Destination UK Summer 2015 by Script Media

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Issue 62 Summer 2015 £2.75

Free Wi-Fi tops most popular hotel amenity By Christina Eccles FREE Wi-Fi is the most popular hotel amenity in the world, a survey has found, with technology savvy travellers choosing it as their most important factor when deciding on somewhere to stay. Booking website Hotels.com asked almost 5,000 respondents – a combination of both leisure and business travellers – which facilities were most important to them when booking a hotel. 30 per cent of respondents picked free Wi-Fi, knocking a complimentary breakfast off last year's top spot to second place with 21 per cent of the global vote. Free parking remained in third place for another year with one in 10 choosing this facility, beating swimming pool facilities on eight per cent and on-site restaurants and room service offerings, which achieved only three and two per cent respectively. According to the results, the 10 popular global hotel amenities are: 1. Free Wi-Fi – 30 per cent. 2. Breakfast – 21 per cent. 3. Free parking – 10 per cent. 4. Swimming pool – eight per cent. 5. Luxury mattress – seven per cent. 6. In room tea/coffee maker – five per cent. 7. On-site restaurant – three per cent.

7. High end linens – three per cent. 7. Hair dryer – three per cent. 10. Room service – two per cent. The survey also revealed mini-bars are the hotel feature voted most disappointing, with nearly a quarter believing this is the top amenity that isn’t worth the hype. This is followed by a turndown service, receiving 13 per cent of the global vote. Brits still seem hooked on a traditional English breakfast, with meats such as bacon and sausages coming in at 46 per cent when looking at food offerings, while only 20 per cent chose the healthier fresh fruit option. Carolina Annand from Hotels.com said: “It is interesting to see how important technology is to hotel guests these days, and with society relying on email, messenger tools and websites to stay connected when abroad, it looks as if more traditional amenities such as the mini bar and room service are falling out of favour with guests." Free Wi-Fi also topped the list of the top 10 most popular UK hotel amenities on 28 per cent, with the UK breakdown showing similar results to the global survey, also naming free breakfasts in second place and free parking in third. Completing the top 10 was an in room tea/coffee maker; swimming pool; on-site restaurant; high end linens; hair dryer; luxury mattress and child care options.

London welcomes a new Princess

This year’s South Tyneside Festival is set to attract more than 120,000 visitors, with organisers announcing an action packed programme of events. Confirmed so far include free concerts by Britain’s Got Talent winners Collabro, X Factor winner Joe McElderry (pictured) and pop legend Billy Ocean. A spectacular Summer Parade, celebrating 150 years since the publication of Alice in Wonderland, will also form part of the celebrations, moving through the streets of South Shields on Saturday July 4.

LONDON’S tourism body Visitlondon.com has welcomed the birth of the Royal baby as the capital expects more visitors than ever before this summer. VisitLondon.com is predicting London will welcome nearly 32m international and UK tourists to the city in 2015 – 2.7m more than the 29.1m visitors in 2013. The year of Prince George’s birth, 2013, was a recordbreaking year for tourism, with London welcoming almost 17 million international visits. Gordon Innes, chief executive of London and Partners, the Mayor of London’s official promotional company which runs VisitLondon.com, said: “While it’s impossible to quantify the effect the birth of a new royal baby will have on the number of tourists visiting London, it’s clear that London’s tourism is going from strength the strength, and its royal connections and attractions are key drivers that attract people from the UK and abroad to the capital.” To mark the arrival of the newest member of the royal family, many London hotels, restaurants and attractions are celebrating with regal themed afternoon teas, packages and special offers.

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Television series brought to life on Edinburgh’s streets By Christina Eccles HIT US television series Outlander is being brought to life on the streets of Edinburgh, thanks to award winning Mercat Tours. The operator has launched the Edinburgh Outlander Experience – a walking tour that takes in locations featured in the bestselling books by Diana Gabaldon – to celebrate the role the city plays in the stories and capitalise on the popularity of the show, particularly with American visitors. To celebrate the launch of the tour on the Royal Mile, Mercat guides Lara Benne and Jason Martin dressed as literary heroes Claire Randall and Jamie Fraser. Managing director of Mercat Tours, Kat Brogan, said: “Claire and Jamie have captured the imagination of people across the world and Scotland’s stunning landscape is a breathtaking backdrop to their adventures. “We’re delighted to reveal the sites featured in the historical drama and

Contacts EDITORIAL Judith Halkerston group editor 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.uk Christina Eccles reporter 01226 734463 ce@scriptmedia.co.uk Olivia Taylor reporter ot@scriptmedia.co.uk Dominic Musgrave reporter dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

PRODUCTION Stewart Holt – studio manager – sth@scriptmedia.co.uk Laura Blackburn – graphic designer lb@scriptmedia.co.uk Scott Firth – graphic designer sf@scriptmedia.co.uk

Mercat Tours has launched the Edinburgh Outlander Experience. share the true stories of turmoil and romance during the Jacobite rebellion.” Regional director at VisitScotland, Manuela Calchin, added: “Diana Gabaldon’s books enjoy a massive global following and the launch of the television series has sent Outlander’s popularity into the stratosphere.

“We know that 40 per cent of visitors to Scotland are encouraged to visit this country after seeing it on film or on television, and Mercat Tours’ new Edinburgh Outlander Experience will give fans a fantastic opportunity to learn about the capital’s fascinating history, while following in the footsteps of their favourite fictional characters.”

