We end the year on a high

As 2011 draws to a close, we share a few good news stories with our readers to brighten up the festive season:

One of the big industry storms of the last few months has been over the closure of popular Tourist Information Centres up and down the country. However, the picture isn’t entirely bleak. The TIC in Mold’s Daniel Owen Square has recently been given a face-lift and is now focusing on promoting Flintshire as a tourist destination. The official opening earlier this month was attended by local dignitaries, including the chairman of Flintshire Tourism Association, John Les Tomos. Rebranded as Mold Visitor Centre, it is hoped that the office will continue to be used on a regular basis by locals and visitors alike.

Last week, Chester Zoo announced that it was celebrating the highest ever number of visitors through its turnstiles. The attraction’s Managing Director, Barbara Smith, said: “Never before in the zoo’s history have so many people visited us in a calendar year and so we’re absolutely delighted – it’s a fantastic feat.”

The zoo has also revealed that a “bigger and better” set of animatronic dinosaurs from the USA is set to return in 2012, following the huge success of Dinosaurs at Large! earlier this year.

Finally, a few random facts and figures to gladden the heart: VisitBritain says it expects about 30.7 million visitors, spending some £17.6 billion, to stay in Britain next year; festivals in North Wales (including the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod) are set to share in a £1.5 million cash boost from the Arts Council of Wales and; newly released data shows that the UK attracted 2.77 million international travellers in October - the best results in three years and just below a record 2.82 million arrivals in October 2007, prior to the global economic downturn.

As regular readers of Swift Flyer will know, LDS Tourism Services has several exciting projects in the pipeline – all will be revealed over the coming weeks. The Company will also be celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2012, so it is going to be a very special year for founders, Diana and Paula Bardell-Hedley.

In the meantime, we would like to take this opportunity to wish everybody a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here’s to a successful and prosperous year ahead!

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

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

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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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

Spring brings new growth for local tourism

A great many attractions have reaped the benefits of the double Bank Holiday and glorious sunshine this year. Tourism operators in the region are reporting an upsurge in visitors from France, China and the USA – due in no small part to the low level of the pound – and accommodation providers say they have been forced to turn people away.

Industry insiders are starting to see improvements this spring, in some cases because visitors are changing their habits. For instance, the National Trust (NT) recently conducted research into the habits of British holidaymakers and found that 27% of them were planning to take at least 10 single-day holidays this year. A further 36% said they intended to take between five and 10 'daycations' during the same period. According to NT, these multiple single days off work will allow Brits to make the most of their time off and have shorter holidays more frequently within the UK.

More good news from our clients

Chester Zoo has a delightful baby elephant named Jamilah to thank for helping it achieve a massive 33% increase in visitor numbers at the start of the year. The popular attraction announced it had 104,856 visitors between 1st January and 27th February, compared with 78,833 in the same period last year. The charity also revealed it was the most visited zoo in the UK during 2010, with 1,154,285 people passing through the gates, making it the 17th most popular visitor attraction in the country.

Cadw has allocated £600,000 from its Heritage Tourism Project to allow Denbigh Castle to begin work on a new visitor facility. Enhancements to the 13th century fortress will include new walks, improvements to its interpretation and upgraded links with Denbigh's wider historic landscape.

On Good Friday, Cambrian Heritage Railways started operating a passenger service from a station in Shropshire for the first time since the 1960s. After twelve months of hard work, the service now operates over half a mile on a restored line from Oswestry Station to Middleton Road Bridge. We are delighted to have been asked to market their promotional leaflet and wish all those involved a fun and profitable season.

Promote your business for free

I am now a Foursquare Ambassador, which means that you can access my page to connect with your loyal customers and gain new ones by finding and claiming your establishment. It’s completely free to sign up and you will be able to manage Specials and monitor your Venue Stats. Click this link and follow three simple steps to verify your business on Foursquare.

Please feel free to contact us if you have questions regarding location based marketing or any other service supplied by LDS Tourism Services.

Image: Cherry Blossom, © Eve Parry, 2011

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.

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

Autumn Update

Chester City Centre at Christmas

Now that Halloween and Bonfire Night are over for another year, our stands are festooned with festive leaflets and brochures.

