Frost, Figures, Frantic Activity… It’s February!

Where has January gone? The weeks seem to zoom by and the team is constantly out in all weathers servicing our visitor info points.

Our warehouse is almost filled to the rafters with new leaflets and brochures - yet still they continue to arrive. Not that they remain there for long. Easter may be late this year but Valentine’s Day is almost upon us, which means that our stands need to look their best for all those romantic guests and diners.

The LDSTS managers went along to VCC’s ‘At Home’ event on 27th January and enjoyed a glass of cider or two with fellow members of Visit Chester & Chester, the tourism management organisation for Cheshire and Warrington. They were pleased to catch up with clients and long-standing business associates as well as making new acquaintances – especially the lovely Ioan Said of Celynnen Photography, who very kindly took their picture.

If you have a free five minutes to spare, you should take a look at an excellent article by Alison Gilbody of Instil Media, the marketing and communications consultancy that specialises in visitor attraction marketing and business development. Print, leaflets, social media – it’s all part of the mix! asks if print is dead and comes to the conclusion that “tourism leaflets [are] here to stay”. We couldn’t agree more, Alison – according to every recent survey conducted on the subject (not to mention comments made to us by numerous tourism operators and our own customers), promotional print is a vital tool in the marketers’ gadget box.

This brings us rather neatly to yet more positive news from one of our clients. The Trentham Estate in Staffordshire last year started using LDS Tourism Services for distribution in and around Cheshire. We were therefore delighted to learn that visitor numbers to this stunning attraction rose by almost 50% in 2010. Figures just released show that 316,000 visitors paid to enter the site over a twelve month period, compared to 216,000 in 2009. There was a 62% rise in annual ticket sales and, according to Trentham’s Regional Director, Mike Herbert, “popularity of the estate continues to rise”.

Please do keep sending us your good news stories. During these difficult times it is heartening to know that local businesses involved in the tourism industry are not only surviving but triumphing over the country’s economic crisis.

Image: ©Britainonview / Rod Edwards

Social Networking & New Clients Keep LDSTS Busy

New leaflets and brochures continue to arrive at the Border Distribution Centre every day, including many from brand new clients such as The Trentham Estate in Staffordshire – which is currently undergoing a £100 million regeneration project aimed at creating a unique visitor destination of national importance.

The Foursquare Revolution

We are rather excited about a relatively new social networking application to arrive on the scene. Foursquare is a geographical guide, which allows users to broadcast their locations via mobile devices and earn points for checking-in.

Savvy business owners are rapidly catching on to the immense marketing potential of a platform that encourages people to explore their neighbourhoods. Indeed, they are starting to engage with loyal customers by offering ‘Specials’ - discounts and prizes - to those who visit their Foursquare venue pages.

Ever since our friends at Cromwells Restaurant first alerted us to Foursquare in a blog article, we have been busily adding the details of LDSTS's clients and TIP hosts to the system. It has been great fun test-driving the application whilst winning ‘Mayorships’ and collecting badges for being the most frequent visitors to local attractions, hotels, pubs, theatres, retail outlets and other popular spots. Our verdict: Foursquare could very well be the next big thing in social networking, equal, perhaps, to Twitter.

We will, of course, include Foursquare in all our Social Media Marketing packages from now on, so please do contact us if you require further details.

From ‘Staycation’ to ‘Kidcation’

There has been a positive glut of good news stories about the UK’s domestic tourism industry emerging in recent weeks. Organisers of the Best of Britain and Ireland Travel Trade Forum reported a 5% increase in the show’s attendance in March, which they believe underlines the growing trend for ‘staycationing’, and according to ABTA, somewhere in the region of 10.5 million people took a holiday in the UK over Easter.

The Thistle Hotels’ group has also reported a substantial rise in enquiries and bookings for what it describes as “kidcations” at its city–based premises across the country. The 33-strong chain says that many families have “traded down” from overseas package holidays and believe the trend signals: “a change in attitudes, with parents looking to treat the family to short breaks that combine fun with learning – showing that city breaks are no longer just the preserve of romantic couples and serious culture vultures.”

Are you seeing bookings picking up? Please post your comments below or drop us an email.


Image: iPhone, Blackberry and Android in use, © Foursquare, 2010