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

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

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

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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Tatton Park Biennial 2008

We were extremely excited to learn of Tatton Park's Biennial 2008 - a new contemporary art event for the UK. To be launched during Cheshire’s Year of Gardens ‘08 and supported by various bodies, it will be staged from May to September 2008.

A valued client of LDS Tourism Services, Tatton Park is an impressive historic estate which receives in the region of 750,000 visitors every year - all of whom come to enjoy its Georgian Mansion, Tudor Old Hall, award winning gardens and 1930s rare breeds farm. The 1,000 acre deer park is home to Red and Fallow deer and the estate also boasts speciality shops, adventure playground, restaurant and a year-round events programme.

The 2008 Biennial supports the work of emerging and mid-career artists through a commissioning process that reveals the history of the Park and is a launch pad for future events that will further understanding of exceptional artistic practice within the laboratory of this National Trust property.

With up to 6 semi-permanent works, 12 evolving commissions and a substantial programme of tours, performances and talks that lend further depth to the grounds, the Biennial will reflect the historical significance and contemporary relevance of Tatton Park. A specially curated film programme and an active Education and Access programme will extend to major cities, taking in a range of new visitors through specially devised and targeted schemes. A full-colour publication with commissioned essays, a novella by Giles Waterfield and an artist’s multiple will be produced for the opening.

The year long Cheshire Year of Gardens ‘08 has a crisp start at Chester Zoo’s Frost Fair in January 2008, unveiling the lavish flowers beds of Cheshire which will be making surprise appearances in Liverpool, at international gateways and at the RHS Flowers Shows.

The programme line up for the year is bubbling with a mixture of music, art, theatre, sport and food and drink events at major garden locations, including Lyme Park, Chester Zoological Garden, Arley Hall and Gardens, Jodrell Bank, Ness Gardens, Cholmondeley Castle Gardens, Capesthorne Hall, Gawsworth Hall and Norton Priory.

Cheshire can boast some of the finest gardens in the world, many of international importance; others are modest or even tiny expressions of someone’s urge to create a beautiful corner of the landscape. Whether part of an historic estate or simply colourful attractions in their own right, these stupendous bouquets are estimated to attract an additional 300,000 visits for the 08 celebrations.