A bloomin’ wonderful new display site in Liverpool

Today we launch a brand new Tourist Information Point at Dobbies Garden World Liverpool – a popular retail outlet on the A561.

In conjunction with A-ha! Distribution, our long-standing partner company in Cumbria, we are now able to offer exclusive literature display facilities in this well-placed, south Liverpool site.

Just off Speke Boulevard on the main road to John Lennon Airport, this £8 million, 50,000 sq ft garden centre opened its doors to the public in September 2011. It was constructed using sustainably sourced materials - with energy efficiency catered for throughout - in order to help reduce its impact on the environment. The store also features a 350-seater restaurant and Farm Foodhall, specialising in locally-sourced products.

If you would like further information about displaying your leaflets or brochures in this extremely busy outlet, please drop us a line or call us on 01244 671859.

Keep an eye out for further upcoming joint projects between LDS Tourism Services and its associate companies in the very near future.

Image: Dobbies Garden World Liverpool, ©Dobbies  2011

Liverpool enjoys tourism boom: So why close its TIC?

According to The Mersey Partnership – the organization responsible for developing and promoting Liverpool City Region as an ideal place to invest, live, work and stay - the local visitor economy supports some 41,000 job.

Several long-standing clients of LDS Tourism Services in Liverpool have experienced spectacular growth over the last few years and we are proud to have played our part in their success. During 2010, Merseyside Maritime Museum received 1,027,475 visits, up from 946,699 the year before (a rise of 8.5%) and World Museum Liverpool had a 23.4% rise in visitors, from 606,394 in 2009 to 748,065. Earlier this month, VisitBritain announced that both museums had been named in the top 20 free visitor attractions in Britain.

The Museum of Liverpool is the new kid on the block – officially opening to the public on 19th July. Yet, within two weeks, it had welcomed over 150,000 people through its doors (averaging 12,500 visitors a day), including Yoko Ono, the widow of John Lennon – and by mid August it was celebrating its first quarter million. It has since been nominated for World Building of the Year 2011.

In spite of Liverpool’s undeniable popularity with both British and overseas visitors, the council announced earlier this month that the City’s flagship Tourist Information Centre would close down as part of budget cutbacks. This astonishing development has caused a huge amount of consternation – understandable when one considers that “more room nights were sold in Liverpool city centre during the first six months of 2010 than in 2009 or 2008” (Tourism Scene, Issue 16).

Liverpool City Council leader, Joe Anderson, recently described Liverpool as a "world-class destination” and, as we reported in Swift Flyer only last month, an official strategy document estimated that the City’s tourism industry is likely to be worth £2 billion by 2020. 

Liverpool’s 08 Place is due to close on 31st October 2011. If you have concerns regarding this issue, Julie Kershaw, owner of Liverpool Entente Cordiale Tours has set up a page on Facebook called: Liverpool needs a city centre Tourist Office. Here she eloquently explains the importance of a City centre TIC and keeps followers abreast of the latest developments.

What are your views on the closure of Liverpool’s main TIC (or indeed, other tourism offices in the region) and how do you think it will affect the local economy in the long term? Please tell us what you think by posting your comments on this blog.

Image: The Albert Dock © Britainonview / Ingrid Rasmussen

Statistics show an improving tourism economy

After a couple of difficult years, the region’s tourist industry is showing definite signs of recovery. Business bosses have revealed that adventure tourism is set to bring 1,000 jobs to North Wales over the next five years, hotels in the Wirral are second on Hotels.com’s ‘most searched for’ list and, nationally, VisitBritain says the number of overseas visitors to Britain is rising.

A great many positive statistics have been published about our clients and service areas over the last couple of months. For instance: 

Ø  Over 32,500 people visited Tatton Park between 22^nd and 25^th April 2011, which is 30% up on the attraction’s previous Easter weekend. 

Ø  The Wirral’s visitor economy is worth over £250 million a year and has increased by a substantial 11% in the last five years. 

Ø  During the May Bank Holiday over 2,500 visitors flocked to the National Trust’s Erddig in Wrexham – double its figures for the same period in 2010. 

Ø  So popular has Liverpool become since it was European Capital of Culture in 2008 that a strategy document says its tourism industry is likely to be worth £2 billion and support 37,000 jobs by 2020. 

