Hotel staff working on the East and West Cliffs can commute free on Beryl bikes and scooters thanks to Bournemouth Coastal BID.
Funding made available from the ‘business improvement district’ will help recruitment and take more vehicles off the road.
A partnership between the Coastal BID and the UK’s leading micromobility company, Beryl, means hotel managers will be provided with codes that staff can use to access the green transport.
The initiative is designed to help hotels recruit staff, which has been difficult since the pandemic began and will become harder during the summer when tourism spikes.
Fiona McArthur from the Coastal BID said: “Hospitality has been horribly hit by the pandemic and staff have left the industry.
“There is also a widespread candidate shortage in the sector and we don’t want businesses to be operating with a skeleton staff.
“Tourism is vital to the local economy and when people visit we want to ensure they have the best time possible so they will return.
“If hotels are understaffed guests won’t have the same experience and hard won reputations are easily lost.
“Our partnership with Beryl aims to incentivise people to consider hotel work by giving them free transport.
“By doing so we are also taking combustion engines off the roads, which reduces congestion and pollution.”
Beryl CEO, Phil Ellis, said: “We want to inspire more people to take up sustainable travel options to help reduce road congestion and improve air quality.
“Partnership schemes such as this can hopefully inspire even more people to incorporate active travel into their daily routines.
“As well as being sustainable, cycling is also fun and a great way to exercise and keep healthy; so hopefully this will act as a good incentive for people to consider employment in tourism and help a fantastic industry get back on its feet.”
Tourism in Bournemouth is estimated to be worth more than half a billion pounds and it supports many thousands of jobs across the conurbation.
For more information contact Ed Baker at Deep South Media on 07788392965 or ed.baker@deepsouthmedia.co.uk
Notes to editors:
The Coastal BID runs from Westbourne to Hengistbury Head. It is one of two BIDs voted through by Bournemouth businesses in April 2012. In this ballot, 73% of those who voted supported the creation of the BID. There are 760 eligible businesses within the Coastal BID area, with a total rateable value of £30 million.
Business Improvement Districts, (BIDs), originated in Canada in the 1980s and quickly spread to the USA.
In January 2004 the Government introduced legislation which created the legal framework for setting up BIDs in Britain. To date over 185 have been established in the UK. They have been credited with halting and reversing the decline in many towns and cities. BIDs last for three or five years. Of the 87 that have come up for renewal, 78 have been voted in for a second term, usually with an increased turnout and majority. BIDs are successful!
BIDs work on simple principles. Businesses decide what projects they wish to undertake to improve the area and their profitability. Every eligible organisation contributes a small percentage of their business rateable value (usually around 1% or 2%). From these many contributions a significant fund is built up which has the power to make a real difference.
Based on a 1.5% levy the Coastal Districts BID generates a core income of c. £466,000. Because of the power of the BID it is possible to attract additional income through voluntary contributions and match funding for key projects etc.
BIDs make places more attractive and exciting to visit, reducing costs to participating businesses, increasing footfall and putting local businesses in control of the additional services which they have funded.