Tourism boosts the local economy

We may be in the throes of a double-dip recession, but tourism operators across the country will no doubt welcome the news that domestic trips and holidays have increased to record levels for the third consecutive year. Recent surveys have shown that domestic tourism has grown by 14%, expenditure on day trips is now almost £54 billion per annum and spending by tourists is at a record high of £125 billion.

There have been many encouraging reports from clients within our service area. For instance, Wirral tourism boosted Merseyside’s economy by £3 billion in 2011, mainly due to a string of high-profile events, and Wirral Borough Council say that the area is now very much on the map as a destination choice for affluent visitors.

According to Marketing Cheshire, tourism is now worth more than £2 billion to the Cheshire and Warrington economy and supports around 30,400 full time equivalent jobs. Recent figures have also revealed that more people are visiting Cheshire East - the value of tourism is up by 6% in the area and is worth around £578 million to the local economy.

The newly extended Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has brought a significant number of new visitors to rural North East Wales. A 230sq km (89sq mile) area of land in Wrexham and Denbighshire was designated part of the AONB following an order by the Countryside Council for Wales. It would seem that the total tourism revenue for Denbighshire alone is worth more than £91 million.

A fascinating visitor survey showed that tourists staying in North Wales rated the friendliness of its people the chief draw for their holiday or break in the region. Over 80% of UK and international visitors to the area had been before and ‘the environment’ was named as the biggest pull for day trippers, scoring over nine marks out of 10 on average in a scale of satisfaction.

There are plenty of reasons to feel positive, even during these difficult times. Here are just a few recent 'good news' stories concerning our clients and service areas: 

Ø  Liverpool’s World Museum has been shortlisted for a national award (the Museums and Heritage Awards for Excellence takes place on 16 May). 

Ø  Guest house owners in the borough of Conwy are reporting that bookings are up for 2012 and visitors are staying much longer.  

Ø  St Asaph has been granted city status, which has been bestowed by the Queen as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations. 

Finally, we have had a phenomenal response to our previous blog post about Waitrose. If you would like your literature displayed in this upmarket retail outlet (or in any of our exclusive sites), please drop us a line for further details.

Image: Daffodil, ©Copyright Free Photos 2012

A busy year ahead for UK tourism operators

Silly season is in full swing for LDS Tourism Services - the team is working flat-out accepting deliveries at the Border Distribution Centre and buzzing about the region ensuring our clients’ new leaflets are prominently displayed.

Around the UK as a whole, domestic tourism appears to be on the rise. Camping and caravanning breaks are more popular than ever (up 11% in 2011). According to Mintel, one in three residents report having been on a caravanning or camping break in the last three years, and Pitchup.com have revealed that there was a 50% increase in 'glamping' sites listed on their website in 2011. The latter also say that green campsites are among the most popular and, perhaps more surprisingly, there has been a sharp rise in the number of adult-only trips.

We’ve recently turned up several fascinating UK trends, which we felt were worth sharing with our readers:

Ø  Pet-friendly hotels saw a 132% rise in bookings in 2011 (LateRooms.com) 

Ø  The UK is the largest single source of over 55 year-old holidaymakers (World Travel Monitor) 

Ø  Over a third (39%) of people say access to Wi-Fi is a ‘deal-breaker’ when booking a hotel (Plusnet) 

Ø  The UK is now the third most admired tourist destination globally (Anholt-GFK Roper NBI) 

Brits are being urged to invite friends, relatives and past customers from around the world to visit the UK this year as part of VisitBritain’s 'GREAT Britain - You're Invited' marketing programme. Using the catchphrase ‘Share Your GREAT Britain’, the public, local communities and businesses across the country are being offered a free online toolkit that will allow them to personalise their greeting and invite their global network to the UK for their next holiday.

Finally, Tory MPs are calling for a UK Bank Holiday on 15th June 2015 to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta – the famous medieval document giving rights to the people. A bill has been proposed to replace the May Bank Holiday, which is already under discussion, with a day to celebrate the momentous occasion when King John met his barons in 1215 and sealed the Great Charter. Should the Magna Carta anniversary be a Bank Holiday? Please share your views and we’ll publish a selection of the most interesting submissions on this blog.

Image: Talacre Lighthouse, North Wales, ©CopyrightFreePhotos.com

LDS Tourism Services celebrate 20 years in business

We are looking forward to celebrating our 20th anniversary on 1st February 2012.