ADVERTISING Tony Barry sales and marketing director 01226 734605 CIRCULATION Kelly Tarff 01226 734695 kt@scriptmedia.co.uk Web: www.destination.uk.com

At Script Media, we try to get things right but occasionally, we make mistakes. If you have a complaint about a story featured in our magazine or on our website, please, in the first instance, contact us by email: ce@scriptmedia.co.uk We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice as demanded by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. For details on the code and what to do should you be unsatisfied with the way we handle your complaint, please visit www.ipso.co.uk

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New tours at Culzean Castle THE National Trust for Scotland has unveiled a new series of group experiences at one of its most popular visitor attractions – Culzean Castle in Ayrshire. The new tours are designed to ‘unpack’ the fascinating history and legends surrounding the castle and the people who lived there. Head of travel trade Pietro Cecchini said: “Our latest guided tours have been created by Culzean’s expert team, exclusively for the group market. “Visitors can come face to face with the past when they meet a ‘marquess’ (or possibly the ‘butler’!), delve into the stories of the Kennedy family, enjoy a special cookery demo in our ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ event, and marvel at Robert Adam’s genius (including the magnificent oval staircase) on our celebratory Enlightenment Tour.”

Car-free day out guide launched A NEW look traveller’s guide has been launched to help make a car-free day out in the Lake District easier than ever to organise. With support from the GoLakes Travel programme, 25,000 copies of the free 64-page guide are being printed for distribution throughout the South and Central Lakes ahead of the peak holiday season. Available from information centres, hotels and tourist attractions, the A5 guide is packed with inspirational ideas, itineraries and maps, as well as practical details about getting around by bus, boat, bike and boot. There is also advice on rail travel and 24/7 access to ‘payas-you-drive’ cars at key transport hubs.

Date revealed for city’s Pride LIVERPOOL Pride will return to the city on August 1, organisers have revealed. Established in 2010, Liverpool Pride returns for its sixth consecutive year, with the iconic backdrop of the Pier Head transformed into a colourful festival site bursting with activities for all. The full line-up of headline acts performing on the Pier Head stage will be announced over the next few months, along with a programme of film and fringe events and ticket information. 4

The free Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Festival, supported by Telford and Wrekin Council, will be taking place this year on Saturday September 19. With the world famous Iron Bridge forming the backdrop, the festival will be a celebration of the area’s designation as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986. Highlights will include heritage walks and talks, a craft and food market, live street entertainment and family activities.

Forget foreign trips, explore Scotland more say Scots SCOTS should do more to explore their own country, according to research by YouGov Scottish Omnibus. Almost three quarters of those polled believe Scottish people should visit places in Scotland more frequently. 18 per cent said the current amount is right while only one per cent said people should explore less. Those aged 35-44 were the most enthusiastic, with 81 per cent saying Scots should visit places close to

home on a more regular basis. YouGov also asked which famous Scottish landmarks people had visited. Comfortably on top was Edinburgh Castle, which nine in 10 respondents said they had gone to. Staying in the capital, 59 per cent have visited Arthur’s Seat. Elsewhere, 77 per cent have been to the Scottish Highlands, Loch Ness has been visited by 71 per cent and 43 per cent have seen Ben Nevis. Senior research executive at

YouGov Scottish Omnibus Stephanie Frost said: “Tourism is of course, an industry of vital importance in Scotland. “There is always room for growth however. Native inhabitants could explore more of the cultural, natural and historical attractions they have on their own doorstep. “The results suggest Scots are very proud of what they have to offer, not just foreign tourists but domestic ones too, the challenge is converting this into actual visits.”

Day tickets go on sale for family-friendly music festival DAY tickets for a family-friendly music festival in the South Yorkshire countryside have gone on sale following the popularity of full weekend tickets. People wishing to attend the Underneath the Stars Festival at Cannon Hall Farm near Barnsley for one day only can now buy tickets via the festival website. The festival is being organised by Barnsley’s most famous singersongwriter Kate Rusby and her family. Kate will headline on the Sunday, with Saturday’s line-up topped by US song-writing legend Mary Chapin Carpenter and Eddi Reader, formerly of Fairground Attraction; and Friday’s programme including Galleon Blast featuring BBC radio personality Mark Radcliffe.

Festival director Emma Holling, who is Kate’s sister, said: “Day tickets are a great chance for those festival-goers who can’t quite commit to a full weekend to still come along and be part of all the action. “We hope that after the overwhelming response we’ve had for the weekend tickets that the day tickets will be in similar demand. “This is only our second time running the festival so we’re delighted with the amount of tickets sold so far and we want to increase the numbers even more to make for a great weekend. “We’d love to attract music festival veterans and newcomers of all ages to enjoy this family-friendly cultural event.”

Underneath the Stars festival director Emma Holling.

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Ambassador helps search engine to hunt for Nessie Picture credit: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor

Take a fresh look at Westminster Hall ... WESTMINSTER Hall, the oldest surviving part of the Houses of Parliament, has undergone major cleaning work which has revealed even more of the medieval detail. Until November, this awe-inspiring space is home to the colourful banner exhibition ‘The Beginnings of that Freedome’ which commemorates an 800-year history since the sealing of Magna Carta in 1215. Houses of Parliament tours begin and end in Westminster Hall. During the tours visitors follow in the footsteps of the Queen at the State Opening of Parliament, through the ornate Robing Room and Royal Gallery, before entering the Lords Chamber to view Pugin’s magnificent gilded throne canopy and the Woolsack. The House of Commons offers a

contrast in style, having been badly damaged during the Blitz and rebuilt in the late 1940s. The entrance to the Commons Chamber is dominated by a full length statue of Churchill and the smoke-blackened archway that bears his name. A choice of audio and guided tours are available every Saturday, and on most weekdays during Parliamentary recesses including August and the ‘party conference season’ in late September and early October. Selected tours can be followed by stylish afternoon tea in the riverside Terrace Pavilion. Foreign language tours and group rates for groups of 10 or more are offered.

Call 020 7219 4114 or see www.parliament.uk/visiting for more details.

