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

The Countdown to Easter Begins

While March has certainly been ‘mad’ for LDS Tourism Services, it has also seen several major developments for national and local tourism – especially following publication of the government’s long awaited Tourism Strategy earlier this month. The 52 page document proposes a raft of measures including the formation of a task force to reduce red tape and moving the May Day Bank Holiday. Conspicuous by its absence, though, is the widely supported suggestion that Britain should move over to “double summertime” (which would see the clocks go forward by one hour in summer and winter) in order to lengthen the holiday season.

As a Supplier member of Visit Chester & Cheshire (VCC), news that it is to be renamed Marketing Cheshire from next month is of obvious interest to LDSTS. The new organisation will switch from reliance on public sector funding to a revue model based on private sector support from members and commercial partners. It will, however, continue to support and market the local tourist industry. Invest in Cheshire and Live in Cheshire will soon be launched as two completely new brands while Visit Chester and Visit Cheshire will be retained to promote the region to consumers.

A survey conducted by Travelzoo revealed several fascinating facts about its subscribers. When it comes to booking a hotel in Britain:

• 93% of consumers compare prices before reserving a room
• 79% do not consider a hotel's brand to be important
• 61% say it is important to have a hotel that does not allow young children to stay
• 58% prefer to book online directly with the hotel
• 42% rate poor standards of cleanliness as the most annoying thing

Both Tatton Park and Shugborough Estate were presented with a 2010 Sandford Award for Heritage Education at a ceremony last month. The prize was created by the Heritage Education Trust to encourage those responsible for running historic houses and guide their educational endeavours by monitoring standards. The prize is valid for five years – although this is the 7th consecutive year Tatton Park has been the recipient.

The Welsh Assembly Government announced that three attractions in North Wales will benefit from £700,000 funding, creating or safeguarding 57 jobs in the area. One of the beneficiaries is the iconic visitor attraction, Snowdon Mountain Railway, which will receive £300,000 to purchase new carriages. It is hoped that the investment will “help increase demand for the service in high season as well as improve visitor comfort and visibility”.

Finally, we should like to remind clients that some schools start closing for the Easter break on 4th April (Good Friday falls on 22nd April and the Royal Wedding takes place on 29th April), so you should ensure that we receive your promotional print as soon as possible. Please drop us a line or ring our head office on 01244 671859 to make arrangements.

Image: Snowdon Mountain Railway, ©Britainonview 2011