Specialising in the distribution and display of leaflets and brochures produced by the local tourism and leisure industries, LDS Tourism Services’ familiar swift logo can be seen in visitor attractions, hotels, restaurants, pubs, retail outlets and an assortment of busy establishments throughout North Wales and the North West. Our selection of wall holders, turnarounds and free-standing dispensers are known as Visitor Information Points (VIPs for short) and have become invaluable focal-points for holidaymakers and locals alike.

Diana Bardell-Hedley and I set up a small office in a spare room in 1992, with only a second-hand Post Office van and an Amstrad computer to carry out our work. We gradually built up a reputation for innovation, hard work and reliability, and with it came clients - both large and small- from around the region (nationally, too).

These days the Company has its headquarters in Chester, as well as offices in Wrexham and Llandudno – not to mention a number of sub-depots for storing literature. Our uniformed staff and modern fleet of vehicles can be seen dashing about the region on a daily basis, delivering a range of printed materials.

Diana, now the Managing Director of LDSTS, says: “My late father owned Vince’s Fishing Tackle shop on Lower Bridge Street for many years. He was a larger than life character with a regular column in the Evening Leader and was a very well known face about Town. So it seemed only fitting we should base LDS Tourism Services’ head office in Chester.

“Although we started the business during the financial downturn of the early ‘90s, we are now seeing small businesses struggle like never before and nobody is quite sure how long it will last. However, we are bending over backwards to help our clients.

“Having said that,” she continues, “British tourism seems to be bucking the trend in so many ways. People are becoming nostalgic for the old-fashioned British holidays of their childhoods and it’s noticeable that many caravan parks, B&Bs, traditional inns, barge companies and self catering establishments are positively flourishing.”

Like all businesses that hope to survive the financial crisis, we are fine-tuning our services to suit the times.

“For many years we paid extremely high rental fees to a selection of large national companies in order to have exclusive display rights on their premises,” says Diana. “But it has become apparent over the past couple of years that certain once busy outlets have slipped out of fashion and become quieter than the grave, with more staff than customers loitering about. Our clients, quite rightly, expect us to display their promotional materials in popular sites. Although we still pay rental to a number of major chains where the annual footfall is significant, we now put the emphasis on our Network Services and General Distribution. This allows us to keep our prices down.

“We supply tastefully designed leaflet holders free of charge to tourism operators, then service them on a regular basis, keeping the stands tidy and full of up-to-date information. In return, the outlet owners place our stands in prominent positions within their establishments. I suppose it's a sort of symbiotic relationship that works well for everyone concerned and benefits the local economy.”

LDS Tourism Services has successfully branched out into Social Media Marketing in the last couple of years and has several other exciting projects in the pipeline (watch this space). If you would like to know more about these and other services mentioned on the blog, please drop us a line at lds@ldsts.co.uk or visit our website at www.ldsts.co.uk. 

Image: © Roza / Dreamstime.com

Domestic tourism remains buoyant

No matter how gloomy the economic outlook may be for 2012, certain sectors of the British tourism industry show every sign of being in robust good health.

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, visitor spending in the UK reached an all time high in August (up 3% on last year). Following record levels in June and July, there was a 4% increase (£0.4 billion) in earnings - a total of £11.65 billion to that point.

What’s more, research by the World Travel Market showed that domestic tourism is likely to enjoy another bumper year in 2012. The government's austerity measures, a weak pound, the increased cost of flying and cuts in earnings are deterring travellers from taking overseas holidays. Brits are ‘staycationing’ like never before. Indeed, VisitEngland has revealed that 70% of the population are planning a domestic break next year.

Some fascinating research commissioned by laterooms.com showed that two-thirds of Brits found regular short getaways far less stressful than infrequent long holidays. It would seem that 86% prefer taking weekends away throughout the year; sixty-six percent say battery-recharging breaks every three months or so are necessary to bring down their stress levels and 80% say that a short break with family or friends relaxes them more than regular massages or luxury spa treatments (not great news for larger hotels but promising for visitor attractions).

Another couple of interesting statistics to emerge recently were: British consumers are going out to eat and drink 12% more than six months ago (Taste of the Nation survey) and the number of international visitors to the UK is on the rise (VisitBritain).

Closer to home

In October, Chester Zoo celebrated record membership figures, with over 38,500 people enjoying discount in its shops and cafes, unlimited entry and invitations to special events. The world-famous zoo hopes its membership will be increased still further by people looking for alterative gifts this Christmas.

