Issue 74 Summer 2018 £2.75
Cumbria Tourism on high thanks to winter campaign By Dominic Musgrave CUMBRIA Tourism – the county’s official destination organisation – is celebrating once again with the results of a major winter marketing campaign that has achieved a 28 per cent increase on last year’s activity to boost visitor numbers by promoting the region as an all-year-round destination. In less than five months between November 2017 and March 2018, the campaign achieved a combined audience reach of over 32 million. This included a social media following of over 22 million and over 1.9 million eNewsletters sent to its customer database. The overall aim of the campaign was to showcase the wide range of events and attractions people can enjoy throughout the winter, by sharing content, images and itineraries to inspire stay-cations and drum home the message that visitors are welcome at any time of year. Working with Cactus Creative to create stunning visuals, the new World Heritage Site status was incorporated to build upon the success of the award-winning #theplacetobe campaign which has been promoting the Lake District,Cumbria nationally and internationally. Other key successes of Cumbria Tourism’s five-month
winter marketing campaign included: n More than 3.5 million-page views to the golakes winter campaign sections and the central platform for visitors to book their break and plan itineraries. n New media partnership with Countryfile Magazine that included an inspiring four-page feature in the January edition. n A series of targeted e-newsletters to Cumbria Tourism’s visitor database of 168,000+ people. n Complimentary messaging to a combined social media following of 277,000+ n National press coverage in The Times, The Scotsman, The Telegraph and Hello Magazine. Sue Clarke, sales and marketing manager at Cumbria Tourism, said: “Our winter marketing campaign has come to an end and we’re thrilled with the results. “It has done a fantastic job of promoting the county as an allyear-round destination to visitors and challenging the perceptions of the Lake District, Cumbria, during a traditionally quieter time of year. In less than five months, we are proud to announce that the campaign achieved a reach of over 32 million showing an amazing increase of 28 per cent on last year’s campaign – and all without public funding.”
Public are happier if staff are
Dame Shirley Bassey DBE has been honoured in North Wales with Snowdon Mountain Railway naming a carriage after the legendary singer. Dame Shirley travelled on the historic Welsh railway to Waterfall station in the foothills of Mount Snowdon to unveil her carriage. The Cardiff-born entertainer is the fourth and final person to be recognised by the railway with the most recent recipient being classical crossover singer Katherine Jenkins OBE in 2015. Photo credit Mary McCartney
THE British public are happier on holiday if they know staff are being looked after, an AA survey has revealed. According to an AA Populous poll of over 20,000 AA Members, 84 per cent of holidaymakers believe guest experience is improved if staff are looked after, and more than half think holidaymakers should be more conscious of hotel employee welfare when choosing their accommodation. Meanwhile, 78 per cent of holidaymakers said they would be less inclined to book a hotel or chain they suspected was not looking after its staff, and over 50 per cent of holidaymakers think the industry should be doing more to encourage people into careers in hospitality services. Simon Numphud, managing director of AA Hotel and Hospitality Services, said: “It’s clear that, as an industry, we need to be doing more to highlight the fantastic opportunities available to staff that hospitality presents, as well as the great staff wellbeing packages, from international away-days, to providing training and learning resources to staff, to use of facilities and free meals on duty.”
DESTINATIONNEWS
Greenwich attracts record visitor numbers in 2017 MORE people visited Greenwich in 2017 than during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Royal Borough of Greenwich attracted a record number of visitors in 2017, thanks to a range of events and world-famous attractions. 19.37m tourists visited Greenwich in 2017, more than during the Olympic and Jubilee year in 2012. 2017 also saw over one million overnight stays in local hotels – 60 per cent more than in 2013, which shows that visitors increasingly see Greenwich as a perfect base for a London holiday. Visitor spending makes an important contribution to the borough’s economy, particularly in attractions, restaurants, pubs, markets and hotels. The continuing growth of tourism also helps support 15,000 jobs in the area.
2017 saw millions of people heading for a series of concerts and sporting events at The O2, including the ATP Tennis finals and the BRIT Awards, the London Marathon, fantastic outdoor arts events at Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, the Sail Royal Greenwich Tall Ships Regatta, music festivals in the Old Royal Naval College and on Blackheath, Greenwich Comedy Festival, Greenwich Book Festival, and the annual Lantern Parade at Greenwich Market. Barrie Kelly, chief executive of Visit Greenwich said: “We are delighted with these destination performance figures. “Since Visit Greenwich was set up by Royal Greenwich, tourism has grown in value by 26 per cent, which puts us ahead of our plan. “Our strategy is to improve the
quality and value of tourism, not just visitor numbers. Over one million people stayed overnight in Greenwich in 2017 which is a big increase reflecting the improving quality and capacity of our hotel stock.” Woolwich is also likely to benefit
from the increase in visitor numbers, with a Destination Management Plan just announced alongside the development of a new creative district in the Royal Arsenal and the opening of the Queen Elizabeth line in November.
