities like beach walks, foot golf, kayaking, sailing,
visitors, so our strategic planning will include reminder horse riding etc. We will therefore need to communicate
messages of how great Kinsale is and what great the message that there are so many fun days out
options we have available to them. to choose from in Kinsale and emphasise the cross
The over 60s Culturally Curious Market who have been generational options. Also short overnight trips for
impacted the most by travel restrictions of the pandemic groups of family and friends will emerge, the organisers
are expected not to travel overseas this year based perhaps choosing a lovely location (like Kinsale!) where
on recent research and will build their confidence in the needs for natural peaceful landscapes, varied
travel domestically and return to known and trusted activities and opportunities to explore are being met.
destinations. It is vital that we remind potential visitors of our variety
and quality of accommodation, as well as a huge array
Our work in establishing Kinsale as a lower risk town of dining and activity options.
to travel to over the last 12 months and our safety first
approach to reopening will stand well to us in attracting Facebook, Instagram and Google SEO tactics are
this market to Kinsale. crucial to engage with both groups, to maintain front of
Our product offering for this target market is perfectly mind awareness as people are pre planning for when
positioned with arts, culture, history, great walks, restrictions are eased.
independent boutiques and some of the best hotels,
restaurants and cafes in the country. We believe we
are perfectly positioned to attract this market to Kinsale
and recent media attention being in the top 9 places to
retire to in Europe puts us in a very positive position as
a trusted and attractive proposition.
The over 60s market are also the market with a high
level of pent up savings not having been able to travel
even domestically in the last 12 months and are also
less likely to shop online and hence the potential
average spend and opportunity for multiple visits are
higher than average. This market are not bound by
seasonality and summer holidays and more likely to
travel in the Autumn and off season and hence the
opportunity to extend the season by targeting this
market. Targeting this audience will involve relooking at
our marketing assets which will need to be redesigned
to suit this age profile and their preferences. This
is significantly different to last years strategy which
targeted a younger age demographic.
Your gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way
The 2021 Strategy Drill Down (cont)
Social Energisers Adventure Tourism
We will lean on and build on the work done last year in We have commenced preliminary work on a plan
attracting the family and social energiser market and we around becoming an Adventure Tourism Centre similar
expect the positive experiences last year and amazing to what Queenstown in New Zealand have achieved
feedback by this age profile will result in repeat in building a year round sustainable tourism product
customers in 2021 around a fun adventure tourism model.
We will be allocating some of the budget back to this
We already have a fantastic array of adventure tourism
market utilising the digital assets from last year which
offerings from Sailing to Kayaking and a host of other
were designed with this specific market in mind and
offerings nearby and we believe that a focus on this
hence focused on activities, adventure and the great
area could sustain a really cutting edge tourism product,
outdoors.
while attracting more adventure tourism products over
This was a very successful campaign last year and this time.
demographic travelled to Kinsale in their numbers and
as a result of their experience we have gained lifelong Activities and adventure tourism outdoors proved to
repeat visitors to Kinsale and have spoken highly of be a major attraction over the last 12 months and we
Kinsale to their peers over the last 12 months. believe our offering in this area will continue to be a
unique selling point in 2021
We need to ensure we once again attract this market
while attracting back also the Culturally Curious and
our strategy needs to be mindful of how we blend and
attract both markets successfully with either feeling
uncomfortable.
Your gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way
The 2021 Strategy Drill Down (cont)
Kinsale - for Wellness Tourism Making up for lost time – Return of the
Roaring 20s
With the ongoing trend towards wellness tourism as
well as the heightened focus on physical and mental Research is showing that Compensation spending for
health that Covid-19 has evoked, we believe there is lost time will mean that consumers will look to spoil
an opportunity in the market to develop Kinsale as a themselves in locations like Kinsale that offer the
wellness destination. product to meet that demand. Kinsale has the perfect
mix to satisfy this market demand both from a daytrip
With our abundance of stunning coastal location, wide market to a longer stay consumer, given that we can
open outdoor spaces and a general feeling of a relaxed offer everything from small independent boutique to
welcome, Kinsale is ideally suited to attract this growing international retailer and a food offering ranging from
market. The wide ranging variety of accommodation, food truck to Michelin.
sports facilities and outdoor physical pursuits, as well
as healthy eating options, farmers markets, fresh locally
sourced produce position us very strongly for this
market
Research has shown that people are looking to have a
greater sense of freedom once they are released from
lockdown and have a desire to explore Ireland and the
amazing things to see and do on their doorstep. Strong
destination imagery and video will play a large part in
communicating this message.