Our clients have been busily collecting awards in recent months. At the Marketing Cheshire Annual Awards’ ceremony, which took place in West Cheshire College, Chester Zoo won both Large Visitor Attraction of the Year and Best Tourism Event of the Year for its Dinosaurs at Large exhibition. Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre picked up the award for best Small Visitor Attraction as well as being Highly Commended for its Live Music Event in the Best Tourism Event of the Year category. At the Lancashire and Blackpool Tourism Awards, WWT MartinMere Wetland Centre won Best Visitor Experience for its new canoe safari development and, Marketing Manager, Victoria Fellowes walked away with the Making a Difference award for her contribution to tourism in the region.

As you know, we love to publicise local success stories – especially when LDS Tourism Services has played a part in the proceedings. We are therefore delighted to report that a record turnout of 6,000 residents and locals attended this year’s Frodsham Christmas Festival. The town Mayor, Andrew Dawson, told Chester Chronicle that he had never before seen “so many people in Frodsham at one time, let alone all gathering to have fun!”

Finally, if anyone else would like to take advantage of our Special Christmas Deal at Sandbach Motorway Services, you’ll need to get your skates on. Contact us A.S.A.P. to discuss your requirements.

Image: © Chester Zoo,  2011

A surprisingly successful season

Autumn is almost upon us and we are beginning to take stock of the last few months - comparing the high-season of 2011 with summers past. Halloween and Bonfire Night leaflets are beginning to appear in our VIPs and we are receiving a variety of Christmas literature at the Border Distribution Centre.

It has been an extremely encouraging year up to now for LDS Tourism Services. The latest research shows that Brits continue to holiday at home, with an increase of 4% in trips taken. Visits to attractions in England - including farms, wildlife attractions and gardens - are up 7% according to VisitBritain. Additionally, findings from the latest International Passenger Survey show that a record number of visitors arrived in the UK in June and, more significantly, spent a record amount.

Chester Zoo announced it had welcomed its one millionth visitor of 2011, having seen attendance soar since the opening of its wonderful Dinosaurs at Large! exhibition in July. This milestone was reached almost four weeks earlier than in 2010, a year in which the zoo was declared the most visited (charged) attraction in the UK.

In August, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) revealed that foreign holidaymakers had spent £100m in North Wales last year. Over 172,000 overseas tourists spent £13 million more than in 2009, bucking the national trend and delighting local authorities.

Wrexham Council’s lead member for regeneration, Rodney Skelland, was quoted in the Daily Post as saying: “There are two things that may have really helped drive forward our growth in the overseas market. The first is the way the services and facilities we can offer visitors has really developed in terms of both quality and range. The other factor is increased global exposure for Wrexham since it became a university town in 2008 and gained a World Heritage Site in 2009.”

Thousands of people flocked to the Southport Air Show in July, lining the beach, promenade and pier to watch spectacular acrobatic performances over the blue Merseyside skies. Sefton council’s member for tourism, Cllr Mike Booth said after the event that official figures confirmed the weekend was a record breaker.

We were thrilled to receive Approved Partner Status last month from Marketing Cheshire. You can now find us featured on their corporate website under the recommended partners’ page.

If you have leaflets or brochures for distribution during the winter or you would like us to handle your social media marketing over this period, please contact us right away to discuss tactics. 

Image: ©Marketing Cheshire 2011

Frost, Figures, Frantic Activity… It’s February!

Where has January gone? The weeks seem to zoom by and the team is constantly out in all weathers servicing our visitor info points.

Our warehouse is almost filled to the rafters with new leaflets and brochures - yet still they continue to arrive. Not that they remain there for long. Easter may be late this year but Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, which means that our stands need to look their best for all those romantic guests and diners.

The LDSTS managers went along to VCC’s ‘At Home’ event on 27th January and enjoyed a glass of cider or two with fellow members of Visit Chester & Chester, the tourism management organisation for Cheshire and Warrington. They were pleased to catch up with clients and long-standing business associates as well as making new acquaintances – especially the lovely Ioan Said of Celynnen Photography, who very kindly took their picture.

If you have a free five minutes to spare, you should take a look at an excellent article by Alison Gilbody of Instil Media, the marketing and communications consultancy that specialises in visitor attraction marketing and business development. Print, leaflets, social media – it’s all part of the mix! asks if print is dead and comes to the conclusion that “tourism leaflets [are] here to stay”. We couldn’t agree more, Alison – according to every recent survey conducted on the subject (not to mention comments made to us by numerous tourism operators and our own customers), promotional print is a vital tool in the marketers’ gadget box.