Park arranges beach clean FAMILY-run holiday park company Shorefield Holidays hosted a beach clean at Hordle Cliff in Milford-onSea as part of its ongoing fight against plastic pollution. The company, which has eight parks across Hampshire and Dorset, is keen to help protect the stunning coastline, and encouraged its staff, holiday home owners and residents to join the effort to help local marine life. Sara Bertin, finance director at Shorefield Holidays, said: “The increasing problem of plastic in our oceans is posing a real threat to marine life and ecosystems,
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and we’re on a mission – not only to help clear up our local beach, but also to reduce the amount of plastic used across our parks. “We have already swapped all our plastic straws for biodegradable versions, replaced the plastic cups in our gyms with paper ones, and moved away from free plastic shopping bags to reusable bags for life.” The beach clean at Hordle Cliff took part on David Attenborough’s birthday as part of the Do It For David campaign, which aims to reduce the amount of plastic pollution entering our oceans.
A baby wallaby which is being hand reared in a rucksack after being found abandoned is delighting keepers at Longleat with his progress. The baby, who has been nicknamed Newt, is thought to be around 30 weeks old. He has been adopted by keepers Gemma Short and Jodie Cobb, who take it in turns to carry him around in a substitute pouch made from a rucksack. The red-necked wallaby, who was rescued from certain death after being found abandoned during the snowy weather, is thriving and appears particularly enthusiastic enjoying the long-delayed spring weather.
Bateaux London sails off with top accolade ONE of London’s leading visitor attractions has scooped a top tourism award. Thames dining cruise company Bateaux London saw off competition from visitor attractions, hotels, and restaurants across the UK to be named Best Dining Experience at the 2018 British Coach Tourism Awards. The awards recognise and celebrate excellence and innovation across the multibillion-pound coach tourism sector and were presented by television presenter Angela Rippon at a prestigious ceremony at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham. Bateaux London provides a dining experience with a difference on the river Thames; offering corporate and leisure visitors fresh food, live entertainment and spectacular views of some of the city’s most historic and iconic sights. Throughout the year, its lunch, Sunday supper, afternoon tea and dinner cruises on its vessels Harmony and Symphony take guests on a fascinating journey
through the heart of the city. And as well as catering to these requirements, Bateaux London is also committed to welcoming coaches, coach groups and coach drivers. Its mooring at Victoria Embankment was recently refurbished, with a dedicated drop off point for coaches, allowing drivers easy access to the pier. Coach guests are provided with a dedicated reception area, easy access to boats and cloakroom facilities and the company’s afternoon cruises, which are particularly popular with coach groups and used to be seasonal, are now offered all year. “We are delighted to have won this award in face of considerable competition,” said Bateaux London sales manager Gareth Brown. “We pride ourselves on being the most luxurious floating restaurant on the Thames, with the highest standards of service and dining and we know from the feedback we receive that coach operators really appreciate that.”
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Holiday park launches 20 new glamping pods WHITEMEAD Forest Park in heart of the Forest of Dean is set to expand its glamping offering. 20 new pods will be launched in the near future, bringing the total to 29, due to the huge demand the park has received from visitors seeking to add a touch of glamour and a few home comforts to their camping trips. The glamping options all sleep up to four people and include: Mega Pod XL: The newly-built and spacious Mega Pod XL houses a double bed and a sofa bed and also features its own toilet, wash basin, shower and kitchen area. Outside there is a picnic area and car parking space. All the ambience of camping but with a lot more comfort! Some Mega Pod XLs are pet friendly, too. Mega Pod X: These glamorous pods offer spacious open plan living. They come with a double bed plus a comfy sofa that converts into another double. There’s a toilet, wash basin and shower – and a
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kitchen area. Outside it boasts a picnic area and parking spot. Mega Pods: With a double bed and a corner sofa bed the Mega Pod has an outdoor picnic area and parking space as well as its own toilet and wash basin. Some Mega Pods are also pet friendly. Camping pods: These offer a great eco-friendly alternative to a tent whilst retaining all the ambience of a ‘camping holiday’ but with a double
bed and bunk beds. The new facilities are expected to be popular and families are advised to book early. In addition to its new glamping pods, the park also offers cabins, lodges and apartments for up to six people amongst acres of woodland. With a host of kids’ activities on site, plus free live evening entertainment, there’s something for every age to enjoy.
New restaurant opens in Brockhole House THE Lake District National Park has opened a new restaurant in Brockhole House – the Arts and Crafts house gracefully overlooking Windermere set in stunning 30-acre grounds. The Gaddum Restaurant, named after its former Victorian owner, William Gaddum, opened recently as part of the continuing
Contacts EDITORIAL
development of the Brockhole estate – Windermere’s popular visitor attraction. Kerry Powell, LDNP director of communications and resources said: “The recent designation of the National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site has encouraged us to look more closely at the opportunities the house offers
and how we might restore it to its former glory. The development of The Gaddum Restaurant continues a wider re-development scheme for the estate. “The opening of The Gaddum Gallery last year and the recent upgrade to the children’s play area widens Brockhole’s existing all-year round appeal to our many visitors.”
