Embracing diversity benefits outdoor tourism businesses in Wales and Ireland

Following the Equality Impact Assessment we undertook for the Ireland-Wales INTERREG Outdoor Tourism Project www.outdoortourism.org, Catalys was asked to design and deliver a suitable training course for outdoor providers and other interested businesses in order for them to become more inclusive and identify new and untapped target markets. On 24th September 2014, we ran an interactive one-day event at the Glasdir rural development centre in Llanrwst in Snowdonia. Participants included a specialist mountain biking B&B provider from Dolgellau, an activity park near Pwllheli, a surfing instructor from Anglesey and a beach activities business from Colwyn Bay.

We took participants through the basics of equalities legislation, identifying issues we’d identified during our earlier assessment work such as the image of sector (predominantly white, young, fit and male), how to move away from the stereotype, e.g. (encouraging older people and others), providing access to suitable equipment and qualified coaches, ensuring bilingualism in private sector businesses, and providing access for those on low income. Participants were challenged to come up with a simple definition of equality, which would work for them, and asked each to identify a number of key tasks they could perform to improve matters when they got home.

Catalys Principal Associate, Arwel Jones leads the workshop

Businesses made practical suggestions they could take to be more inclusive in their business practices including:

· provision of suitable equality training for all freelance staff,

· offering adaptive equipment,

· reducing prices for older people and children,

· developing courses specifically for women,

· having other languages on their websites,

· improving pathways and signage, and

· reviewing their own marketing activities and image banks.

As the businesses involved adopt these changes we will see that embracing diversity benefits outdoor tourism businesses in Wales and Ireland.

Catalys are now on hand to review their actions over the next few months and await developments with interest! If you feel we can perform similar functions for you, then please contact us on info@catalys.org.