This brings us rather neatly to yet more positive news from one of our clients. The Trentham Estate in Staffordshire last year started using LDS Tourism Services for distribution in and around Cheshire. We were therefore delighted to learn that visitor numbers to this stunning attraction rose by almost 50% in 2010. Figures just released show that 316,000 visitors paid to enter the site over a twelve month period, compared to 216,000 in 2009. There was a 62% rise in annual ticket sales and, according to Trentham’s Regional Director, Mike Herbert, “popularity of the estate continues to rise”.

Please do keep sending us your good news stories. During these difficult times it is heartening to know that local businesses involved in the tourism industry are not only surviving but triumphing over the country’s economic crisis.

Image: ©Britainonview / Rod Edwards

VIC, VCC, VW… Not Forgetting VGS (Very Good Season)!

Chester Visitor Information Centre (VIC)

We are having an exceptionally busy August with new leaflets and brochures still arriving at the Border Distribution Centre every day.

Last week, Diana and Jennifer went along to the opening of Chester’s newly refurbished Visitor Information Centre (formerly Chester TIC) at the Town Hall on Northgate Street. The official VIC - not to be confused with Chester Visitor Centre on Vicars Lane - has had a major make-over and now offers customers a friendly layout with the latest touch-screen technology. In fact, it has already welcomed 72,000 people through its doors since informally reopening in May.

The evening was a huge success and it gave Di and Jenny the perfect opportunity to catch up with long-standing clients and business associates. They were extremely impressed with the new design and had nothing but praise for the centre’s operators, Visit Chester & Cheshire (VCC).

While on the subject of VCC (the official Tourism Board for Cheshire and Warrington), we are delighted to announce that LDS Tourism Services has become an official Supplier Member of the organisation. We are extremely excited about the opportunities this creates for our clients and we look forward to helping promote tourism in the area.

The Tatton Park VW Show 2010

On 8th August, Diana and I went to the Tatton Park VWNW Show, organised by Volkswagen Northwest. Now in its 25th year, the event catered for all kinds of Volkswagen enthusiasts, from the merely curious to serious collectors. There were competitions, cars for sale, stalls offering VW merchandise and of course, plenty of gorgeous, lovingly preserved Beetles and Camper Vans on show. VW heaven!

Business is looking good

The length of the region’s holiday season is quite clearly increasing with each passing year and the leaflet pick-up rate has been phenomenal throughout 2010.

Bearing this in mind, we were unsurprised to learn from iknow-uk - a leading UK travel and tourism specialist - that there was a “huge surge in visitors” last month. The Lancashire-based company, which operates 15 regional accommodation and hospitality websites covering the UK’s most popular holiday destinations, reported a 25% increase in visitors for the month of July with 1.25 million users. Add this to information released by the Office for National Statistics and it seems likely we could be in for a late season rush. Fingers crossed.

Do keep sending us your comments, queries and suggestions – we love to hear your news and views. If you require a quotation for autumn/winter literature distribution or social media marketing services, please contact us on 01244 671859 or lds@ldsts.co.uk.

Images © LDS Tourism Services Ltd., 2010

Stampede Expected Through Chester

Chester is without doubt one of the best places to be this summer.

Earlier today we took delivery of the Rhino Mania trail guides – an exciting and colourful art exhibition happening in the City from 5th July to 12th September.

To join in the fun you should grab a map and go in search of 62 uniquely decorated rhino sculptures positioned in and around Chester. The enormous fiberglass animals have all been individually named and hand-painted by top artists - so they should be easy to find - and there will be an additional 120 mini rhinos dotted around the trail created by local school children.

Rhinos are one of the most endangered creatures on earth, so in addition to celebrating the City’s cultural identity the event will raise money for the Black Rhino Field Conservation Project in Kenya and Tanzania. Official Rhino Mania merchandise, including a souvenir guide and six ceramic rhinos, will be available from Chester Zoo, Chester Tourist Information Centre and Browns of Chester – Debenhams.

And that’s not all…

Diana and I went along with other family members to Ladies Evening at Chester Races last Friday. We had a marvellous time in the glorious sunshine and twice backed a winning horse, which more than covered our costs for the evening. There are a number of forthcoming events to look forward to at the Racetrack, such as Ladies and Gents Evening on 9th July and Family Funday on 1st August. I thoroughly recommend you go along for the experience and to have a little flutter on the gee gees.