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History comes alive at Grand Pier attraction
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VISITORS will soon be able to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a new experience due to open this summer at the Grand Pier, Westonsuper-Mare. The Museum of Memories will feature thousands of items bound to transport visitors back to their childhood on a trail of discovery, through toys, sweets, breakfast cereals, memorable television programmes and seaside trips. From Spangles, Dan Dare and ration books to Watneys Party Seven, Rock ‘n’ Roll and the Spice Girls, this time machine will revive powerful memories of days gone by, as well as vividly conjuring up the lifestyle and culture of visitors’ parents’ and grandparents’ worlds. Starting in Victorian times, this journey through 150 years of British history is laid out decade by decade. Tracing the arrival of favourite brands like Cadbury, Kellogg’s and Colgate, it captures the genius of toys such as Meccano, Hornby and Monopoly, the evolution of travel and the way that cinema and radio has transformed entertainment. Also on show is the revolution in fashion and pop music, along with the colourful graphic design of posters, packs and covers of magazines which have captured the aspirations of consumers for over a century. All this is set in the context of major historic landmarks – coronations, exhibitions, two world wars and man landing on the moon. The Museum of Memories has been created by consumer historian Robert Opie, and will be open at the top Somerset attraction from May 26. He said: “This is a story that captures the imagination. I’m hoping that whole families will visit and then the older generations can talk about personal memories and pass them on to their children and grandchildren. “For many this exhibition will be a fascinating trip down memory lane
that will bring history alive, while for children it will be a stimulating educational experience. “This is a story about us and the stuff of daily life – surprisingly it is often the everyday things that we look back on with great fondness. “Whether you remember Lyon’s individual fruit pies, Texan bars, Instant Whip, Omo or Woppa ice lollies, this will be a treat. What we have here is a treasure trove of family history; I hope visitors will be immersed in its richness. It’s a must-see for lovers of nostalgia – an emotional roller coaster ride.” Robert Opie began collecting the evidence of throwaway history in 1963 when still at school. In 1975 he created an exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum, The Pack Age, and following its success he went on Entry to the Museum of Memories will cost £3. Groups may be eligible for preferential rates.
New manager’s suite success at Macdonald Swan’s Nest Hotel MACDONALD Swan’s Nest Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon, has unveiled a collection of new suites following a £1.3million investment under the keen eye of recently appointed general manager, James Bee. The 17th Century four-star hotel’s luxury transformation, which was recently completed, saw the creation of five new feature suites, making it the perfect place for those who enjoy the finer things in life. The charm and character of the Georgian townhouse, in the area once home to Shakespeare, is reflected in its new interiors where guests can enjoy romantic luxury in
the new feature suites named after characters from the Bard’s famous novel ‘Twelfth Night’ including Olivia, Viola and Orsino. The new suites have their own generous living area, some with a dining table and inset flatscreen TV in the bathroom, and are decorated with sophisticated dark pine furnishings. The attention to detail includes micro-fibre mattresses, made to Macdonald Hotels & Resorts’ specifications, to ensure guests have the most peaceful night’s sleep. As well as the new suites all 68 bedrooms will be fully refurbished in the near future.
Award winning Lake District self-catering agency Heart of the Lakes is offering clients a new service for 2018 when they book holidays at one of their properties. Heart of the Lakes customers can now enjoy an exclusive sailing experience from their associate company Lake District Sailing. All charters will be skippered by a fully qualified professional yacht master for a memorable cruise on Lake Windermere. Partner of Heart of the Lakes, Chris Jackson, said: “We look forward to welcoming our first clients on board Grey Pearl for an exclusive experience only available to our Heart of the Lakes customers. We believe it is a fantastic addition to what we already offer our customers and guarantee it will be the highlight of many holidays to come in the Lake District.”
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Isle of Man – The Extraordinary Story launched
Award-winning hotel gardens launch new personalised tours A LAKE District hotel which scooped a prestigious Cumbria In Bloom prize five years in a row has launched personalised tours with its head gardener as part of a new package highlighting glorious gardens in the UK’s newest World Heritage Site. Lakeside Hotel and Spa is now offering visitors free guided tours of its waterside gardens on the southern shore of England’s largest lake, Windermere. Among the horticultural gems to explore is a showpiece ‘Rooftop Garden’, including parterres, colourful fruit trees and fragrant roses surrounding a carefully manicured lawn area. An array of more unusual and exotic plants you rarely seen elsewhere in the country include
Chinese windmill palms and the so-called ‘Devil’s Tobacco’. Other highlights will include a green oasis of shrubs and herbaceous plants which wind their way to the water’s edge and swaths of colourful hydrangeas from June and July. Visitors can cap off the experience by stepping inside the Lakeside Conservatory to take in the hotel’s collection of scented pelargonium, tropical hoya and climbing ‘Dutchman’s Pipe’. There will be no minimum numbers for the informal tours, which will last around 45 minutes at a leisurely stroll, and will set the scene for people to get out and see some of the Lake District’s most colourful and spectacular garden creations.