Other News

We can report that two long-standing clients of LDS Tourism Services (namely: Knowsley Safari Park and Blue Planet Aquarium) have been nominated to take part in Eden’s Top Wildlife Attraction 2011. Knowsley was the winner last year, so please take a few moments to register your details and cast your votes.

Cheshire Taste Café, which can be found in the recently re-refurbished Chester Visitor Centre, has created a lovely new website. Managed by the talented chef, Dave Mooney and his lovely fiancé, Jane Casson, the establishment has quickly gained a reputation for serving delicious locally sourced products. Weather permitting, diners can enjoy some of the best Cheshire beers, cheeses, ice creams and cakes on the terrace overlooking City’s famous Roman amphitheatre. The Visitor Centre is also home to Chester Box Office (which sells tickets for local attractions), Busybus, Chester Heritage Tours, a lovely Gift Shop and our very own TIP (Tourist Information Point). Please contact us if you would like your leaflets or brochures displayed in this popular venue. 

Finally, we would like to congratulate Merseytravel’s U-boat Story for being named as Small Visitor Attraction of the Year at the Mersey Partnership’s Annual Tourism Awards 2011.

Image: Liverpool Albert Dock @VisitBritain 2011

Clients Celebrate Record Visitor Numbers

A very Happy New Year to all our friends, patrons and business associates!

The team are frantically busy accepting deliveries of 2011 leaflets and brochures into an already bulging warehouse. Preparations are in place for the start of silly season (regular readers will know this is the frenzied period lasting roughly from February to Easter) and we are delightedly welcoming new customers into the fold on a daily basis.

In spite of the economic downturn, many of our clients received record numbers of visitors to their attractions, exhibitions and events in 2010. For example:

National Museums Liverpool - a group comprising seven museums and galleries (with an eighth joining soon) – have for many years used LDSTS to distribute and display their promotional print. In 2010, we promoted Endurance: Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure in our VIPs (Visitor Information Points). So successful has this Mersey Maritime Museum exhibition been that it has averaged 1,200 visitors a day since it opened in July and its run has been extended to 27th February 2011. It is estimated that 275,000 people will have visited by the time it closes.

Another long-standing client of LDSTS is the Catalyst Science Discovery Centre in Widnes. Its director, Stephen Youd-Thomas recently announced that the attraction had received a record number of people through its doors last year - enjoying its “best visitor figures since 2006”.

We have displayed Cholmondeley Pageant of Power leaflets in our VIPs since the inaugural event in 2008 and last year wrote an article promoting the show, which was published in The Knutsford Times. The 2010 display was hailed a tremendous success with over 50,000 visitors enjoying the incredible spectacles on the track, in the air and on the water. In consequence, the organisers have added an extra day to the event this year.

Yet another happy customer was Wirral Borough Council who reported that tourism events had boosted the local economy by more than £2 million last year. So, we’re hoping to play our part in breaking a few records again in 2011.

If LDS Tourism Services has at any point helped you achieve unprecedented success, we would love to hear from you. If you would like us to run your leaflet/brochure marketing (or social media) campaigns in 2011, please drop us a line to discuss tactics.

Image: ©Cholmondeley Pageant of Power, 2010

You'll Never Walk Alone - LFC Stadium Tour

Last week Jenny and I were lucky enough to be invited to the official launch of the all new Liverpool Football Club Stadium Tour. Arranged through The Mersey Partnership, we were able to see behind the scenes at Anfield, sit in the famous Kop and meet Liverpool legend Alan Kennedy.

Liverpool FC have made some exciting changes to the tour, it now includes new areas, extra tours and better availability. Perhaps the biggest change is the involvement of Dave Kirby as script writer. He is a local playwright and is well known for the popular Scouse comedy Brick up the Mersey Tunnel and more recently for the film Fifteen Minutes that Shook the World, based on the 2005 Champions League Final in Istanbul. His style guarantees that the is tour engaging and entertaining.