Over the coming weeks you should also look out for Chester’s Summer Music Festival (30th June – 14th July), Cholmondeley Castle’s Pageant of Power (17-18th July) and Tatton Park’s Picnic Concerts (31st July).

To find out about these and oodles of other events taking place in the region throughout July, pick up the latest issue of What’s On in Chester & Cheshire, which is appearing in hotels, tourist attractions, camp sites, pubs, restaurants, TICs and LDSTS TIPs as you read this article.

 

Image: Chester Races, © Visit Chester & Cheshire

Social Networking & New Clients Keep LDSTS Busy

New leaflets and brochures continue to arrive at the Border Distribution Centre every day, including many from brand new clients such as The Trentham Estate in Staffordshire – which is currently undergoing a £100 million regeneration project aimed at creating a unique visitor destination of national importance.

The Foursquare Revolution

We are rather excited about a relatively new social networking application to arrive on the scene. Foursquare is a geographical guide, which allows users to broadcast their locations via mobile devices and earn points for checking-in.

Savvy business owners are rapidly catching on to the immense marketing potential of a platform that encourages people to explore their neighbourhoods. Indeed, they are starting to engage with loyal customers by offering ‘Specials’ - discounts and prizes - to those who visit their Foursquare venue pages.

Ever since our friends at Cromwells Restaurant first alerted us to Foursquare in a blog article, we have been busily adding the details of LDSTS's clients and TIP hosts to the system. It has been great fun test-driving the application whilst winning ‘Mayorships’ and collecting badges for being the most frequent visitors to local attractions, hotels, pubs, theatres, retail outlets and other popular spots. Our verdict: Foursquare could very well be the next big thing in social networking, equal, perhaps, to Twitter.

We will, of course, include Foursquare in all our Social Media Marketing packages from now on, so please do contact us if you require further details.

From ‘Staycation’ to ‘Kidcation’

There has been a positive glut of good news stories about the UK’s domestic tourism industry emerging in recent weeks. Organisers of the Best of Britain and Ireland Travel Trade Forum reported a 5% increase in the show’s attendance in March, which they believe underlines the growing trend for ‘staycationing’, and according to ABTA, somewhere in the region of 10.5 million people took a holiday in the UK over Easter.

The Thistle Hotels’ group has also reported a substantial rise in enquiries and bookings for what it describes as “kidcations” at its city–based premises across the country. The 33-strong chain says that many families have “traded down” from overseas package holidays and believe the trend signals: “a change in attitudes, with parents looking to treat the family to short breaks that combine fun with learning – showing that city breaks are no longer just the preserve of romantic couples and serious culture vultures.”

Are you seeing bookings picking up? Please post your comments below or drop us an email.


Image: iPhone, Blackberry and Android in use, © Foursquare, 2010

Let Battle Commence

Cheshire Farm Ice Creams

The two-week Easter break was more hectic than even we had anticipated and our headquarters began to resemble Churchill’s war rooms at the height of WWII.

The sheer logistics involved in ensuring all areas and major establishments are supplied with the correct leaflets both before and during the school holidays can be daunting - especially when so many outlets don‘t open for business until the very last moment - but Team LDSTS pulled it off once again, winning untold battles.

Fun on the farm

Diana and I were able to take some time out over the weekend before Easter to visit Cheshire Farm Ice Cream in Tattenhall. We simply couldn’t resist the lure of those Malt Tease and Honeycomb flavours in giant double-cones - but with our 14-year-old niece in tow, we had the perfect excuse to indulge.

There have been numerous improvements made since we first began distributing the attraction’s leaflets many years ago. Tom and Margaret Fell have invested a great deal in old Drumlan Hall Farm and it now attracts over 250,000 visitors a year and supplies Real Dairy Ice Cream to restaurants and retail outlets throughout the region.

There are plenty of activities to keep young people entertained, such as Crazy Daisy’s Play Barn and Animal Corner - where we were delighted to meet baby guinea pigs, Buff Orpington chickens and numerous fluffy and feathered critters - before purchasing our ice creams. We also ambled through the gift shops, visited a milking area, scratched the bellies of three young kune kune pigs and stood on a platform to watch some thirty or so adorable, long-lashed calves being fed. A thoroughly enjoyable experience!