VISIT Isle of Man has launched a new three-year tourism campaign aimed at encouraging people to experience the full breadth of the island’s offering and showcase it in a whole new way. The Isle of Man – The Extraordinary Story campaign has been created to showcase the best of the island, helping to promote its distinctive heritage and culture and its wide array of attractions and outdoor activities. The centrepiece of the campaign is a 90-second film which was produced by Vivid with the support of a host of Isle of Man-based creatives. The voiceover was narrated by wellknown Isle of Man resident, John Rhys Davies, whose work is familiar to millions from his TV and film work – in particular the ‘Lord of The Rings’ trilogy. The music was composed and performed specially to accompany the film by one of the Isle of Man’s most respected traditional musicians, David Kilgallon, supported by Shane Kerwin. Angela Byrne, head of Visit Isle of Man, said: “The campaign fully
supports the ambitions laid out in the Isle of Man’s Destination Management Plan which provides the strategy for our tourism sector until the end of 2020. “‘Isle of Man – The Extraordinary Story’ attempts to tap into the very essence of our nation’s DNA and in particular the Isle of Man’s culture and heritage as well as the fantastic variety of attractions and outdoor activities. “The Isle of Man offers a highquality holiday and short break destination for a broad range of visitors and being situated at the heart of the British Isles is only a short flight away from UK and Irish airports plus there are several departure points for those wishing to travel by ferry. “Our visitors can cram in so much within a short time of arrival and can be visiting one of our fantastic castles or heritage attractions, and then within half an hour can be out enjoying some sea kayaking or taking in one of our wonderful scenic walks; by which time they will want to indulge in some of the best food and drink produce that can be found in Britain.”
Nature Rockz goes ‘Totally Tots’ with new activities
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Travelodge has officially opened its 14th hotel in Merseyside at Liverpool John Lennon Airport. Liverpool John Lennon Airport Travelodge is the company’s 26th airport hotel and its eighth in Liverpool. The airport hotel features 100-rooms, a bar café, three meeting rooms and on-site car-parking. The hotel was a former Holiday Inn Express and in autumn 2017, Travelodge acquired a 25-year operating lease to take over the hotel. During the last six months the hotel has undergone a £2million refurbishment to upgrade the hotel into Travelodge’s new contemporary brand design. This investment has also created 22 new jobs within the community.
HAVEN has continued the development of its ‘Totally Tots’ programme by allowing its little guests the opportunity to learn about the great outdoors and take part in some new Nature Rockz activities. Designed specifically to help those aged five and under learn more about the UK’s flora and fauna, Haven has created several nature based activities that allow little guests to get fully involved. Families can get creative (and perhaps a little mucky in the process) with new Nature Rockz activities including: Leaf Art – Kids love leaves and there’s nothing better than hunting out the perfect shape to get creative with. Following a walk to collect their favourite shapes and colours, tots can begin their elaborate leaf creations. Paint a Plant Pot – Perfect for
budding Van Goghs, tots will design and paint their own plant pot with striking colours and artistic touches. Pebble Art – Tots will join Haven’s Rangers on the trail to collect the most perfectly shaped pebbles with the aim of creating some fantastic art. With the help of parents, little nature lovers can make a cat, caterpillar or even a ladybird from the array of artistic equipment provided by the team. Stick Creatures – From hedgehogs to spiders, owls and even sheep, Nature Rockz Rangers will guide families through the world of creating stick creatures – from collecting the essentials to helping with the final touches. ‘Totally Tots’ activities are now available at seven parks including Craig Tara, Devon Cliffs, Kiln Park, Primrose Valley, Rockley Park, Thornwick Bay and Hopton.
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Super Break revamps theatre break booking system SUPER Break has revamped its booking system for its London theatre breaks programme, with new enhanced technology which will bring agents a greatly increased range of show, availability and prices. Seating plans with the option to pre-book specific seats will now be available, plus shorter life shows and plays are featured for the first time. Super Break’s booking system now links directly with individual theatres, providing live availability updates right up until the day of travel and allowing sales up to one hour before curtain up.
Agents will be able to see exactly what they can book and either print an e-ticket for the customer or, if very late in the day, arrange for tickets to be at the Box Office. Previously shows went off sale a week or two prior to performance. In addition, for the first time, Super Break will now be able to offer agents the opportunity to pre-book specific seats. A seating plan will now be shown, allowing agents to select exact rows and seat numbers, so they can book knowing exactly where their customer will be sitting.