VISITSCOTLAND Meet the Scot ambassador Adrian Shine has been assisting Google in a mission to inspire everyone in the world to discover what lies beneath Loch Ness. Adrian, who is leader of the Loch Ness Project and designer of the five-star Loch Ness Centre and Exhibition spent a number of days with the Google Street View and Catlin Seaview Survey teams, as they performed an undercover operation to photograph above and below the waters that host the famous monster, Nessie. Following the launch online, Nessie hunters worldwide will be able to use Google Street View to search the mysterious waters. The launch date coincided with the most famous photograph of the Loch Ness Monster – the ‘Surgeon's Photograph’ which was published in the Daily Mail in 1934. Magically, when searching in the Loch Ness area, the usual yellow Google Pegman will change to a Nessie peg-monster, giving users the power to zoom into different areas of the lake. Adrian said: “The Google project was so cloaked in secrecy, when

people asked about the ripples in the Loch during the special diving expeditions; for once I had no opinion! I’m so proud to have been part of this initiative and I hope people worldwide enjoy exploring Street View to have a look and then be inspired to travel to Scotland to discover this area of magical beauty and natural intrigue. “If there are no dragons here, there should be.” Chief executive of VisitScotland Malcolm Roughead added: “The Street View project is hugely exciting and we are delighted the team at Google have been as inspired about our monster as the hundreds and thousands of visitors who travel to Loch Ness every year hoping to catch a glimpse. “Nessie is an enduring icon of Scotland – a character, a legend, a myth – whatever you want to call her, visitors from across the globe have been intrigued by her for more than 80 years. However, even without catching sight of the monster, the landscapes in and around Loch Ness are simply breathtaking and I would encourage everyone to add a trip here to their bucket list.”

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Wayne Hemingway to speak at Tourism Society Symposium By Christina Eccles

Ullswater Steamers and the National Trust have joined forces to create the perfect Lake District family day out. As part of the package, a new lakeside jetty will provide passengers with an extra stopping point on the Ullswater shore; Aira Green. Once ashore, visitors can enjoy a walk to the waterfall at Aira Force; a hike to the heights of Gowbarrow fell, or tea and cake in the National Trust tearoom before a leisurely stroll back to Glenridding on a scenic new off-road path.

We Love Kent launches app WE Love Kent is releasing a new app to further capitalise on the county’s booming tourism trade. The app will launch on June 1 – with an event at the Britannia Theatre – to coincide with the start of summer and the bulk of the tourist trade. We Love Kent’s creator James Bradley said: “I fully believe that

while Kent is already a major tourist attraction, with the introduction of this app we can help drive more business into Kent businesses and truly help stimulate the local economy even further. Companies who might not have got much from the tourism trade previously, will find it easier to market themselves and attract footfall to their business.”

WAYNE Hemingway, the creative designer and visionary behind the £18m restoration project of Dreamland in Margate, has been confirmed as a speaker at the annual Tourism Society Symposium, taking place in Kent on June 1-2. A founder of the former fashion label Red or Dead, Wayne has built a successful 30-year career working on numerous high-profile projects ranging from interior design to landscape planning, housing regeneration and designing uniforms for the likes of McDonald’s and Transport for London. At Dreamland, Wayne is working with CEO Eddie Kemsley to preserve the cultural heritage of the project while at the same time bringing the attraction up-to-date for a modern audience. Eddie will be joining Wayne at the podium at the Symposium to share their vision for the project. Tourism Society chairman and chief executive of Visit Kent, Sandra Matthews-Marsh, said: “We are delighted that Wayne Hemingway and Eddie Kemsley have agreed to speak at the Symposium. Both

speakers have been responsible for some tremendous work in revitalising tourism and cultural projects in the UK and we are all looking forward to the relaunch of the Dreamland project as part of the regeneration of Margate.” The topic for this year’s Symposium is Connecting to the Future and other confirmed speakers include former Government minister, Steven Norris and Arts Council England chairman, Sir Peter Bazalgette The two-day event comprises study tours, a networking supper and a full day of presentations and discussions. The first day of the Symposium will showcase Kent, the Garden of England, with delegates able to choose from three study tours of the county: The Ashford Experience, The East Kent Arts Coast, and Maritime Kent and Medway. The day ends with a reception and networking supper at Eastwell Manor, Ashford. Day two will move to the University of Kent at Canterbury for a full programme of leading speakers exploring the role of hard and soft infrastructure, with case studies and opportunities for networking.

The Gruffalo Experience premieres at Meadowhall Shopping Centre MEADOWHALL Shopping Centre welcomed a VIG – Very Important Gruffalo – with the world exclusive opening of ‘The Gruffalo Experience’. Running throughout this Easter, the Gruffalo Experience was officially opened by pupils from nearby Tinsley Meadows Primary School, who became the first children to welcome the Gruffalo to Meadowhall. The class of five and six-year-olds enjoyed a fully interactive experience during their 45-minute journey through the attraction where they 6

got to meet the Gruffalo face to face and interact with the all characters. Darren Pearce, centre director at Meadowhall, said: “This event has been months in the planning so it’s fantastic to see it all come to life at Meadowhall. The children’s reaction to the Gruffalo was just priceless and I’m sure all the thousands of families who come to see it over Easter will enjoy the same magical experience.” Taking place within a heated and weatherproof marquee structure outside, youngsters were given their

very own mouse ears. They then meet a ‘Gruffalo Guide’ who led them through the Experience, which was split into two zones. In zone one visitors got to meet the characters of the deep dark wood. They also got to find out all about Fox, Snake and Owl and why you (the mouse) would make a tasty treat for them! After meeting the characters the journey continued through the deep dark wood into zone two.

There visitors enjoyed interactive story telling before meeting and having a professional photograph taken with The Gruffalo. The Gruffalo Experience ran until April 12 and tickets for all sessions sold out, with almost 16,000 people visiting the event. The experience is hoping to return to Meadowhall in the future, but this has not yet been confirmed. Working together for the first time Unit 10 Eventive & Magic Light Pictures are the creators behind the Gruffalo Experience.