Our tour started in the Legends Lounge before we moved on to sit in the Directors' seats. We visited the old boot room (now a press room), took a peek in the dressing rooms and reached up to touch the 'This is Anfield' sign as we made our way back out towards the pitch. Throughout the tour we were given an insight into the history of the club and each section had a different guide with fascinating snippets of information to keep us amused. We even got to see the Champions League Cup, which was gifted to Anfield as a thank you for winning in 2005.

As a football fan I knew I would enjoy the day, but even Jenny (who doesn't follow football) found it interesting. We finished off the experience with a look around the Museum; a good chance to see some memorabilia - old and new - and reflect on the amazing history of one of the region's best known football clubs.

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Images: Anfield, © 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

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

An Autumn Roundup From LDS Tourism

Autumn is here, which means that leaflets promoting Halloween events and firework displays are now prominently displayed in our stands. The “barbecue summer” promised by the Met Office may have failed to materialise, but we are at least enjoying a spell of fine weather at the moment – extending the season for all our clients with outdoor attractions.

As industry figures begin to trickle in for 2009, it would appear that a slump in room rates caused many British hotels to suffer a poor August. However, according to preliminary monthly figures from the PKF Hotel Consultancy Services, hotels in Liverpool were able to achieve a 7.6% growth in occupancy during this period – an excellent result when compared to the 2.3% drop experienced by similar establishments in London.

We were delighted to learn of two rare new arrivals at Blue Planet Aquarium in Ellesmere Port last week. The birth of a pair of Anableps – four-eyed fish, originally from South America – caused great excitement at this popular visitor attraction. These unusual freshwater fish apparently use their extra eyes to see both above and below the surface of the water, giving them added protection against predators and allowing them to find food. The babies measure approximately 5cm when born but are expected to reach 15-20cm at eight months.

The autumn/winter 09/10 issue of Swift Flyer – our newsletter containing updates, company news and industry snippets - is now available on our website. If you have problems opening the pdf document, simply drop us a line and we will snail-mail a hard copy.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank Andrea Monteith, the editor of Word of Mouth, for giving LDS Tourism Services a plug in the 4th birthday edition of this popular glossy publication (Issue 22, page 18, It’s our Birthday!). Known as “the magazine for Wales”, WOM is delivered by us to outlets throughout our service area and contains fascinating articles about people and places in North Wales, details of up-and-coming events and heaps of suggestions for filling your leisure time. In the October issue you can read pieces about rainwater harvesting, wild birds in your garden and a fashion show with a difference. Be sure to pick up a free copy from your nearest LDS Tourist Info Point.

Finally, we can report that there has been a great deal of interest expressed in our new Social Media Marketing service. If you would like to know more about how we can help you promote your business on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn etc., please contact us for further information.

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Photograph © Karen Bramblet, 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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Liverpool's Matthew Street Festival

The Matthew Street Festival in Liverpool has become a well known highlight of the year bringing together some great musical talents and showcasing the region's love for music.

This year had to be good with Capital of Culture 08 in full flow, and it didn't disappoint. There was a great atmosphere in the city and even the rain stayed away for most of the day, so people could enjoy the free open air music festival.

I was really impressed with the organisation, there were plenty of stewards on hand giving out free information booklets. All the stages were well signposted and easy to find.

We spent most of the day at the main stage by the Museum where we enjoyed Fake That, Police Force and Chas and Dave. We then headed down towards the Liver Building to see Jimmy Hendrix and Cream tribute acts. We had a brief wander down Matthew Street and then went up towards Concert Square to see some more live bands.

Liverpool is one of my favourite cities and everyone seemed to be having a good time. There were plenty of people singing along and dancing in the streets and the city was buzzing. It was a great chance to see some superb musical talent, enjoy an entertaining day out with family and friends and to enjoy some of the famous sights of Liverpool.

Brochure Marketing Group Keeps On Growing

We can reveal that (as of posting this blog entry) there are 213 members of our Brochure Marketing group on LinkedIn. A wide variety of people involved in the promotional print industry continue to sign-up on a daily basis and there are many interesting conversations taking place on the official forum. Please feel free to pose a question or join in one of the many fascinating discussions – you don’t need to be a group member to get involved. Clients, business associates and employees of LDS Tourism Services Ltd. are also encouraged to join the Company’s own special group (Friends of LDS Tourism Services).