The revamp also allows the operator to add a range of smaller scale, shorter life shows and plays. As well as the key high profile musicals, agents will now be able to capture customers who are interested in a more diverse range of theatre productions. Gary Gillespie, national sales manager at Super Break, said: “We have been working on this for some time and I’m delighted that we can now offer agents much greater flexibility and choice. “Having the option to pre-book seats is something we know agents
wanted, and we now have the technology to offer this.” “The new live connectivity to the theatres allows us to offer shows and plays that have shorter runs which until now, would have taken too long to set up on the original system. “With new plays other types of highly engaging entertainment products coming on stream, this really is an exciting development for our product offering going forward” All theatre tickets are sold as part of a hotel inclusive package. www.superbreak.com/agents
News from around the theatres ... By David Thomas
WITH three fantastic new musicals opening in the West End this past month, there has been no better time for your clients to catch a great show! The critics are raving about TINA – The Tina Turner Musical which opened to standing ovations at the Aldwych Theatre. This incredible show allows the audience to really look behind the legend and live through the story of Tina’s heart-rending personal struggle. Drawing on intimate, hitherto unknown scenes from Tina’s life and career, we see how, time and time again, Tina’s combination of resolute refusal to compromise, and inner spiritual strength, enabled her to triumph over adversity and set her own unique stamp on the world of popular culture. The musical numbers are out of this world, with timeless classics re-energised by our getting to know, first hand, the titanic behindthe-scenes battles that went into
bringing them about: Private Dancer, River Deep, Mountain High, Nutbush City Limits, Rolling On A River, We Don’t Need Another Hero, The Best and of course… What’s Love Got To With It? It was Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap that first asked audiences to “Keep The Secret.” The play is now 65 years young and still going strong. “Keep The Secret” is also the mantra at Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, which, based on current demand, could even outrun The Mousetrap. No such pledge is required of audiences at Bat Out Of Hell, which opened at The Dominion recently, because whatever they tell you will not prepare you one bit for this weird and wonderful and totally entertaining musical mayhem. So I won’t even begin to try. Just leave all your assumptions at the door and treat yourselves to some of the greatest song-writing of the 20th Century. In fact, the sheer song-writing brilliance of songs such as Bat Out
David Thomas Of Hell, I Would Do Anything For Love, You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth puts them in that special class with Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and the Gershwins… A jobbing actor/playwright from Stratford, by way of Southwark, once penned (or rather quilled) the line: “To thine own self be true,” and although British musicals did not emerge until 130 years after
Hamlet “To thine own self be true” is the credo, theme, watermark of almost every remarkable musical ever written (and probably ever to be written). In Strictly Ballroom The Musical (based on the Baz “Moulin Rouge” Luhrmann cult movie) the forces threatening the individuality of the two young central characters, Scott and Fran, are the authorities governing the world of Australian ballroom dancing. Here tradition and conformity are imposed with an iron hand, primarily through the hilarious Trump-like figure of Federation President, Barry Fife, who sees dancers ‘doing their own thing’ as a potentially lethal threat to his livelihood as a producer of ballroom dancing instruction videos. The battle lines drawn, the stage is set for a fabulous evening of brilliantly interwoven scenes of hilarious comedy and breathtakingly beautiful dance numbers, which we are led through by the mercurial figure of Wally Strand, played to perfection by Will Young. 7
DESTINATIONNEWS
Guide book puts county’s food and drink on the map Captain Elwyn Dop
New director appointment at Condor
CONDOR Ferries has appointed a new executive director – operations, Captain Elwyn Dop, to replace Captain Fran Collins, who is leaving the company in order to take up a new position at Red Funnel Ferries in Southampton. Elwyn, who has been working as a consultant and advisor to Condor since 2017, replaces Fran in June, and his role will be to direct and oversee operational activities across the company’s fleet of four ships and five ports. He is a qualified Master Mariner with previous operations director level experience at Wightlink, the Isle of Wight based ferry company, and will be based in Poole and travel around the Condor network. Fran is to become the chief executive officer of Red Funnel after spending 16 years with Condor in various roles including Master Mariner, director of ports and guest services and has held the role of executive director – operations for the past four years.
Butlin’s joins forces with PAW Patrol
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FAMOUS pups Chase and Marshall from PAW Patrol, as seen on Nick. Jr, will be appearing on selected Butlin’s Just for Tots breaks throughout the year. Excited children (and of course their big kid parents!) will have the chance to meet with their heroes while enjoying their break – and with the characters making multiple appearances at intervals throughout the day, there will be plenty of opportunities to see them and grab a photograph. The heroic pups will be making personal appearances in the Skyline Pavilion during Just for Tots breaks on the following days: Wednesday September 12 at Skegness. Thursday September 13 at Bognor Regis. Just for Tots breaks at Butlin’s are designed for families with children of pre-school age, and include shows from the CBeebies favourites such as Justin Fletcher and Mr Bloom.
A NEW map showcasing the culinary magic conjured up by the county’s chefs, bakers and brewers has been published by VisitWiltshire as part of an integrated marketing campaign. The ‘2018: It’s Time For Wiltshire Food and Drink Map’ features over 80 of the region’s finest producers, eateries, watering holes and cookery schools from Beckett’s Vineyard in Littleton Parnell to the Woodbridge Inn in Pewsey. Lucknam Park Hotel Cookery School is among three places highlighted in the guide where enthusiastic amateurs can hone their culinary skills, with The Farm Cookery School, Bromham and Vaughan’s Cookery School, Devizes also on the menu. There’s also a selection of brewery and distillery tours featured including the Bombay Sapphire Distillery in Whitchurch, the Box Steam Brewery in Holt, and the Wadworth Brewery Visitor Centre in Devizes, as well as a host of farmers’ markets. The map even includes food festivals like Taste Wiltshire, which takes place at Netherstreet Farm in Bromham in September, The Food & Drink Festival at Longleat and the Taste of Corsham, which
are both happening shortly, plus prehistoric diets are explored as part of the Feast! exhibition running at Stonehenge until September. The map is part of an integrated consumer marketing campaign to increase the profile of Wiltshire’s food and drink offer and includes activity such as social media, blogs, digital advertising and newsletters. 100,000 copies of the map will be distributed via targeted magazines, key outlets and events.