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Never seen objects go on display NEVER-before-seen objects from the Metropolitan Police’s Crime Museum will go on public display at the Museum of London in the major exhibition, The Crime Museum Uncovered, opening this October. Previously only accessible to police professionals and invited guests, the exhibition will reveal the secrets of the Crime Museum, created by serving police officers since its establishment in 1875. The exhibition, which is being created with the support of the Metropolitan Police Service and the Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime, will take visitors on a journey through real cases and how they were investigated. It will bring them close to the objects and evidence from some of the UK’s most notorious crimes, including the Acid Bath Murderer of 1949, the Great Train Robbery of 1963 and the Millennium Dome Diamond Heist of 2000. It will also examine some of the challenges faced in policing the capital, tackling themes from terrorism and espionage to counterfeiting and narcotics.

WTM 2014 facilitates record £2.5billion in industry deals WORLD Travel Market 2014, the leading global event for the travel industry, will generate a record £2.5 billion in travel and tourism industry deals – an impressive 13% increase on WTM 2013. Independent research of World Travel Market’s exhibitors reveals WTM 2014 will generate a massive £2,506,739,121 billion of deals, either through contracts signed at the event or from negotiations with WTM Buyers’ Club members, which will lead to deals signed before WTM 2015. WTM 2013 facilitated £2.2billion

in business deals, either on the exhibition floor or in the 12 months that followed, which was a 19 per cent increase on WTM 2012’s £1.9billion. WTM 2011 saw £1.653billion of deals, while WTM 2010 facilitated almost £1.5 billion. The increase in business generated by WTM 2014 can, in part, be accredited to the seven per cent increase in WTM Buyers’ Club members to more than 9,100 (9,124). The WTM Buyers’ Club is the leading business network for travel

buyers and WTM facilitates networking opportunities, including the hugely popular WTM Speed Networking sessions on the Monday and Thursday, which match the right buyers to exhibitors. World Travel Market senior director Simon Press said: “I am delighted with the amount of business conducted at World Travel Market 2014, which increases each year. This success firmly positioning WTM as a must-attend exhibition for national and regional tourist boards, global brands, luxury and technology companies.”

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State intervention in Tourism in the UK? By Kevin Kaley FTS MIH, Director, Tourism UK Ltd, and Tourism Society board member THE 1969 Development of Tourism Act allowed for the establishment of ‘a British Tourist Authority and Tourist Boards for England, Scotland and Wales with responsibility for promoting the development of tourism to and within Great Britain; to provide for the giving of financial assistance out of public funds for the provision of new hotels and the extension, alteration and improvement of existing hotels; to enable provision to be made for the registration of hotels and other establishments ……. and for securing that the prices charged there for such accommodation are brought to the notice of persons seeking to avail themselves of it; and for connected purposes’. Since then, state involvement in Tourism has seen many changes. However, as a non-statutory function the type of intervention is always

Kevin Kaley FTS MIH threatened by the availability of resources. The current economic climate means that, across government, pressure is on to achieve more with less. So what should the state be doing? What interventions should take place? Having recently been asked this question by the 22 local authorities that make up Yorkshire and Humber, one might think that I could easily give an answer, but alas it’s a bit complicated!

Economic theory would suggest that state intervention is required where there is proven market failure. In Tourism this can be externalities (e.g. economic impact, environmental impact and social impact); or the free rider problem (where many benefit from an action without contributing to it, e.g. the marketing of a destination.) Across the world many governments recognise these externalities and intervene in some way, often through destination promotion. Drawing international visitors has public benefits that go beyond the benefits felt by individual operations, providing a case for public sector intervention. Economic theory suggests that where market failure does not exist there is no case for state intervention; but does that mean that where any market failure exists there is a justification? Historically, in the UK, attempts have been made to use public funds to improve skills, market destinations, improve accommodation and attractions, provide information, provide booking facilities, support events and develop infrastructure. Whilst the argument for these interventions has undoubtedly been an economic one, were they intended to correct a specific market failure? During my time in economic development in Scotland I worked on a project to address tourism skills issues. Significant resources were used to subsidise training, produce materials and train business owners. At the time the argument for doing this seemed sensible; however, I now doubt that these efforts to improve the ‘hygiene factors’ of skills and micro-business performance made any impact on the destination. The word ‘tourism’ is often substituted by the phrase ‘visitor economy’ recognising that not all visitors to a destination are tourists (WTO definition) but that they are

still important to the local economy. However, has this softening of the language also meant that the justification for intervention has become softer? Are all interventions the subject of rigorous economic assessment following treasury Green Book principles? Can they pass the market failure test and what about displacement? Will the impact be truly additional or will it simply draw from elsewhere? Many local level interventions undoubtedly displace business from other parts of the UK. These interventions impact at a micro economic level, e.g. by drawing day visitors from the neighbouring town, city or region, but show little impact at a regional or national level. That is not to underplay the importance of some local activity such as events that draw day visitors helping local business cashflow and ensuring the survival of these businesses, which then service the tourist. However, to make a more significant impact at a destination level requires interventions that are more visible. Interventions that improve transport, add hotel stock, or create new motivations to visit from outside of the area are required to make a difference. Such interventions require collaboration across the public sector to shift resources to deliver higher more strategic level interventions. So in the context of achieving more with less, perhaps intervention activities need to be more robustly economically appraised. Perhaps there is a need to focus on interventions that are strategic, visible and can demonstrate a greater impact. Whilst causality is difficult to prove, a more robust approach to appraisal would separate interventions that might grow the tourism economy from those that cannot demonstrate impact. This will mean stopping some activities, doing some others differently and in some cases allowing the market to resolve itself.