Following a very busy season, we are finally working our way through a long list of jobs to be completed before the New Year, including the installation of new holders in high footfall establishments, preparations for our clients’ forthcoming promotional campaigns and the addition of those all-important final touches to our many plans and projects for 2011.

We were thrilled to learn that Knowsley Safari Park – a long standing client of LDS Tourism Services - won Eden’s inaugural Top Wildlife Attraction of the Year award for 2010. Competing against eight other major British attractions (including the fabulous Blue Planet Aquarium), the popular Merseyside animal park on Lord Derby’s estate took an amazing 41% of the overall votes. Many congratulations to David Ross and his team from all at LDSTS!

It has been quite some time since we last updated you on our Brochure Marketing group, so we are pleased to report that there are currently 723 members on LinkedIn and 752 followers on Twitter - ranging from designers and printers to government officials and tourism chiefs. It is now also possible to join our group on Facebook.

How important are the arts?

Some fascinating statistics were revealed in VisitBritain’s International Passenger Survey questionnaire. Figures showed that among the 30 million inbound visits in 2009, 7.7 million included trips to museums and 4.2 million to art galleries. Britain's major museums and galleries earned the country £1 billion in revenue from overseas tourists last year - the French alone accounting for 960,000 visits. Surely this is an indication that investment in culture and the arts is essential to the UK’s economic recovery.

If this issue concerns you, go along to the I Value the Arts website and pledge your support by signing their petition – there were 15,239 names when I last checked.

Please do let us know your thoughts and predictions with regard to funding for the arts in Britain. Indeed, we would appreciate your opinions on whether or not the Coalition Government is doing enough for the UK tourism industry as a whole. Drop us a line or feel free to post here.

Image: ©Visit Chester & Cheshire, 2010

Adventures in Trees

by Hayley Tabarn

We were lucky enough to have a spell of sunshine this Bank Holiday weekend, so what better way to spend it than enjoying the great outdoors.

Spotting the sun on Monday morning, my fiance, James, and I hopped in the car to visit Wepre Park. There are a number of attractions within the park itself and we had fun roaming around Ewloe Castle, which was built in the 13th Century and is now in the care of Cadw. While walking through the woods you can't miss the 'red rocks' and there is wildlife all around.

Strolling along the wooden path next to Wepre Brook, we came out by the waterfall and then followed the path up to the Visitor Centre. After stopping there to pick up some more information about the park, we went on a hunt for the Pet Cemetery. As you can see from the photograph (top), on the way there James got a little distracted on his own adventure, but we eventually found our way through the Old Hall Gardens to the small pet graveyard. A little on the side of the macabre but still fascinating, as it has been there for over one hundred years.

There was still plenty left for us to explore, so we decided to visit again soon, but I think we'll probably borrow a dog to discover the park with us.

In keeping with the theme of tree top fun, James had an opportunity to 'Go Ape' this summer at Delamere Forest. For anyone who hasn't heard of it, Go Ape is an activity course set up in the forest canopy; a high-wire forest adventure.

Everyone was clambering across rope bridges, flying down zip lines and scrambling up cargo nets. I was able to watch safely from the forest floor and everyone looked like they were having a brilliant time. James says he would recommend it to anyone, even though he was a bit sore the next day. Watch this space and maybe I'll give it a go myself. All in the name of research, of course!

If you have enjoyed a great day out this summer, please let us know and we may publish it in this blog.

Images © LDS Tourism Services Ltd., 2010

Was Your Summer As Good As Ours?

Carvings at the Cheshire Game & Country Fair

The latter part of the summer may have been somewhat unpredictable in the weather department but August 2010 turned out to be an exciting month for several of our clients.

Both Blue Planet Aquarium and Knowsley Safari Park were shortlisted for the prestigious title of Wildlife Attraction of the Year. To celebrate the best of the best, Eden satellite channel asked the public to vote for their favourite wildlife attraction in the UK – narrowing it down to only ten. Voting closes on 24th September and the winner will be announced in the autumn, so there’s still plenty of time for you to influence the outcome.

Chester Zoo launched its gorgeous new website complete with interactive map, videos and automated news updates. It is bright, bold, colourful ... in other words, lots of fun. Take a look for yourself and while you are there you can follow the progress of Nayan – the zoo’s five week old elephant calf.