In print and on page

We would like to thank Wayne Lowe, a presenter at Radio Clatterbridge, for publishing an article about LDS Tourism Services in his blog, Rain Glow, on 30th March. He tells me that he’s hoping to do something about us on his radio show at some point in the future, so we’ll let you know if and when that happens.

If you happen to pick up a copy of The Mersey Partnership’s new publication, Developing The Economy Of The Liverpool City Region, you will find us listed on page 32. It contains some fascinating articles about the Visitor Economy, Investment and Liverpool SuperPort, among others - so it’s well worth borrowing a copy if you’re not a member.

We are also extremely grateful to those of you who contacted us following our previous post about becoming a Guest Blogger for Swift Flyer. We have plans to run a number of the most interesting pieces over the coming weeks, but in the meantime, please keep sending your submissions in the main body of an email  (I’m afraid we can’t accept attachments) or by hard copy to LDS Tourism Services Ltd., Border Distribution Centre, River Lane, Saltney, Chester CH4 8RH.

We look forward to receiving your suggestions, photos and articles.


Image: Cheshire Farm Ice Cream, © LDS Tourism Services Ltd, 2010

LDS Tourism Services Thank VIP Hosts

‘Silly Season’ has officially begun. For the last few weeks everyone at LDS Tourism has been working flat-out accepting deliveries of leaflets, servicing holders, talking with clients and generally making preparations for Valentine’s Day and the half-term break. Next up: Mothering Sunday and Easter!

As regular readers know, we like to highlight the many wonderful local businesses that host our Visitor Information Points (VIPs). Although our time is limited, we patronise these establishments as frequently as possible and feature them here following a visit.

One establishment we can highly recommend is Bellis Brothers Farm Shop & Garden Centre in Holt, near Wrexham. Diana and I popped in there last week to do some shopping and found their shelves bulging with home-grown and regionally sourced fruit, vegetables, dairy products, cooked meats and baked goods - not to mention locally brewed beers in the Wine Department. The gardening section was well stocked with quality plants and we were able to browse through a range of greeting’s cards, items of clothing and fascinating knick-knacks before retiring to the Strawberry Fields Restaurant for a spot of delicious, home-cooked lunch. In addition to this, the staff were all friendly and helpful, without exception, and the light and airy open-plan feel of the store made shopping a positively pleasant experience.

We also found time to visit the Glan Yr Afon Inn, a 16th century pub in the small village of Dolphin, near Holywell - which is currently celebrating its 450th anniversary. Here we were greeted warmly by the staff and enjoyed a tasty meal in their attractively decorated restaurant next to a roaring log fire.

Moving on to clients, our congratulations go to Knowsley Safari Park following the announcement that they pulled in their greatest number of visitors for 35 years, despite the recession and poor weather of 2009. Over 530,000 people flocked through the gates last year, making it their best annual attendance since the attraction opened in 1972. You can read all about it in a recent article published on the St Helens Star website.

We hope everyone is busy over the coming weeks. If you would like your leaflets and brochures displayed in our VIPs over Easter, please get your stock to us as quickly as possible. You are invited to contact us on 01244 671859 if you need to discuss your campaign.

Shop at Bellis's Country Market

Garden Centre at Bellis's Country Market

The Glan Top and Tails

Main picture: Homedade Quiche at Bellis's

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Images © LDS Tourism Services Ltd, 2010

Braced For The Easter Rush

Where has January gone? Soon it will be ‘silly season’ (the frenzied run up to Easter) for LDS Tourism Services and we will be dashing from one TIP to another, distributing all the last minute brochures and leaflets. Believe it or not, literature continues to arrive at our warehouse right up to Good Friday - but we always do our upmost to get the best coverage possible in whatever time remains.

We were delighted to read on the TravelMole website that British Airways and EasyJet are to offer low cost flights from twelve European countries to 10 UK cities as part of a tourism drive by VisitBritain - among them Liverpool and Manchester. The promotion follows last year’s 'See More Britain For Less' campaign, which highlighted the affordability of travel to the UK. Apparently, the latest campaign is “based around contrasting themes” of the chosen cities “with information on traditional and contemporary experiences with a twist”. The campaign’s micro-sites can be accessed via visitbritain.com

If you have five minutes to spare, it is also well worth checking out the Why We Love Britain page on WinkBall. Reporters have been dispatched to find out what “one thing” people love most about being in Britain. You can see their answers and add your own video messages too, but please ensure you have javascript enabled and flash installed first.