The Food and Drink Map is one of a series of publications produced by VisitWiltshire including the Time for Wiltshire Visitor Guide, the Time for Wiltshire Visitor Map, a Wiltshire Towns Map (coming soon) and the Travel Trade Guide which have a combined total distribution in excess of 500,000. All the guides and maps are also available to download from the VisitWiltshire website
Family-run holiday park company Shorefield Holidays has won recognition for the passion and commitment of its senior management team. The holiday park, based at Milford-on-Sea in the New Forest, picked up the Solent 250 Management Team of the Year Award – over £25m at a private dinner held at Southampton’s Harbour Hotel. Shorefield was praised for continually striving to wow its customers and improve the quality of service on offer. The Solent 250 celebrates the top 250 private independent companies in the region in an annual list sponsored by HSBC, business adviser RSM, and law firm Irwin Mitchell.
Coincidence becomes dream come true WHEN Aylesbury resident Graham Ecob, spotted a distinctive Bombardier Q400 aircraft with his own name reflected in its registration, he was determined to one day take a flight on it. And Flybe made his dream come true with a flight between Heathrow and Edinburgh. Before Graham took to the skies, he said: “I did a double take when I first spotted the registration on the Flybe aircraft. “It made me laugh so I wrote to them with a photo and a copy of my identification. “I was a travel agent in a family business for 42 years and I’ve
never seen anything like this before. I’m delighted that this coincidence has led to such a lovely opportunity – and I’ll be spending my day in
Edinburgh catching up with an old friend.” Roy Kinnear, Flybe chief commercial officer, added: “We’re thrilled that Graham contacted us and we, too, thought this a truly bizarre coincidence – that also makes our aircraft pretty special. “I imagine it’s not every day you discover you have a plane that has the same name as yourself.” Flybe recently celebrated the first anniversary of operating from London Heathrow and has topped the latest ‘Quiet and Green’ league table, which ranks airlines according to noise and emissions performance at the busy airport.
DESTINATIONNEWS
Record year for Titanic Belfast TITANIC Belfast has experienced its busiest year to date, welcoming 841,563 visitors – a year-on-year increase of 13 per cent. The world-leading attraction, which was identified as one of Tourism Northern Ireland’s signature projects to enhance the country’s tourism offering, smashed its 2012 record numbers by four per cent. The announcement follows its sixth birthday and comes on the back of the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday agreement, when significant focus was placed on Northern Ireland’s tourist renaissance. Since the Good Friday Agreement was signed, overnight stays in Belfast have more than tripled from 500,000 a year to over 1.5 million, and tourism spending has risen to £334m from £84m. Titanic Belfast has had a key role to play in this. Judith Owens, Titanic Belfast’s chief executive, said: “Over the past six years, Titanic Belfast has proved to be a shining example of how a significant tourism investment, public and private, combined with passion and belief can be a catalyst for economic growth and help positively
position a destination on the worldwide stage.” “Since we opened in 2012, we have continued to go from strength to strength, having now welcomed over 4.4 million visitors from over 145 different countries. 2017/18
The Chocolate Story team receive their award from Kirsty Allsop.
Chocolate Story wins top award YORK’S Chocolate Story won Gold in this year’s VisitEngland Awards for Excellence, in the Guided Tour of the Year category. The prestigious awards recognise businesses that demonstrate innovation and excellence throughout their operation. Beating off competition from across the country, the team picked up the award at a glamorous ceremony, held the Bath Assembly Rooms, hosted by TV’s Kirsty Allsop. For the past six years, the attraction has allowed guests
to discover the untold and unique confectionery history of York. Constantly evolving and developing, the attraction has found new and innovative ways to offer an immersive and personal guest experience. General manager Stuart Wood said: “Our team work incredibly hard at making the attraction a wonderful place to visit. Seeing their effort recognised in this way is amazing; the team will be thrilled! “We’re so proud to bring the unique story of our wonderful city to life.”
has been a very strong year for us, with a 13 per cent increase in visitors year on year. “Now, over 85 per cent of our visitors are coming from outside Northern Ireland and one in five people are now visiting Ireland
because of Titanic Belfast. “We, alongside Belfast and Northern Ireland, are firmly on the global tourism map and we have plenty more to give.” John McGrillen, chief executive of Tourism NI, added: “We are proud of the key role we played in the development of Titanic Belfast. It has been a catalyst for wider economic growth in Belfast and has truly changed Northern Ireland’s tourism footprint.” The tourist attraction, which in its first five years generated £160 million in additional tourism spend for the Northern Ireland economy, is gearing up for a busy 2018/19. It has recently opened a new hospitality space, Hickson’s Point, and has recruited 70 new positions ahead of the summer. Its business tourism has also blossomed, having hosted over 2,000 business and leisure events including Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee lunch, G8 Summit Reception, BBC Sports Personality of the Year, The World Police & Fire Games International Conference, World Conference of Credit Unions, Giro D’Italia and MTV Sounds.
Airline begins Donegal to Glasgow services AIR services operated by Loganair between Donegal and Glasgow have officially taken off for the first time since 2015. Customers will be able to travel three times per week all year round on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Additional summer flights will operate on Wednesdays between June 27 and September 19 and Saturdays from now until November 3. Kay Ryan, Loganair’s commercial director, said: “Glasgow to Donegal is a hugely important airlink for both Ireland and Scotland, offering an excellent connection for passengers. “The previous incumbent of the route completed its final trip
yesterday so we’re ensuring a total continuation of service without break. “Bookings have so far been really positive and the route is proving popular with families, football fans and holiday makers. “Customers can also connect to an extensive network of onward Loganair destinations out of Glasgow Airport using a single ticket, acting as a gateway to Scotland’s Highlands and Islands – including Stornoway, Islay, Campbeltown, Tiree and Benbecula.” Lead-in prices start at £54.99 including a free 20kg checked baggage allowance for every customer. 9
DESTINATIONNEWS
New take on Royal afternoon tea in its birthplace
Hipping Hall in Kirkby Lonsdale.
