Check out our new website

A great many exciting changes have been taking place at LDS Tourism Services over the past 12 months – not least our newly designed website, which went live on 1^st September. 

Created by tantrumedia, an innovative, Wirral-based multi-media B2B company, we now have an aesthetically pleasing site with plenty of scope for further development. 

Potential clients can read about LDS and discover why we are still at the top of our game after 22 years in business; our various services are described in detail; and a news page allows customers to stay abreast of all the latest developments. 

Tourist Information Centres (TICs) can request brochures via our newly updated online ordering facility, which displays pictures of all the available leaflets and guides prior to selection.  

Signing up for this free service is really easy: simply click the shopping basket icon at the base of the page, register your details (remembering to select a memorable password) and you will receive a confirmation e-mail. However, please don't panic if you run into difficulties as assistance is at hand in the shape of Tim – an IT whiz and the designer of our web site. He can be reached by phoning 0800 012 2486 and shouting 'help'!

If you have any queries or comments, please feel free to use our contact form, or alternatively, drop us a line at lds@ldsts.co.uk.

New info point opens at Delamere Forest

Chester Services Partnership’s new Visitor Information Point at Delamere Forest Café is now officially open to the public!

Set in the heart of the Cheshire Plains, Delamere Forest is highly popular with walkers, cyclists, wildlife enthusiasts and folk who enjoy the great outdoors. The café, which is located in the Forestry Commission Visitor  Centre, serves a wide range of freshly made food and drink. It currently enjoys a footfall of 750,000.

Comprising several local authorities and top tourist attractions, CSP controls a total of six elite VIPs in Cheshire and the North Wales Borderlands (including Chester Railway Station, Broughton Retail Park and Cheshire Oaks) – and has plans to increase its portfolio in the near future.

As a founding member of the group from its inception in the 1990s, LDS Tourism Services handles the promotional print for the partners and has exclusive rights to sell space in all the sites.

If you would like further information about displaying your leaflets and brochures in this or any of CSP’s information points, please drop us a line at lds@ldsts.co.uk.

Images: Delamere Forest Visitor Information Point, ©LDS Tourism Services Ltd 2013

Check out our TIP at Blakemere Craft Centre

Last year we kitted out a brand new Tourist Information Point (TIP) at Blakemere - a unique shopping hub set in and around a pictographic Edwardian stable block and cobbled courtyard in Sandiway, Cheshire.

Open seven days a week (from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.), this charming attraction is home to a range of craft shops selling handcrafted items and distinctive gifts; the Antiques & Collectables Emporium; Supagolf at Blakemere; Cheshire Waterlife & Falconry; a working brewery; Children’s Indoor Playbarn and a superb family restaurant and coffee shop serving some of the finest homemade food in Cheshire. Visitors can also enjoy regular events and craft activities such as pottery or making greeting cards.

The TIP is exclusive to clients of LDS Tourism Services, so if you would like your leaflets or brochures displayed in this busy site, please don’t hesitate to contact us for further details.

You will find Blakemere’s new leaflet in LDSTS’ holders throughout the region.

Image: Blakemere TIP, ©LDS Tourism Services 2012

Display your leaflets in Waitrose

We are delighted to announce that LDS Tourism Services is to supply Waitrose stores with complementary literature stands.

Our partner company in South Wales has negotiated an exclusive contract to display printed materials in Waitrose outlets throughout the UK. We will be responsible for selling and restocking pockets within our usual service area.

There are stores throughout England, Scotland and Wales, but over the next five years, the retailer plans to open at least ten new shops in the North West. The company aims to spend £100 million on new sites throughout the region, including a second Chester branch at Boughton Retail Centre. Much to the delight of Anglesey residents, a new Waitrose store also opened in Menai Bridge last March, taking over the old Co-Op premises. 

Since Wallace Waite, Arthur Rose and David Taylor opened their first small grocery shop at 263 Acton Hill, West London in 1904, Waitrose has become one of the UK’s leading food retailers – combining the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop. 

Our stands will contain literature on community based events, sports, arts, theatre and tourism. The artwork on the holder will incorporate Waitrose’s logo alongside our own (or that of the local distribution company – depending on the area). However, no third party unauthorized literature will be allowed, so please contact us if you would like your promotional print displayed in any local or national Waitrose store.