Visit Chester and Cheshire (VCC), the tourism management organisation for Cheshire and Warrington, held an ‘At Home’ event in their offices above Chester Railway Station on 21st January. Diana, Jenny and Hayley went along to the informal gathering to catch up with long-standing associates, meet others involved in the local tourist industry and chat with the team about their plans for the future. The evening was extremely successful, with plenty of networking opportunities and an abundance of Moët and delicious nibbles laid on. A big thank you to all at VCC from the managers at LDSTS for a very pleasant evening.

Jenny and Hayley will also be attending the Success Through People day at Haydock Park Racecourse on 4th February. Be sure to say “hello” if you bump into them.

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Image: VCC offices, Chester © LDS Tourism Services Ltd, 2010

No Slip-Ups For LDS Tourism In The Snow

No sooner had we celebrated our first white Christmas for many years and seen in 2010 with a dusting of the fluffy stuff than winter struck the region with a terrible ferocity. Severe weather warnings were issued by the Met Office and it started to snow, and snow, and snow…

Throughout North West Britain, schools closed, local councils ran short of grit for the roads and driving conditions became treacherous as temperatures plunged. A number of attractions were forced to close but many of our clients tried to make the most of the cold snap. Blue Planet Aquarium built a wonderfully realistic snow-shark (complete with razor sharp teeth), GreenWood Forest Park shared snaps of the Little Moss Dragon covered in snow with their fans on Facebook, Go Ape had great fun filming their antics and Knowsley Safari Park took some splendid photographs of the baboons eating baked potatoes.

LDS Tourism remained busy throughout. Our distributors dodged the worst hit areas as much as possible - only becoming depot-bound for a couple of days - and continued to service TIPs and deliver new leaflets and brochures to establishments throughout North Wales and the North West.

Incidentally, Knowsley Safari Park has been nominated for an award in the Best Family Day Out 2010 category in Lifestyle Monthly (a magazine for Liverpool and the surrounding areas) and they would very much appreciate your support. Please click this link to vote and you can also select your favourite salon, restaurant, home improvement company, green contribution to the City, spa, fashion retailer and beauty clinic.

We were delighted with the response to our article, LDS Tourism Services Celebrates 18 Years in Business!, which appeared in the Directory of Chester at the start of the month. Within 24 hours of the feature going live, we were listed in Google’s top five under the search term ‘social media marketing’. Amazing results! Many thanks indeed to Esther Rosie and her team at directoryofchester.net.

Finally, if you are attending the ‘At Home with VCC’ networking event at Visit Chester and Cheshire’s offices on 21st January, we look forward to seeing you there.

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Image: ©Britainonview / David Sellman

The Changing Habits of Holidaymakers

May I take this opportunity to wish all our clients, readers and business associates a very happy and prosperous 2010!

There are currently mixed messages reaching members of the local tourism and hospitality industries. While a recent poll of 3,000 consumers by the travel site simonseeks.com found that the UK is still hailed as being the best-value holiday destination, the newly published ITB World Travel Trends Report showed that travel activity declined most in the UK (followed by Russia and Sweden) in the calendar year following the worldwide economic and financial crisis.

It would seem that last-minute bookings are at a record high and, according to Dr. Martin Buck at ITB organiser Messe Berlin, travellers are becoming an “increasingly indeterminable factor for holiday destinations, airlines, hotels, tour operators and travel agencies”. He goes on to say that “together with demographic shifts, changing lifestyles and technological progress, the recession is changing travel behaviour”.

We have certainly been aware of these changes for quite some time and have been able to modify our services accordingly by dropping several poorly performing (and overly expensive) sites last year in favour of better quality outlets - enabling LDS Tourism Services to offer superior display locations at very reasonable rates.

Despite these difficult times, we are doing a great deal to support our clients. As ever, we are able to offer both regional and national distribution; customers can opt to use our popular Network or General Distribution services; they may choose to be included in our high-footfall Exclusive establishments or perhaps decide to pick and choose from all three. In addition, we supply a range of complimentary brochure holders to tourism operators in North Wales, Cheshire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, West Lancashire and Shropshire.

If you would like a quotation for leaflet/brochure distribution or social media marketing, simply drop us a line or ring 01244 671859 and we will create a unique and reasonably priced campaign to suit your particular requirements.