New transport infrastructure in Manchester. Credit: SakhanPhotography – fotolia.com

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Taste York targets food lovers from across the globe YORK’S delicious food and drink offering will be marketed in a new campaign from Visit York, backed by Masterchef star Gregg Wallace. Gregg took to the streets of York to seek out the best places to eat, drink and buy local produce, with the video of his visit being used in the Taste York campaign alongside 40,000 copies of a new leaflet designed to spread the word about York’s fast growing food and drink scene. Sponsored by the York Food Festival and supported by York’s five star Grand Hotel and Spa, this new food and drink tourism drive will tap into a new audience of UK and international visitors. Marketing manager for Visit York, Michelle Brown, said: “The reasons visitors choose their holiday destinations are continually evolving. We know that quality food and drink

has moved up the list of ingredients holidaymakers consider before booking. “With this new campaign we aim to work with food and drink suppliers in the city and surroundings to position York as the must visit destination for a gastro break.” The new campaign comes hot on the heels of a York Food Trail launched by city-based gourmet tour company Yorkshire Food Finder. Treks in the City offers visitors and local foodie fans the chance to delve into the gourmet nooks and crannies of historic York like never before. This new tour offers a behind-thescenes peak at York’s best artisan producers as well as the opportunity to get hands-on making chocolate, baking bread, mixing pickles and blending coffee.

The Fat Controller opens the £2.5m expansion at Thomas Land.

Thousands check-in at Park’s latest addition FANS of Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends have visited Drayton Manor Theme Park for the launch of the £2.5m expansion to its Thomas Land attraction. The Fat Controller officially unveiled the extension to the attraction, which has increased in size by 40 per cent and is now home to a host of new rides as well as the main attraction, Sodor Airport. The airport complex includes balconies that offer ‘jet-setters’ views over Thomas Land and beyond, with themed event rooms

Over 50s letting out homes to fund a jet set lifestyle, claim By Christina Eccles INCREASING numbers of the North East’s over 50s are renting out their homes to holidaymakers to fund their own jet set lifestyles, it has been claimed. In the past two months alone, holiday letting agency, Cottages in Northumberland, has reported a more than 50 per cent rise in the number of people letting out their own homes as a short term holiday let to pay for their own holidays. And the Newcastle-based company – which rents out coastal, countryside and city properties in the county and across Tyneside – believes this reflects a permanent change to the holiday lettings sector in general. Cottages in Northumberland manager Angela Mazingham said: “Of the nine new properties we have taken on so far this year, five belong to people aged 50 and over, who

are renting them out in order to help fund their lifestyles. “I believe there are two emerging trends here. The first is a social change: many people are retiring earlier and want to enjoy a lifestyle they have earned and deserve. “The second is a change in the letting industry. At one time, holiday lettings were very much restricted to the school summer and Easter holidays, but now the market has grown and expanded. “Along with holidaymakers, walkers and cyclists, we’re also attracting bookings from business visitors, people relocating to the area and often academics on secondment to the region’s universities. “So, where bookings in our properties used to last for one or two weeks – the length of a family holiday – they can now range from a couple of nights to several weeks at a time.”

opening this summer and the Sodor Coffee Shop. CEO of Drayton Manor Theme Park, Colin Bryan, said: “Since its launch in 2008, Thomas Land has been hugely popular, attracting guests young and young at heart from all over Europe. “It is due to this popularity that we made the decision to expand the attraction and accommodate the increasing visitor numbers, which have surged year-on-year. We hope this investment will delight visitors, offering more Thomas themed fun.”

Hotel to unveil historic garden AN historic walled garden in the grounds of a North East hotel will open to the public this summer as part of a £5.3m investment. The Walled Garden at Wynyard Hall Hotel, Tees Valley will open on Tuesday August 4 and is the realisation of a long-held ambition of the property’s owner, Sir John Hall.

Five of nine new properties Cottages in Northumberland has taken on have been from people over 50.

It has been designed and planted by multi-award-winning Royal Horticultural Society landscape architect Alistair Baldwin and will contain more than 3,000 roses. The development will also house a state-of-the-art visitor centre, shop and café, stocking and serving locally-sourced goods and produce.

HF Holidays has opened the doors of its new walkers’ place by the sea in Weymouth’s Lulworth Cove. Set in the heart of the spectacular Jurassic Coast, Lulworth Lodge offers magnificent sea views and is ideally placed for walkers to enjoy the surrounding landscapes. CEO of HF Holidays, Jim Forward, said: “The Jurassic Coast is a very special place, particularly the natural phenomenon of Lulworth Cove. We wanted to provide an equally special, inviting and comfortable place by the sea for walkers to stay as they indulge their passion for exploring. We have certainly achieved this with Lulworth Lodge and I am sure guests will be quick to agree.”

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Caravan park to invest £1m in its leisure facilities

A £12m restoration project has been completed at Cardigan Castle.

Community that saved castle pay attraction a visit By Christina Eccles A WEST Wales community that fought for more than 15 years to save its town’s dilapidated castle has taken a first-look inside the fully restored site, following the completion of a £12m restoration project. 900-year-old Cardigan Castle has been transformed into a modern heritage attraction, complete with luxury accommodation, riverside restaurant and summer events programme. After four years of restoration work, which included the repair of the Georgian house’s decaying roof, relaying of Regency style pathways and landscaping of the historic grounds, and reconstruction of the Castle’s crumbling medieval walls, the site is open to paying customers for the very first time. The campaign to save the historic site was led by the Cadwgan Building Preservation Trust, which was formed in 1999 by local volunteers and has grown to include more than 250 members. The trust secured much-needed investment, including more than £6m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £4.3m from the European Regional Development Fund through Welsh Government, to restore the building, while creating new, sustainable uses for the historic site.

Further funding was received through a Communities Asset Transfer grant with support from the Welsh Government, Cadw, Big Lottery Fund, The UK Association of Preservation Trusts, The Architectural Heritage Fund, Ceredigion County Council, Cardigan Town Council and The Prince’s Regeneration Trust. Hundreds of local volunteers have also played their part in protecting the much-loved site, by fundraising more than £200,000. Cardigan Castle spokesman Sue Lewis said: “After more than a decade of campaigning, the whole community is of course ecstatic to see Cardigan Castle returned to its former glory. “The site has witnessed many key moments in Welsh history over its 900 years, from bloody battles to the birth of the National Eisteddfod, and now this heritage can be taken into the future for local people and visitors to explore and enjoy. “Through our exciting events programme with headline acts, the world’s first dedicated Eisteddfod exhibition, first-class accommodation and a stunning riverside restaurant, we’re hoping to attract thousands of visitors throughout the summer months and to establish Cardigan Castle as one of west Wales’ leading tourist attractions.”