Tourist info point opens at Chester Station

Chester Railway Stations’s Visitor Information Point has finally opened to the public.

Managed and financed by Chester Services Partnership (CSP) – in conjunction with the Railway Heritage Trust – the new VIP provides travellers with a sheltered and visually pleasant area to browse tourist information and discover up and coming events.

As one of the founding members of CSP and the exclusive leaflet distribution company for the Partnership, LDSTS will henceforth service this site on a regular basis. You can see the latest pictures on Facebook or Flickr.

Chester Services Partnership now has a portfolio of five key sites, each with a substantial footfall – CTR alone welcomes 2 million visitors per annum. They are:

Ø  Broughton Shopping Park (8 million footfall p/a) 

Ø  Cheshire Oaks Visitor Information Centre (7 million footfall p/a) 

Ø  Chester Motorway Services (footfall estimated at 1.5 million p/a)

Ø  Chester Railway Station (2 million footfall p/a) 

Ø  Grosvenor Shopping Centre (opening shortly, 10 million footfall p/a)

If you would like your promotional print displayed in any one (or all) of these busy venues, please contact us for further details. 

Image: © LDS Tourism Services Limited 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

Access to local information crucial to quality customer service

According to a survey of 326 people by The Mystery Dining Company (the leading specialist provider of customer experience evaluation for the hospitality and leisure industries in the UK), British people feel that hotel staff “don’t know enough” about their local area, which “significantly reduces the value of customer service provided”.

The report revealed that 61% of respondents indicated there was “room for improvement” in the level of local knowledge demonstrated by hotel employees.

Steven Pike, Director of The Mystery Dining Company said: “As tourism bodies look both for ways to attract visitors from across the globe and to support the local economy, it’s important to assess the underlying conditions of the industry. The way people are made to feel when they visit a new destination – be it a city, hotel or restaurant – can have an enormous impact on how they perceive the experience and whether it represents value for money for them, regardless of what their budget is.”

At a time when Tourist Information Centres are fast disappearing from our high streets due to local authority cutbacks, access to good-quality, easy to find local information is more important than ever. In Gwynedd alone the council has estimated that losing three TICs will save £76,000 per year, while in the North West, centres have begun closing their doors following the decision that limited resources must be channelled to key locations.

The internet and social media resources - such as Twitter and Facebook - have undoubtedly played their part in the demise of the great British TIC. Indeed, Jenny Mcgee, head of strategy and engagement at Visit England, was recently quoted in the Guardian as saying: “When you look at the fact you can sit at home, surf, and get the information you require in advance, why would you sit on a telephone waiting for someone to answer between the hours of 9-5?”

However, Mcgee concedes that when she herself takes a break, “the last thing I want to be doing is looking at my BlackBerry”. She believes that “local advice” is essential to the success of British tourism, and the results of a plethora of recent surveys show that people (both UK residents and foreign tourists) agree with this view.

So how should hoteliers and other accommodation providers avoid missing opportunities to enhance their visitors' experience and promote the local tourism industry? This is where companies like LDS Tourism Services can help.

Many businesses rely on our network of visitor information point (VIPs) throughout the region to lure people to their events, town centres and attractions. Our prominently displayed wall holders, free-standing and desk-top leaflet dispensers are placed in popular visitor attractions, busy eating establishments and bustling shopping parks, as well as in museums, libraries, pubs, garden centres and numerous high-footfall outlets.

The stands are supplied free of charge to suitable establishments throughout North Wales, the North West and parts of Shropshire, then serviced regularly by our team. The benefits include 24 hour access to local information, front desk efficiency, reduced guest questions and an increased professional hospitality image.

If you feel that your establishment would benefit from one of our info points, please drop us a line or call us directly on 01244 671859.

Image © Britainonview / Rod Edwards

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LDSTS Sign Deal With Chester Visitor Centre

Chester Visitor Centre and Café is to reopen under new management later this month and LDS Tourism Services will henceforth be officially (and exclusively) responsible for all tourist information displayed there.