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Image: View down onto the beach, Llandudno ©Britainonview

Deck the Stands with Lots of Leaflets

December is always a busy month for the LDSTS management team, but it does at least present us with endless opportunities to mix business with pleasure. Now the Christmas cards have been mailed out to clients, copious contracts signed and new projects initiated, we are having great fun attending festive networking events and industry get-togethers. There have been several recent highlights and no doubt there will be plenty more before the close of 2009.

Diana and I had a scrumptious meal at Helsby Arms on 4th December. Renowned for its real food and ale, not to mention regular Tweetups (gatherings of people who use Twitter), this lovely, traditional old pub is host to one of our Tourist Information Points (TIPs). During our visit we were able to spend time chatting with co-owner, Carole Currie - a friendly, bubbly lady, with tons of innovative ideas - and tuck into a Famous Helsby Arms steak, Guinness and mushroom pie served with hand cut rustic chips from a menu choc-full of mouthwatering dishes. Wonderful stuff!

I was also able to take my mum along to the first day of the Continental Christmas Market in Chester City centre on 5th December. Attractive wooden chalets had been erected outside the TIC on Town Hall Square, within which were displayed an assortment of European trinkets, clothes, foods, wines and beers. I purchased a long, multi-coloured woollen scarf from a lively market trader before we escaped the crowds and made our way over to the picturesque village of Dodleston for lunch at The Red Lion, an 18th century inn on the Cheshire/North Wales border – which, incidentally, is another TIP host. We always make a point of supporting those who support LDS.

Jenny, Hayley and Diana popped into The Mersey Partnership’s Christmas Members’ Meeting at the Palm Sugar Lounge inside the Chaophray (a Thai fine dining restaurant) on the 8th. They thoroughly enjoyed the evening – especially the delicious nibbles and free drinks – and were extremely impressed with the bird’s eye view of the City and the 60-metre high Liverpool ONE Wheel. They returned clutching tickets (kindly supplied by the organisers) for rides on the 40-gondola wheel. Watch this space to discover what they thought of the experience.

Next year promises to be another exciting twelve months for LDSTS and clients. Be sure to look out for us at the Great Days Out Fair at Bolton Arena on 13th February 2010. Diana and Hayley will be manning the Cadw stand and Jenny and I will be there representing the Company.

If you have any questions, queries or comments regarding leaflet distribution, social media marketing or anything else relating to LDS Tourism Services, please feel free to drop us a line or ring up for a chat.

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Image: Liverpool ONE Wheel © LDS Tourism Services Ltd, 2009

North West Attractions Thrive Despite Recession

VisitEngland’s annual Visitor Attraction Survey has revealed that England’s tourist attractions rose by 2% in 2008 - with the most significant rise around Liverpool, the 2008 European Capital of Culture.

Among the top attractions named in the report were Chester Zoo, Tate Liverpool and Tatton Park, three valued (and long-standing) clients of LDS Tourism Services. Chester’s internationally renowned zoo came in at number three in the Top Paid For Attractions category, beating off the Eden Project, Stonehenge and Roman Baths. Only Westminster Abbey and Kew Gardens were ahead.

Categories which showed the most growth with above average increases included farms (+8%), museums/art galleries (+7%), visitor/heritage centres (+6%) and places of worship (+5%).

James Berresford, Chief Executive of VisitEngland, said: “The uplift in numbers and increasing appreciation of England’s world-class attractions is extremely welcome news. In terms of education, history, our natural landscapes, the quirky and unusual to the just plain fun - we’ve got everything here in England to suit all interests and budgets, whatever the weather.”

Visits to North West attractions increased most significantly with a 13% uplift. The Liverpool Capital of Culture 2008 event helped drive the increase with many major attractions in Liverpool experiencing extremely high increases in visitor admissions, including 68% more admissions at Tate Liverpool.

Last week it was also announced that Liverpool has become one of the UK’s most environmentally friendly conference destinations after achieving ‘gold’ from the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

Pam Wilsher, the acting director of tourism at The Mersey Partnership, told the BBC that the Mersey Ferries, Beatles attractions and museums had also been extremely successful. She said there was evidence that local attractions were continuing to attract large numbers of visitors but “obviously not as many as last year”.

LDS Tourism Services has recently joined forces with a Liverpool-based distribution management firm, which has handled some of the biggest brands in the area over the last ten years. LDSTS’s Managing Director, Diana Bardell-Hedley, commented: “We’re delighted to be working so closely with such a reputable organisation, especially as it gives us unprecedented access to establishments in Liverpool City Centre.”

If you would like further details about distribution and display in Liverpool and the North West, please drop us a line.

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