Reds report record numbers RECORD numbers of visitors have flocked to Liverpool FC’s Anfield Tour and Museum, with nearly 200,000 people passing through the door in the last 12 months, an increase of 50,000 on the previous year’s total. The club’s visitor attractions welcomed tourists from across the globe, with top ranking nationalities traveling from Ireland, Norway, 10

Spain, Australia, and the US. August represented the busiest month, with over 23,000 visiting. Operations director Andrew Parkinson said: “We are delighted with the visitor numbers to our museum and stadium tours over the past year. We continue to strive to give our fans a unique, authentic and memorable experience when visiting Anfield.”

A CUMBRIAN caravan park company is to invest £1m in additional leisure facilities at its flagship site on Cumbria’s coast. Holgates’ Silverdale Holiday Park is set to see the building of an additional 400sqm of leisure provision, with the improvements creating an additional three full-time jobs and a further three part-time jobs, bringing the total number of staff employed across Holgates’ six parks to 120. Work has already started on the new facilities, which will be available to both Holgates’ guests and the local community. They include a sixlane, 15m long bowling alley and the creation of a new soft play area, with parent supervision and viewing facilities. The function room space is also being increased to increase the bar

area and restaurant provision, which will allow additional events on-site and further enhance the performance and conferencing space already available. New public internet facilities will also be installed, as well as a new shop which will allow the team to increase the range of local produce already available on site. Owner of Silverdale Holiday Park, Michael Holgate, said: “Every year we work hard to improve the guest experience across our parks and invest significant amounts of money to that end. This year our focus is on the provision of new leisure facilities for our guests, which will see the creation of six new jobs and further continue to ensure that this multi-award winning site maintains its place as one of the top sites in the UK.’’

The sales team from SuperBreak has been out visiting travel agents wearing their branded red jackets to promote the new Visit England Holidays at Home are GREAT campaign with Shaun the Sheep. The team is giving away a variety of Shaun the Sheep merchandise and promoting SuperBreak offers linked to the campaign. Pictured are sales executive Ellen Kennard and business development managers Scott James and Donna Smithson.

Top all-weather UK tourist attractions are revealed MORE tourists are beating the unpredictable British climate by choosing to visit all weather attractions, according to data from 365Tickets. To help those looking to take the uncertainty out of visiting Britain’s shores, the ticket selling service has put together a list of the top attractions suitable to experience no matter the weather. 365Tickets’ top UK tourist allweather attractions are: 1. Tower of London 2. London Eye 3. Windsor Castle 4. Buckingham Palace – The State Rooms 5. Eden Project

6. Hampton Court Palace 7. The View from The Shard 8. Tower Bridge Exhibition 9. Manchester United – Stadium Tour and Museum. 365Tickets’ marketing manager Neil Langdon said: “Britain’s notoriously unpredictable weather makes it difficult for tourists to anticipate which must-see attractions they should visit. “Luckily the United Kingdom boasts a large number of attractions that can be enjoyed whatever the conditions outside. Tourists can rest assured that the Great British weather will not affect the quality of their stay as the UK’s tourism infrastructure caters for all weather.”

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Bend it like Beckham set to be a smash hit BEND it Like Beckham is a brand new, British musical that previews from May at The Phoenix Theatre in London and is expected to be one of the most popular shows this year. The adaptation of the popular British film of the same name – released in 2002, and starring a young Keira Knightley – is once again directed by Gurinder Chadha Featuring an original score with an Indian kick, it brings a unique cultural fusion of musical theatre to the stage for the first time. Short Break specialist SuperBreak has a range of packages on offer that combine overnight accommodation at a wide selection of hotels with tickets to the show for the ultimate break away. THE STORY: Jess needs extra time. She is facing the most important decision of her life: live up to family expectations of university, career and marriage, or follow in the footsteps of her hero David Beckham. When the talented teenager is spotted playing football in Southall, a world of unexpected opportunities opens up before her. But as her sister’s traditional Indian wedding approaches, can she keep her family happy and still follow her dreams? The audience will enjoy a sparkling script by Chadha and writer Paul

Natalie Dew stars as Jess in the adaption of Bend it like Beckham (left) and SuperBreak national sales manager Graham Balmforth (right). Mayeda Berges, who worked together on the film version, Bend It Like Beckham promises to be a totally different kind of musical. With music by renowned Theatre, Film and TV composer Howard Goodall and words by The Phantom

of the Opera lyricist Charles Hart, the show has a fantastic pedigree. Graham Balmforth, national sales manager at SuperBreak, comments: “Like all great musicals, Bend It Like Beckham is about following your dream, and the popularity of the film

should provide a solid foundation for Agents to place many bookings in the back of the net.”

SuperBreak has great value packages starting from £108 per person based on two people sharing twin or double.