The newly decorated building will be managed by ChesterBoat – a company well-known for running luxury cruises along the River Dee. On site there will be a new ‘Cheshire Taste’ café celebrating Cheshire food and drink - customers will be able to enjoy refreshments indoors and out – and a gift shop will be home to the new Chester Box Office, where tickets for visitor attractions will be sold.

The centre will be the new base for award-winning Chester Heritage Tours’ open-top sightseeing trips. Also located there will be award-winning Busybus Ltd, who offer a series of adventure excursions around the North West and North Wales.

Local and regional tourist information will be facilitated at Chester Visitor Centre and Café in partnership with ourselves, and the building will provide fully accessible toilets and baby changing facilities as part of Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Community Toilet Scheme.

We understand that 150,000 visitors used the facilities there previously, so we are very much looking forward to the official opening, which is scheduled for 9th April. However, you can stay up to date with the latest developments by following CVC&C on Twitter and Facebook.

If you would like to display leaflets, brochures, magazines, posters or other printed materials there, please contact us to discuss your requirements.

Image: Chester Visitor Centre, © LDS Tourism Services Ltd.

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

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

Brochure Bonanza 09

Leaflets are pouring into our warehouse and sub-depots at an incredible rate. It’s marvellous to see all the colourful new designs for 2009 and it’s a great relief to once again receive literature from long-standing clients during these difficult times. We’re also delighted to have a selection of brand new brochures, including Word of Mouth, an impressive, monthly, regional guide to North Wales. Issue 1 is currently available from our TIPs (Tourist Information Points) and many TICs within the LDSTS service area.

We’ve been extremely busy during the winter months meeting with clients; adding to our popular collection of Network Service sites and setting-up exclusive TIPs in Broughton Retail Park and Crown Point Denton Shopping Park. In addition to these, we have a number of brand new exclusive display contracts in the pipeline. Watch this space for the latest updates on these and other matters relating to LDS and the tourism industry in general.

Hayley and Jenny have just returned from Cardiff after giving a presentation to Cadw - the Welsh equivalent of English Heritage or Historic Scotland. We will be representing this government body at the Great Days Out Fair in Bolton on 7th February, so if you’re anywhere near Bolton Arena on that day, please feel free to nip in for a chat.

We Asked: Why Brochure Displays?

A couple of weeks ago, we posed the question: “What are the benefits of a tourist information point?” to fellow members of LinkedIn. It went something like this:

We have a waiting list of hoteliers who want our brochure display stands in their establishments. What are the main benefits to the guests and to the hotel staff of having local leaflets on display? We would be very interested to hear your opinions.

We were delighted with the response we received and would like to share with you a handful of the most interesting replies.

Ajay Merchant, National Head - Hospitality Division at TCL, says, “A good star (class) hotel always has an in-house travel desk”. Although, he feels that Five Star establishments would normally employ a concierge (described by Ajay as “walking, talking encyclopedias”) who would use leaflets as a mere “prop”. Nevertheless, he concedes that a tourist information stand “could save the concierge time and energy by redirecting guests seeking general information to pick up a brochure...”

Photographer and graphic artist, Wing Wong, observes that “some tourists will do anything and everything” to avoid asking for assistance. He says, “The brochure stands provide a good way for them to find information they need… without bothering others.” He also points out that, “hotel staff who may not be well versed in the [region’s highlights],” are able to “direct… visitors to the information stand, [which will] allow them to continue serving other customers”.

Nirmal Kishore, the Sales Manager at Kuoni Travel, very practically lists the top benefits to the guests as, “providing access to: local events; local attractions; local product & service providers; other services/products, including those that may enrich/add value to their stay; and promotional deals…”. His benefits to the hotel employees are: “providing access to products and services from motivated vendors (sellers); and promotional deals on products and services (that may otherwise be not available to them)”.

Travel Specialist at Rubinsohn Travel, Adrienne Sasson, points out that “the guest may be someone who is relocating to the area and perhaps looking for housing. Local information can make becoming acquainted with the area much easier… The same [would apply] to a business relocating...” She concludes by saying that she herself appreciates, “information stands in the lobby” and “often looks at the… leaflets or pamphlets” when she is travelling.

Same here, Adrienne! It’s usually something of a busman’s holiday when LDS employees take a trip!

May we take this opportunity to thank all those who responded to our question. We very much enjoyed reading your answers.