Hotel group picks up industry award for best website A HOTEL group has picked up a prestigious national award for its website. Wildsmith Hotels, which operates Hipping Hall in Kirkby Lonsdale, the Forestside in Grasmere and the Ryebeck in Bowness on Windermere, has won at the annual Hotel and Marketing Awards. The hotel group beat of stiff competition to pick up the award for the best hotel website and SEO marketing award. Organised by the Hotel Marketing Association, judges at the awards praised the online experience offered by the hotel group, with an easy to use booking system and engaging website combined with a marketing campaign which has seen a growth in visitor numbers and bookings to the hotel. Wildsmith Hotels has been working with digital marketing agency Fat Media to create a stunning and engaging online website to match the boutique experience offered by the hotel. The work has included new websites, design work, print collateral and digital marketing support and has had immediate impact on website traffic, time spent on site and bookings. Greg Stephenson, PR and
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marketing manager for Wildsmith Hotels, said: ‘’We are thrilled that the annual Hotel Marketing Awards have recognised the work we have undertaken jointly with Fat Media across all three hotel websites. “We have taken a considerable amount of time to look at sites from around the world, examining social media integration, overall styling and flow, copy creation, as well as the use of content and imagery to inform the customer journey. “When it comes to hotel marketing, a compelling picture really is worth a thousand words. “The images in our websites do all the talking necessary and remove the need for large bodies of text, which can quickly lose people. “This is one of the reasons why we work closely alongside leading stylist Catherine Connor and photographer Jenny Jones to help us achieve this.’’ The Fat Media team created an image led website for each hotel to really showcase the fantastic venues and unique character of each property, while reflecting the award winning food offering, setting and luxury accommodation. An E-commerce function allowing customers to book a room online or purchase gift vouchers was also built in.
Wicked has announced its 2018/19 Christmas performance schedule, with extra matinee shows added on December 24, December 27, December 28, December 30 and January 3, all at 2.30pm. Wicked is already the 15th longest running show in West End theatre history and has now been seen by almost nine million people in London alone. The show is also presently on a year-long tour of the UK and Ireland, visiting Edinburgh, Leeds, Dublin, Sunderland, Southampton, Cardiff and, for Christmas 2018/19, a final return to the Palace Theatre in Manchester where the acclaimed tour originally premiered in September 2013 and will conclude on January 5.
VISITORS can discover the very best of quintessentially English fine dining, light lunch, brunch and afternoon tea at The Woburn Hotel’s newly refurbished, multi-awardwinning Olivier’s restaurant and new luxurious ‘The Repton Room’. Just an hour from London, the fourAA-star Woburn Hotel is a culinary hot spot in the idyllic Georgian village of Woburn, with Woburn Safari Park, Woburn Abbey & Gardens and breath-taking Bedfordshire countryside on its doorstep. Renowned for outstanding English and continental cuisine, Olivier’s holds a 2 AA Rosette Award for the quality, skill, attention to detail and local ingredients used in its cooking. The restaurant is also a three-time winner of ‘The Foodies Guides’ Restaurant of the Year’ award for the regions of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire. Olivier’s stylish overhaul offers a new fine dining experience, with eye-catching artworks and modern lighting and furniture, accentuating the decadence of The Woburn Hotel. Carefully crafted by executive chef Olivier Bertho, who trained and worked in France for 10 years, the a la carte, lunch, brunch, Sunday
lunch, and snack menus offer culinary delights for every requirement, including firm favourites such as The Tavistock venison burger. Exuding warmth and style with its rich furnishings, The Repton Room is adjoined to the restaurant and was inspired by the 18th century landscape gardener Humphry Repton, whose bicentenary is celebrated in a new exhibition at Woburn Abbey. The new room is framed by a contemporary portrait of Repton, made using small leaves in red leather, and complemented by a bespoke marble-topped counter, antler wall mounts, mirrors and chandeliers. The Repton Room is an ideal space for guests to indulge in relaxed dining, light meals and the Duchess Anna Maria afternoon tea menu. Inspired by the seventh Duchess of Bedford at Woburn Abbey, who first introduced the delights of afternoon tea to the nation in the 18th century, the menu features an assorted variety of delicate finger sandwiches, freshly-baked scones, lemon tart, millionaire shortbread and fresh fruit pavlova and cakes, with a choice of tea and coffee.
