TYHA NEWS
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CHAIR’S REPORT
Steering the Ship through Consumer Trends & Demographic Shifts
S
tatistics and anecdote show us that our boating customers are an ageing
demographic and that the number of young people becoming regular boaters and buying boats are not adequate to maintain the numbers we are used to.
Modern trends show us that people are now consuming in different ways and are moving towards shared access which is facilitated by web portals such as Airbnb, Uber and Onefinestay.
The world around us is changing but are marinas ready for it? Can we comfortably marry the health and safety needs of running our businesses with the freedom of access to encourage new participation in our industry to ensure the future potential boater is stimulated and captured? Do we use the available industry statistics to help us to plan the future, do we remain focused on our current customer base and help them boat for longer and do we strive to look outside the box to increase our relevance?
The world around us is changing but are marinas ready for it?
Each one of us with a marina business must evaluate and decide what action is appropriate to take to ensure success, growth or even survival. Make sure that you tap into the resources that are available to you such as statistics via the British Marine Website and other organisations; proactively use social media to communicate broadly to connect with newcomers; ensure that you proudly display relevant logos on your website or emails; make sure that your Gold Anchor Accreditation is visible; ensure you participate in industry surveys and share your experiences with others through liaison with TYHA Council members or indeed via the editorial of Fore and Aft.
Participate in networking events and learn from others on how to connect with new audiences, or you may also like to offer to present something you are doing to attract/retain newcomers. Of course, it is unlikely that our
business models will have to change dramatically in the short term however that shouldn’t stop you trying new things in preparation. Jon and the team are fully engaged with this challenge and look forward to working with you to ensure that our members marinas remain relevant boating hubs.
May I take this opportunity to wish you all a good festive season, a prosperous new year and a successful 2017 season. I very much hope you can join us at the London Boat Show and please join us if you can on Thursday 12th January for the TYHA AGM, Gold Anchor presentations, Marina of the Year awards and of course the TYHA Which Marina stand party. I look forward to seeing many of you at these and other events in the near future.
Sarah Hanna - TYHA Chair
shanna@britishmarine.co.uk
04 FORE & AFT DECEMBER 2016
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