A GROUP of rising stars in Bournemouth’s tourism industry have met to form a new think-tank aimed at igniting new ideas and shaping the future’s of the town’s tourism offering.

Called the Tourism Innovation Programme (TIP), the project will also mentor and encourage independent thinkers from the resort’s emerging talent to inject new energy and passion for the tourism and hospitality industry in the south coast resort.

TIP is the invention of the National Coastal Tourism Academy (NCTA), and Bournemouth council’s Tourism Management Board, and comprises trail-blazers selected from the town’s tourism and hospitality industry by an industry-wide nomination process.

Staff from a cross-section of hotels, attractions, restaurants and pubs, as well as entrepreneurs such as the founder of Conker Spirit, Dorset’s first dry gin distillery, are represented.

Samantha Richardson, director of the NCTA, said: “The new Tourism Innovation Programme is led by an experienced industry innovator, Stephen Feber, who helps spark the flow of ideas to create new services and products, to add value to the visitor experience.

“TIP will have the potential to inject a new innovative energy across the destination, to make it more resilient and competitive for the future. This is a unique opportunity for resourceful, creative individuals to join a dynamic new team to generate ideas and help position Bournemouth at the leading edge of UK coastal tourism.”

Its induction was welcomed by participants.

David Cullen, assistant marketing manager at children’s attraction Lemur Leisure, said: “The opening session was extremely valuable.

“I wrote pages of notes and took away several ideas I can apply to my business.”

Anna Chamberlain, who works in business support for Bournemouth Coastal Business Improvement District, said: “I found the event very thought-provoking and found myself thinking about the wider story – seeing the visitor’s experience of the destination as a series of connected interactions and transactions, an entire journey not just individual customer experiences.”

The cohort met for the first time in October, with three further half-day sessions to follow.

The Tourism Innovation Programme is part of the NCTA’s strategy to boost the tourism industry and help create jobs.