Last week, Diana and Paula spent several hours ambling around the Albert Dock – Liverpool’s “most visited” attraction. They were delighted to discover the area buzzing with activity as tourists, shoppers and diners made the most of the first-rate amenities on offer, including a splendid array of museums, restaurants and shops. Currently celebrating its 20th anniversary, Albert Dock has seen a massive increase in visitor numbers this year (probably assisted by the Liverpool 08 festivities) and the new Arena is proving to be a great success.

As a follow-up to our previous article on this blog, we now see that a train company poll has suggested that a third of British holidaymakers intend to stay in UK this summer. It would seem that many people are rethinking their travel plans due to the prospect of long airport delays and flight disruption. The survey shows that one in five Britons have decided not to travel by air because they feel anxious, and are instead opting for the train, car, coach or ferry. When it comes to choosing their preferred method of transport, 82% of travellers felt that the biggest consideration was cost, followed by how comfortable and convenient it is (66%), how quickly they get to their destination (63%) and how stressful/relaxing the journey will be (34%).

Everybody at LDSTS is braced for the school holidays. We’ve had an incredibly busy summer thus far, so it is likely to be a hectic period for us. We can also announce that we have just signed a contract giving us exclusive rights to display literature in Poplar 2000 Services, on the M6/56 in Lymm. Please contact Hayley at hayley@ldsts.co.uk if you would like further information about this or anything else.

Finally, we would like to share a noteworthy link:

The House of Commons Culture, Media & Sport Report on Tourism

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmcumeds/133/133i.pdf

Tourist Industry Roundup

We're up to our eyes in it as usual, but we still like to stay abreast of what's happening with our friends and colleagues in the industry. So, here are a handful of news-items we've 'homed in' on this week:

On 23rd April the 'Tourism Oscars' will take place in St Georges Hall, Liverpool, in celebration of the 2008 European Capital of Culture and St George’s Day. Amazingly, this is the first time in its 19-year history that the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence will be held outside London, so it will be quite a feather in NW England's hat. Fingers crossed that the region will also receive some recognition from the judges.

Some of you may be interested to learn that a new microsite has been launched to support the year-long Culture 08 campaign (organised to celebrate some of England's best cultural attractions), which includes a journey planner, travel itinerary with Google maps, a 'My Events' section and an 'Inspire Me' functionality, which randomly generates event details that the user could attend across England.

According to TravelMole, the "UK is the sixth most competitive country when it comes to tourism". An international study has revealed that we have moved up from 10th position in the Global Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report (put together by the World Economic Forum) - showing a marked improvement in areas such as environmental sustainability and air transport infrastructure. However, we received a comparatively low score for safety and security, coming way down the list in 65th place!

Many of you will no doubt be attending the British Travel Trade Fair in Birmingham this week - we'll be there ourselves to assist Cadw with their stand on the final day. We wish you a successful show and hope that you get plenty of useful networking opportunities. We would love to hear your thoughts on this year's event, and also, if Karl Lornie, the Paul McCartney tribute act, is a good as they say he is!

Brochure Displays Vital To Tourism Marketing

Last weekend, Diana nipped over to the National Boat, Caravan & Outdoor Show (19th – 24th February) at Birmingham’s NEC. Spanning six halls, there were an enormous number of outdoor products on display - from small tents to plush motorhomes – and this year’s exhibition hosted the biggest boat and marine display in its 47 year history. In addition to all this, there were plenty of free activities laid on such as archery lessons and tent pitching competitions. The event was well attended by both industry and non-industry folk, giving Di the perfect opportunity to make some very useful contacts. She also thoroughly enjoyed herself and intends to go again in 2009.

As you will all be aware, Liverpool's Capital of Culture year was officially launched during January and a unique programme of events across the Northwest to celebrate '08 is set to bring in an additional £50 million in visitor spend to the Northwest economy. What's more, £50 million is expected to go directly to Merseyside over the coming year from 1.7 million extra visitors. It is estimated that this year alone European Capital of Culture will be worth £100 million to the Northwest economy in visitor spend. Good news for all of us!

