We end the year on a high

As 2011 draws to a close, we share a few good news stories with our readers to brighten up the festive season:

One of the big industry storms of the last few months has been over the closure of popular Tourist Information Centres up and down the country. However, the picture isn’t entirely bleak. The TIC in Mold’s Daniel Owen Square has recently been given a face-lift and is now focusing on promoting Flintshire as a tourist destination. The official opening earlier this month was attended by local dignitaries, including the chairman of Flintshire Tourism Association, John Les Tomos. Rebranded as Mold Visitor Centre, it is hoped that the office will continue to be used on a regular basis by locals and visitors alike.

Last week, Chester Zoo announced that it was celebrating the highest ever number of visitors through its turnstiles. The attraction’s Managing Director, Barbara Smith, said: “Never before in the zoo’s history have so many people visited us in a calendar year and so we’re absolutely delighted – it’s a fantastic feat.”

The zoo has also revealed that a “bigger and better” set of animatronic dinosaurs from the USA is set to return in 2012, following the huge success of Dinosaurs at Large! earlier this year.

Finally, a few random facts and figures to gladden the heart: VisitBritain says it expects about 30.7 million visitors, spending some £17.6 billion, to stay in Britain next year; festivals in North Wales (including the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod) are set to share in a £1.5 million cash boost from the Arts Council of Wales and; newly released data shows that the UK attracted 2.77 million international travellers in October - the best results in three years and just below a record 2.82 million arrivals in October 2007, prior to the global economic downturn.

As regular readers of Swift Flyer will know, LDS Tourism Services has several exciting projects in the pipeline – all will be revealed over the coming weeks. The Company will also be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2012, so it is going to be a very special year for founders, Diana and Paula Bardell-Hedley.

In the meantime, we would like to take this opportunity to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here’s to a successful and prosperous year ahead!

What Does 2012 Mean for the North?

We are assured by the government that the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will present unrivalled opportunities to grow Britain's visitor economies.

With teams from 204 countries worldwide and a potential global television audience of over 4 billion spectators, there is certainly great potential for the Games to reach new markets. We have an opportunity to boost domestic holiday taking and to create real appeal for the Britain and London brands in emerging markets. However, will the economic benefits really be spread throughout the whole of the UK?

One wonders whether tourism in North Wales and the North West will be significantly boosted. If there is a lasting legacy, will it be for London and Southern England only? How can we, as leaflet marketing specialists, take full advantage of the situation?

We would love to get some feedback on this issue.