News from around the theatres ... By David Thomas I HAVE met many remarkable men on the West End beat, but for sheer energy and humour none come close to the human dynamo that is Jim Dale. Best known for the Carry On films and being the toast of Broadway in Barnum, Jim’s career has spanned from the Music Hall to the National, to singer song-writer (he was the first act to work with fifth Beatle, George Martin and he wrote the lyrics for the theme of Georgy Girl, which sold 11 million copies). Just Jim Dale will be playing at the Vaudeville Theatre from the 26th of May for four weeks only – so don’t miss him. When I asked Jim what was next up in New York he replied “They have asked me to do Noise’s Off but it was the old man role so I turned it down. I’m too young to play old men.” One truly remarkable women wowing audiences at the moment is Imelda Staunton who is starring in Gypsy at The Savoy (must close November 2015). This is one of the finest shows I have ever seen, and the highest tribute I can pay the rest of the cast is that they are of a piece with Imelda’s performance – which I am 12 sure will be a worthy shoe-in for the

David Thomas with Sir Elton John. next Olivier Awards. The standout winner of this year’s Oliviers was Sunny Afternoon, the hit new musical about The Kinks which won four awards, including Best New Musical and Best Actor In A Musical with Kinks’ legend Ray Davies winning Outstanding Achievement In Music. And no-one at the Royal Opera House will ever forget Katie Brayben, winner of the Best Actress In A Musical, opening the show with a rollicking number from Beautiful –

The Carole King Musical, or Kevin Spacey, closing the show by singing a duet of Bridge Over Troubled Waters with Beverley Knight (Beverley’s co-star in Memphis The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Killian Donelly, has just been announced as one of the leads in the hugely anticipated Broadway Hit, Kinky Boots, which Previews at The Adelphi Theatre from August). Other new shows on the West End horizon are High Society at the Old Vic (first night May 14) and Bend It

Like Beckham at the Phoenix (Previewing from May 15) and Broadway mega-hit Motown… along with the announcement of three entire seasons of new Productions: The Kenneth Branagh Season at the Garrick, the Matthew Warchus season at the Old Vic, and Rufus Norris’ first season at the National. And one new show has had to have new material added just two days after opening! (The Audience, starring Kristin ScottThomas, opened at the Apollo Theatre on May 5. The story centres on Her Majesty the Queen and the Prime Ministers across her reign so the David Cameron section needed to be brought up-to-date after the General Election on May 7). Two major West End show recently celebrated landmark birthdays. Cats, which opened on May 11 1981, returns to the London Palladium from October 23 2015 to January 2 2016, and Billy Elliot The Musical celebrated its 10th birthday at the Victoria Palace on May 12. To celebrate Billy’s birthday the producers flew a lucky few of us over to Las Vegas to see the show’s composer, Sir Elton John, performing at Caesar’s Palace. We joined Sir Elton on stage, then he joined us for dinner afterwards. “Remarkable” does not even come close.

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16 triumphant years for The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre DISNEY’S award-winning musical The Lion King is now in its 16th triumphant year at London’s Lyceum Theatre. Brilliantly reimagined for the stage by Julie Taymor, The Lion King is set against the majesty of the Serengeti Plains to the evocative rhythms of Africa. This spectacular production explodes with glorious colours, stunning effects and enchanting music to tell the timeless story of Simba and his epic journey to fulfil his destiny as King of the Pridelands. A true global phenomenon, the dazzle of The Lion King defies all expectation and classification. Julie Taymor, one of the world’s most innovative directors, brought a vast array of disciplines to The Lion King, including extensive experience staging epic theatre and opera productions, exploring classic myths through ritualised puppetry, mask, and movement. The Lion King was the first musical

she directed in the commercial theatre, and Taymor made Broadway history by becoming the first woman to win the Tony Award® for ‘best director of a musical’. This internationally-celebrated stage adaptation of Disney’s beloved animated film premiered on Broadway in 1997 and has now been seen by over 75 million people across six continents. Nine productions are running concurrently around the globe: In addition to the record-breaking production in London, The Lion King can currently be seen in New York, Hamburg, Madrid, Tokyo, Brisbane, Basel and on tours of North America and Japan. Future productions are set to open in Mexico City and Shanghai Disney Resort. Tickets are available at a group discount on selected performances for groups of 12 or more, and start at £29.50. For further information visit www.thelionking.co.uk

Kinks musical wins four Oliviers NEW hit British musical Sunny Afternoon was the best performing show at the recent Olivier Awards, winning four trophies. The production won best new musical, John Dagleish won best actor in a musical, George Maguire won best supporting actor in a

musical and Ray Davies of The Kinks won for outstanding achievement in music. The show, which is currently booking until October 24 at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London, features some of The Kinks’ best loved songs including You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset and Lola.

Jersey Boys, the internationally acclaimed hit musical, tells the remarkable rise to stardom of one of the most successful bands in pop music history. Discover how four New Jersey boys from the wrong side of the tracks invented their own unique sound, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and sold 100 million records worldwide. With spectacular performances of all their hits, Jersey Boys is the electrifying true life story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons; the mob, the heartaches, the triumphs and the music. This sensational production features many of the bands’ worldwide hits, including: Beggin’, Can’t take my eyes off you, Walk like a man and many more. Jersey Boys, winner of 57 major awards worldwide, including the Olivier Award for best new musical, has now been seen by over 20 million people worldwide!

WestEnd LIVE returns to Trafalgar Square THIS year’s West End LIVE with MasterCard is returning to the iconic setting of Trafalgar Square on June 20 and 21. The free musical extravaganza, showcasing the best of the West End, is now the largest event of its type in the world and attracts crowds of more than 500,000 people over the course of the weekend. Organised by Westminster City Council in partnership with the Society of London Theatre, this

year’s celebration is set to deliver another star-studded, packed weekend of free entertainment from some of the West End’s biggest shows. Confirmed performances for 2015 include West End favourites Billy Elliot The Musical, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Jersey Boys, Mamma Mia!, Matilda The Musical and Wicked. They are joined by new musicals Beautiful – The Carole King Musical and Sunny Afternoon.

The London ticket agents with Sir Elton John and David Furnish. Credit: Dimitrije Curcic, Cashman Photography

Agents celebrate musical’s anniversary with Vegas trip TO CELEBRATE 10 years as one of the West End’s best loved hit musicals, the Producers of Billy Elliot invited a group of leading London ticket agents to Las Vegas, to join the shows composer, Elton John, in concert at the Colosseum, Caesars Palace. Following a drinks reception at Fizz, the lavish Champagne lounge coowned by Elton’s partner, David Furnish, the group took their seats in the 4,000 seat arena for The Million Dollar Piano extravaganza. After the two-hour show, which included an onstage appearance by

the ticket agents where they performed ‘Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting’ to the sold out crowd, they retired to a local restaurant for the celebration dinner hosted by Elton John, the producers of the show and Working Title. Billy Elliot the Musical is playing at The Victoria Palace, London. Currently booking until December 19 2015. Group prices from £23.70 (seniors and schools), with the standard 10+ rate of £30.70 valid Mon – Thurs matinees. Fri and Sat matinee: £36.20.