Rabbie’s announces CTrip partnership RABBIE’S Small Group Tours has signed a partnership deal with Chinese online travel agent CTrip with the aim of bringing more Chinese tourists to Scotland. The partnership between Rabbie’s and CTrip is expected to be worth £20million over the next 10 years. The Chinese online travel agent is valued at over $2.8billion and will sell the whole range of Rabbie’s products that depart from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, London, and Dublin. CTrip is not new to Scottish companies, in 2016, they acquired Skyscanner, a Scottish travel fare aggregator based in Edinburgh. Robin Worsnop, founder of Rabbie’s, said: “This is an exciting development. I visited the CTrip
headquarters and received such a warm and friendly welcome. I know our company can do the same for anyone who chooses to book our trips to the UK and Ireland through CTrip.” This partnership ties in with Rabbie’s increased investment in the mandarin-speaking market. Over the last 12 months the company hired two employees based in China and two mandarin-speaking tour guides. The deal also reflects Scotland’s continuous commitment to strengthening tourism connections with China. The number of Chinese tourists to Scotland increased 192 per cent between 2007 and 2016, and this trend is expected to rise as a new direct flight between Beijing and Edinburgh is starting this year.
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British Motor Museum to host Car S.O.S exhibition THE British Motor Museum is to host a new exhibition featuring cars from National Geographic’s popular motoring TV show Car S.O.S. The heart-warming car makeover programme airs on National Geographic. Now in its sixth series, the show’s presenters Fuzz Townshend and Tim Shaw have brought 60 cars back from rusty wrecks to their former glory; everything from family classics to hot hatches and elegant sports cars. The exhibition will feature seven cars that have been rebuilt by the Car S.O.S team including three still shining from restoration in the most recent series. On display will be a pre-war Austin ‘Tilly’ truck which underwent a sympathetic overhaul, a vibrant yellow Lancia Delta Integrale with a touching back story and a rare AC Aceca sports car along with four others an MGA, Volvo P1800, Aston Martin DB6 and a Ford Capri RS3100. Graphics and clips from the relevant episodes will run alongside
each of the cars detailing the many technical dilemmas Tim and Fuzz had to get the cars back to their best. They will also give an insight into some of the personal stories and
challenges faced by each of the cars’ owners. Hamish Mykura, EVP programming and development, National Geographic, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the Car S.O.S
exhibition at the British Motor Museum. “One of the most popular programmes on National Geographic, Car S.O.S is the car restoration show with real heart. “Visitors to the museum will not only get to see stunning classic cars featured in the series in all their glory, but discover the heart-warming stories behind the make-overs and the seemingly impossible mechanical challenges faced by the team.” The Car S.O.S exhibition will run until the end of February 2019. The exhibition is included within the Museum entrance fee. Museum admission is charged at: Adults £14, children £9 (5-16 years) under fives free, concessions £12 and a family £39 (two adults and up to three children). Buy one day and get 12 months free if you Gift Aid your entrance. To find out more about the British Motor Museum and the exhibition please visit www. britishmotormuseum.co.uk/carsos or call 01926 641188.
A summer celebration of food and drink at Hampton Court Palace
Acorn T-Stats unlocks UK destination data
THE Acorn T-Stats team are proud to announce the launch of the newly upgraded T-Stats Pro, the UK’s leading cloud-based destination tourism tracking system. This system is successfully used by the City of London, Newcastle, York, Isle of Man, Greenwich and many other forward-thinking destinations and BIDs across the UK. T-Stats Pro is beautifully designed and easy to use providing a safe place to track, store and share tourism data, and is tailored to a destination’s requirements. It is designed to provide speedy reports, highlighting trends and useful insights. The system can even benchmark with other UK destinations. Trackers typically included by destinations in T-Stats Pro include
accommodation occupancy, visits to attractions and events, tourism information centre activity, Airbnb occupancy, footfall, car parking, transport movements, digital media tracking, weather, residential and business rental prices and business rates. T-Stats Pro also has a wide range of national tourism and economic statistics for benchmarking, including accommodation occupancy, inbound and domestic tourism statistics. For destinations running STEAM or Cambridge, T-Stats Pro provides robust data required for these models. For further information and a demonstration visit www.t-stats.co.uk or call 01580 879970.
JOIN us this August bank holiday for the Hampton Court Palace Food Festival, a celebration of food and drink in the iconic East Front gardens August 25-27. Discover, taste and shop your way around over 100 hand-picked artisan producers and companies, brought together amid the elegant surroundings of Hampton Court Palace’s famous gardens. With everything from oysters to sausages, and brownies to crepes, it’s guaranteed to delight even the most committed foodie. The palace’s atmospheric Tudor Kitchens – which once created feasts for one of history’s most famously food-loving monarchs - will play host to live cooking demonstrations right throughout the weekend, offering visitors the chance to watch some of the UK’s top chefs and experts in action, from Michel Roux Jr to Nadiya Hussain, Lisa Faulkner, Melissa Hemlsey and Dr Rupy Aujla. After picking up tips on how to perfect the ideal summer dish, why not grab a host of tasty treats and make the most of the day with a picnic enjoyed against the backdrop of Henry VIII’s magnificent former home? For more information visit https://www.hrpfoodfestivals.com/
hampton-court-palace Groups of 15 or more can take advantage of our group rate by booking in advance via our contact centre or at the gate, for an enhance group rate, book in advance online at https://www.hrp. org.uk/hampton-court-palace/visit/ group-visits For further details of events taking place at Hampton Court Palace visit www.hrp.org.uk/ hampton-court-palace/visit
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