Some of you may be interested in reading a report entitled Comparison of the Effectiveness of Brochure Distribution from the international Association of Professional Brochure Distributors. Their findings show that brochure displays continue to play an essential role in marketing tourist attractions, events etc. You can learn more and download a pdf version of the report right here:

http://www.apbd.org/about/research.php

With Easter fast approaching, we are eating, sleeping and dreaming leaflets. However, we hope to have news of yet more exciting additions to our exclusive Network sites in the very near future. Keep watching this space!

Liverpool’s Year as Capital of Culture

The City of Liverpool will officially open its year as European Capital of Culture with a three-day weekend of public events and concerts. The celebrations begin on Friday 11th January 2008 with a free open-air show on St George’s Plateau featuring ex-Beatle, Ringo Starr.

On 12th January, Ringo pops up again with Eurythmic Dave Stewart, to open the new Liverpool Echo Arena with Liverpool The Musical. Other performers include the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, No Fakin DJ’s, Echo and the Bunnymen, Pete Wylie, Ian Broudie, Shack and The Christians, plus a cast of poets, singers, aerialists, comedians, construction workers, gardeners and sailors.

Along with specially commissioned film and rare archive footage, Liverpool The Musical will feature music composed by Elgar, John Newton, The Real Thing, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, The Beatles, The La’s, The Wombats, The Farm, The Zutons, Stravinsky and Space, rearranged for the Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra in collaboration with No Fakin DJ’s and conducted by Vasily Petrenko.

Sir Paul McCartney and his band will also perform in his home city in a Liverpool Sound concert in front of a crowd of 30,000 at Anfield Football Stadium on 1st June 2008.

We are looking forward to working with the Mersey Partnership and various Liverpool attractions to make 2008 a very special year indeed.

City Breaks in Britain

New research released last week by VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, suggests that Brits are embracing the buzz around city break destinations.

The report makes interesting reading. Apparently, the most visited English cities are London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Newcastle, Liverpool and York - which is great news for the North West.

It would seem that eight out of the top ten most visited destinations in England are cities. The number of overnight visits made to the eight cities in 2006 was more than 22.8 million, indicating that city breaks on our own doorstep are of huge appeal to domestic tourists. To capitalise on and further encourage this popularity, the Enjoy England team at VisitBritain have launched a new campaign to inspire Brits to visit city break destinations. City Breaks offers Britons a wealth of reasons to visit 36 cities the length and breadth of England via their dedicated website.

Information on the website is broken down into 9 handy categories, each containing relevant city holiday ideas. These range from ‘Arts and Culture’, ‘Food’ and ‘Shopping’ through to ‘Music’, ‘Romance’ and ‘Fun with Friends’ – aiming to enthuse and inspire with lots of great ideas. The campaign has already been complimented by a 52 page Guardian supplement on 29th September, showcasing the cities involved in the campaign and driving people to the City Breaks website.

The campaign follows the successful City Culture campaigns run in the past two years, where 97% of website visitors said they had been encouraged to visit different parts of England than they had previously considered. This is a breakdown of the results:

1. London - 10,959,000
2. Manchester - 2,490,000
3. Birmingham - 2,287,000
4. Bristol - 1,825,000
5. Blackpool - 1,787,000
6. Leeds - 1,436,000
7. Scarborough - 1,383,000
8. Newcastle upon Tyne - 1,298,000
9. Liverpool - 1,257,000
10. York - 1,247,000

Incidentally, you can find our home city of Chester on their list, too!

Lovely, Lively Liverpool

For the past 4 weeks ITV has been running a series asking people to vote for their favourite view of Britain - all 16 views were selected by celebrities. The winner was Wastwater in Cumbria, selected by Sally Whittaker, but I noticed several entries from the North West including The Three Graces Building in Liverpool.

The official website quotes Jamie Redknapp as saying: "I look at Liverpool not as city but a country in itself, the people are different there, they are very proud and passionate. If they like you they love you, and you are one of them for ever ... I do get that feeling even now when I go back."

We work for a number of the city's attractions, including the National Museums of Liverpool and the Albert Dock, and it's extremely exciting to be involved with a World Heritage Site and future European Capital of Culture. Nearly two million extra visitors are expected to attend the numerous world-class festivals and events that will take place in the run-up to and including 2008. We're just delighted to be playing a part in it all.