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The Millennial Early Mover Market
Millennials determined to see the world once more will be the early
movers in 2021, according to global travel research, and will be the
first to travel internationally when overseas travel reopens. We need
to position ourselves as an attractive and exciting proposition for this
market segment.
Millennials, more so than other generations, view travel We plan to harness this determination to see the
a priority. Making up 31.5% of the world’s population*, world once more by promoting fun, unique and
Millennials currently represents the largest travel target quirky experiences and by promoting stunning photo
market with an annual spend of $200 Billion. opportunities around Kinsale
The average millennial (aged 21 to 37) plans on While Millennials have proven to favour city breaks
taking roughly five trips each year, three of which are (Dublin being the 5th favourite International destination),
expected to be international. This market will have an the “cool and quirky factor” that we can offer in Kinsale
increased appetite for travel once released from the as well as the very on trend foodie dynamic will attract
current lockdown restrictions, as their tendency is for this market.
frequent short trips to new interesting places and most
importantly sharing their experience through social The 2020 campaign proved that this age profile came
media channels (mainly Instagram). and enjoyed Kinsale in their numbers and that our
offering was surprisingly appealing for many to return.
The Wild Atlantic Way has recently been in the top 10 A series of cutting edge and on trend offerings in the
most Instagrammed trips in the world which will attract café, food and retail market in Kinsale mean that this
this market to Kinsale. market had a very positive experience in Kinsale.
Your gateway to the Wild Atlantic WayBuilding Back Better
Our 2021 ‘Reconnect in Kinsale’ plan also includes a “Build Back Better”
strategy where we will be encouraging businesses to look at more
sustainable ways of doing business including commencing a journey
towards a low carbon community.
We are appointing a specific Chamber Executive Plastic Free Kinsale, a community initiative created
Member with responsibility for this area and putting to reduce the amount of single use plastic, thereby
sustainability at the core of everything we do as we reducing plastic litter and pollution has proven hugely
rebuild. Kinsale over recent years, has been the successful. Recycling rates have increased and our
ongoing work to transform Kinsale into a sustainable coastal areas are cleaner. This is now part of our story
town. and will remain a priority.
Kinsale has proven itself to be a connected community, This sense of unity, purpose and pride in terms of
making it more resilient to external challenges such as our sustainability and environmental impact is very
pandemics and climate change. There is a strong sense important to the local community and also highly
of community, with a core focus being on the people reassuring to visitors to Kinsale, that we are a caring
and their health and wellbeing, as well as a united community who puts sustainability at the core of
vision towards a more sustainable future. everything we do (especially during challenging times),
and we will continue to weave this into our messaging.
Kinsale has a thriving local economy that supports local
producers and small businesses and has shown how
agile and innovative they can collectively respond to
challenges. It’s not just about financial sustainability,
we are building a happy society, a healthy town and a
flourishing economy.
Your gateway to the Wild Atlantic WaySummary
Our goal is to take the lead in this recovery, in terms of our creative
thinking, common purpose, innovation, ambition and delivery. We can
be the centre of reconnection for tourism in 2021.
The positive results of the 2020 campaign have built a We now have an opportunity to build something really
foundation and infrastructure for success in 2021. special which will benefit generations to come, the same
way great people that have come before us have left a
Many of the core action points and initiatives of the blueprint and legacy that has built Kinsale to what it is
2020 campaign remain relevant to our 2021 campaign today.
with the realigned focus on three phases of activity
focusing initially on the domestic early mover family The unique mix of people and businesses in Kinsale
and social energiser market, followed by the long term have consistently delivered memorable and unique
repeat over 60s market eager to enjoy the finer things visitor experiences. Working together for the greater
in life again, while also maintaining a focus on being good of Kinsale is in the DNA of the town.
ready to attract the overseas market.
Our track record of delivery along with our prime
We believe we need to work extremely hard once again positioning at the start of the Wild Atlantic Way and the
to ensure Kinsale is front and centre of the national gateway to West Cork, puts Kinsale in prime position
recovery and also position ourselves for long term to be at the forefront of Irelands Tourism recovery and
success by our short term actions in response to the setting us up for the international recovery over the next
pandemic. 12 months.
Kinsale has proven itself be a resilient and successful What we do next is what matters.
tourism destination over the years, not only due to the
quality of the underlying product and natural beauty, but
also our vision and unity as a community.
Your gateway to the Wild Atlantic Waywww.kinsale.ie
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