We don’t care what the weatherman says

It may have been a soggy summer but the double-dip recession, grey skies and rainfall didn’t stop our clients from bucking the trend and experiencing a successful season.

Back in July, the Museum of Liverpool celebrated its first birthday by announcing that it had exceeded its initial 12 month target of 750,000 visitors by 500,000 to reach 1.261 million. Director, Janet Dugdale revealed that this figure comprised 50% of visitors from Merseyside – right in the heart of LDS Tourism Services’ distribution area.

The Llangollen International Eisteddfod sold nearly 2,000 more concert tickets than last year. The event’s Music Director, Elir Owen Griffiths, commented to the Daily Post: “We can safely say that Llangollen International Eisteddfod is back on its feet financially and withstood weather conditions, unlike other festivals.”

Cholmondeley Pageant of Power celebrated its “biggest and best ever” gala in spite of the dismal weather. Thousands of petrolheads turned out to enjoy even more supercars, helicopters, powerboats and interactive features than ever before. James Hall, the event director, was quoted in the local newspaper as saying: “The Pageant has well and truly secured its place as Britain’s most thrilling and most interactive day out.”

Thousands attended the seventh Wirral Food and Drink Festival at Claremont Farm during the August Bank Holiday. Over 20,000 people poured into the site over two days without regard to the mud and rain. The festival’s organiser, Andrew Pimbley, confirmed that the event was an enormous success.

There were “record-breaking crowds” at the 21st Southport Air Show earlier this month when 150,000 spectators were treated to breathtaking aerial displays. Tony Corfield, head of tourism at Sefton Council told the Southport Visiter: “It was a phenomenal success. With a combination of strong displays and good weather, we were actually at capacity on [the] Sunday – the car parks were full and we even used all the reserve car parks.”

Even those of our clients hardest hit by the bad weather, rising fuel costs and the ‘Olympic effect’ appear to have lured a significant number of holidaymakers throughout the season. For instance, Peter Furniss from Llangollen Wharf was quoted in the Denbighshire Free Press as saying: “Business has not been as bad as it might have been. We’re very weather dependant, but the weather has improved slightly since the schools broke up, which is good.”

If you run an attraction within our service area we would love to hear from you. Let us know how the rains and recession of 2012 effected your business. If you would like us to organise your distribution and display campaign in 2013, please ring us on 01244 671859 or drop us a line at lds@ldsts.co.uk.

Image: Clouds, © Copyright Free Photos 2012

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