22 March 2010

The All New LDSTS Blog

You will probably notice a few changes around here since your last visit, not least to our title, which has become Swift Flyer. Clients and business associates will likely recognise the name from our Company newsletter, which has been landing on their doormats regularly since the early 1990s.

We became aware that the content of this blog was evolving and the focus had shifted from purely brochures and leaflets to include a great many topics, ranging from tourism trends and attraction reviews to industry reports and stories about the day-to-day running of LDS Tourism Services.

To better reflect the changes continually taking place at LDSTS, we decided to drop our old newsletter and replace it with an occasional bulletin - which will include the most popular pieces from this blog - for the benefit of those who prefer the feel of paper between their fingers.

We would very much like to involve you in deciding what sort of content to publish here in the future and would appreciate input of all kinds. Perhaps you would like to share your ideas and opinions with like-minded folk involved in the local or national tourist industry. Maybe you’re a business owner in North Wales, Shropshire or the North West requiring a spot of publicity or you may simply be longing to tell others about a particularly fun day out you had in the region with family and friends.

We’re wide open to suggestions, so if you feel like becoming a Guest Blogger for Swift Flyer, please feel free to submit your reviews, photographs, stories and opinion pieces. In return, your name, service, product, website or anything else will be prominently displayed for all to read.

We would also be delighted to receive input from people involved with brochures and leaflets in any way, shape or form, including designers, printers, writers, photographers and distributors.

Drop us a line if you have any suggestions for future topics.


Image: ©Britainonview / Joanna Henderson



9 March 2010

Snacking & Shopping: Tourism & Retraining in 2010

Cheshire Oaks' Visitor Information Centre
As long-standing members of the Chester Partnership (not to mention sole distributors for the group), we received an invitation to attend the official opening of the Visitor Information Centre at Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet on 4th March. Jenny and Hayley went along to the event and were delighted to spot many familiar faces along with a few new ones. They were also fascinated to learn of CORA (Cheshire Oaks Retail Academy) - the brand new centre for retail training at the Wirral-based shopping village - which was being launched in concert with the TIC.

In addition to servicing this new information centre, we have installed two LDSTS Tourist Information Points (TIPs) at the Customer Information Desk inside Cheshire Oaks' busy Foodcourt. Please contact us if you would like your leaflets or brochures displayed there.

If you are considering a career in the retail industry, it is certainly worth checking out the Cheshire Oaks Retail Academy website to find out about the unique training programmes on offer.

We came across an interesting article published on the TravelMole website last month. According to a report by Dinah Hatch: “Brits are taking more holiday ‘snacks’ and less vacation three course meals.” She revealed that a YouGov poll had shown that people are “more likely” to go on a short break in the UK in 2010 than last year. She also said that Hoseasons’ chief executive, Richard Carrick, had stated that his Company’s short break holiday bookings were already up by 25% and their 2009 Christmas breaks had “soared by 68%”.

Could British holidaymakers be falling back in love their homeland or is it merely a passing trend caused only by the financial downturn? Please drop us a line sharing your opinions and personal experiences. The most interesting replies will be published on this blog.

Cheshire Oaks' Visitor Information Centre


Images © LDS Tourism Services Ltd, 2010