Magic show Impossible is set to thrill audiences in London's West End this summer at the Noël Coward Theatre. The show will feature the very best magicians and tricksters from around the world, fusing dazzling grand stage illusions, up-close-and-personal magic, cutting-edge technological tricks and death-defying escapology in a fast-paced, breathtaking spectacular. The line-up includes modernday Houdini, daredevil and TV escapologist Jonathan Goodwin; mind-blowing mind-reader Chris Cox; psychological trickster Katherine Mills; boundary breaking magician Ben Hart and spellbinding digital marvel Jamie Allan, with more acts still to be announced.

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Hotel and hall join to launch a luxury driving experience

Two historic North East venues have joined forces to offer visitors to the region a royal welcome. Lumley Castle Hotel, at Chester-leStreet, County Durham, has teamed up with the Bowes Museum, at nearby Barnard Castle, to create a mini-break designed to showcase the region’s social and cultural heritage. Lumley Castle’s Bowes Museum break will combine a two night stay at the four star hotel – which has offered shelter to kings and princes in the course of its 600 year history – with tickets to the award-winning museum, which has royal links of its own. A magnificent French-style château, it was created in the late 19th century by John and Joséphine Bowes; ancestors of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who became HM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

VisitAberdeen wins awards in Scotland and … China By Christina Eccles

VisitAberdeen has scooped two major awards, recognising its performance in promoting the region both at home and abroad. The organisation won a marketing award from the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute for its Chinese language website, social media presence and attendance at trade fairs both in person and via its partner CBN. The destination marketing organisation also won the accolade of The Most Effective Stand For Doing Business at VisitScotland’s recent Expo. VisitAberdeen’s chief executive Steve Harris said: “We launched a Chinese version of our website earlier this year in a bid to attract a share of the $128b China spends every year on overseas leisure and business tourism. “We wanted to be ahead of the curve on targeting this highly lucrative market. The Chinese are the biggest overseas spenders in the world, spending on average 50 per cent more than Americans when they are on vacation. With a total population of 1.357b, only 10m of China’s residents can speak English. “With forecasts suggesting 500m Chinese people will travel overseas in the next 15 years, we believe that it is critical to promote the city as a leisure and business destination to

the Chinese in their native language. Receiving this award when we’ve only been working on this project for such a relatively short space of time is especially pleasing.” The Visit Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Pavilion, which was created in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council, hosted over 525 prearranged business meetings with buyers from across the UK and abroad at VisitScotland Expo. The stand was made up of several local partners including Ardoe House Hotel, Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership, Visit Royal Deeside, Thistle Hotels and Secret Malts of Aberdeenshire. Steve added: “Expo gave us a collective opportunity to create personal relationships with genuine buyers and decision makers, many of whom had a low level of knowledge of our area prior to Expo. “Personal interaction and the chance to convey the passion of our partners for the beautiful area we live in leads to long lasting business connections, leading to positive business outcomes for all. “The on stand meetings were just the start, we now need to follow up on these leads to bring more groups of travellers to Visit Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Picking up this award shows we’re leading the way in maximising the business opportunities these types of trade shows bring for the area.”

THE Feversham Arms Hotel and Verbena Spa in Helmsley and Seaham Hall near Durham have joined forces to provide guests with a luxury four-day driving experience getaway. Guests can start their break at either hotel, where they will be welcomed by half a bottle of champagne. They will enjoy two nights at their first hotel, where a three-course meal and breakfast is included on both days. They will then be provided with a picnic to set them on their way for the second half of the journey, where they get to spend another two nights at the other hotel.

General manager at The Feversham Arms Hotel, Charles Merchie, said: “We are situated in some of the most beautiful scenery in England. Yet more often than not people don’t get to see this as they come and visit for a short break, and head straight back. “The drive up to Durham, through the Yorkshire Moors is simply stunning, and something every couple should experience. Through this offering we’re hoping to encourage guests to stay that extra bit longer, and enjoy the beautiful countryside that we have to offer.” The package also includes tickets to two local attractions, Castle Howard and The Beamish Museum.

More than 400,000 people visited Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 2014.

Sculpture Park enjoys record-breaking year YORKSHIRE Sculpture Park welcomed a record number of visitors last year, according to figures, attracting over 400,000 people. Based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, YSP presents work by some of the world’s most extraordinary artists, set in 500 acres of historic parkland and five indoor galleries. Chief executive at Welcome to Yorkshire Gary Verity said: “The team

at YSP have worked tirelessly for years to create a visitor attraction that not only wows people, but regularly changes – which in turn encourages people to visit again. “The number of visitors they’re now seeing combined with the worldclass talent which exhibit there shows that they’re a major player on the world stage. It’s also a reflection of the strong position Yorkshire tourism now sees itself in – a global destination.”

Isle of Man adds flight routes HOLIDAYING on the Isle of Man has become easier with the addition of three more direct flight routes from London Stansted, Blackpool and Bristol. Flybe now runs three return flights a day from London Stansted, while Citywing has reinstated double daily flights between the Island and Blackpool. Four return flights per week are now also available from Bristol, focusing on the weekend traveller by offering flights on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday.

British Airways has also increased the number of flights between the Isle of Man and London City, offering three return flights daily. Head of tourism at the Isle of Man Department of Economic Development Angela Byrne said: “We’re always looking to add routes to our roster and are delighted to announce the addition of flights from Bristol, Blackpool and London Stansted this summer, making it easier than ever to fly to the Isle of Man from anywhere in the British Isles.”

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