Out & About in the Region

Team LDSTS found time to have some fun, too. Diana, Jenny and I went to the Cheshire Game & Country Fair over the August Bank Holiday weekend. This three-day annual event, which takes place at the Cheshire Showground in Tabley, was as action packed as ever. There were falconry displays, equestrian attractions, a mini beer festival, chainsaw carving competitions, over 150 trade exhibitors and even a hamster show.

Treacle & Buster take part in the Charity Companion Dog Show

Earlier in the month, several members of the team went along to a couple of dog shows in North Wales. The first was the Charity Companion Dog Show at Bellis Brothers (in Holt) on 14th August. Frequent bouts of heavy rain did nothing to deter the doggy competitors and their owners from taking part in both pedigree and novelty classes - with rosettes and prizes given for 1st to 4th place in each class. The day was a great success and all proceeds went to Nightingale House Hospice in Wrexham.

The sun shone brightly for Dog Day Afternoon at Alyn Waters Country Park on 19th August. Organised by the Friends of Alyn Waters Group (with support from Guide Dogs for the Blind, Hearing Dogs for the Deaf, PDSA and Greyhound Rescue Wales), this fun dog show was a hugely entertaining event. In addition to competitions there were agility demonstrations, stalls and owners were given the opportunity to have their pets micro-chipped. The show was very well attended and money was raised towards restoring a statue outside the Visitor Centre and carrying out repairs on a damaged newt pond. If you are interested in becoming a member of the group and helping conserve and develop the Park’s flora and fauna, please drop Brenda a line at brenda@maudling.co.uk. There are a series of Drop in Sessions taking place at the café over the next four months (commencing Monday 20th September). Why not nip in for a chat and find out how you can help?

So, where did you go this summer? Did you visit any local attractions, beauty spots or events? Send us your reviews and comments and we may very well publish them in Swift Flyer.

Images © LDS Tourism Services Ltd., 2010

Stampede Expected Through Chester

Chester is without doubt one of the best places to be this summer.

Earlier today we took delivery of the Rhino Mania trail guides – an exciting and colourful art exhibition happening in the City from 5th July to 12th September.

To join in the fun you should grab a map and go in search of 62 uniquely decorated rhino sculptures positioned in and around Chester. The enormous fiberglass animals have all been individually named and hand-painted by top artists - so they should be easy to find - and there will be an additional 120 mini rhinos dotted around the trail created by local school children.

Rhinos are one of the most endangered creatures on earth, so in addition to celebrating the City’s cultural identity the event will raise money for the Black Rhino Field Conservation Project in Kenya and Tanzania. Official Rhino Mania merchandise, including a souvenir guide and six ceramic rhinos, will be available from Chester Zoo, Chester Tourist Information Centre and Browns of Chester – Debenhams.

And that’s not all…

Diana and I went along with other family members to Ladies Evening at Chester Races last Friday. We had a marvellous time in the glorious sunshine and twice backed a winning horse, which more than covered our costs for the evening. There are a number of forthcoming events to look forward to at the Racetrack, such as Ladies and Gents Evening on 9th July and Family Funday on 1st August. I thoroughly recommend you go along for the experience and to have a little flutter on the gee gees.

Over the coming weeks you should also look out for Chester’s Summer Music Festival (30th June – 14th July), Cholmondeley Castle’s Pageant of Power (17-18th July) and Tatton Park’s Picnic Concerts (31st July).

To find out about these and oodles of other events taking place in the region throughout July, pick up the latest issue of What’s On in Chester & Cheshire, which is appearing in hotels, tourist attractions, camp sites, pubs, restaurants, TICs and LDSTS TIPs as you read this article.

 

Image: Chester Races, © Visit Chester & Cheshire

Our Clients’ Winning Ways

Hawarden Estate Farm Shop

Visit Chester and Cheshire’s 6th Annual Tourism Awards took place on 11th June at Chester Racecourse and proved to be an excellent night for many of our clients and TIP hosts.

Tatton Park won Large Visitor Attractions of the Year; Blue Planet Aquarium took Best Tourism Experience of the Year for their Shark Dive; Chester Zoo received the Sustainable Tourism Award; Cholmondeley’s Pageant of Power walked off with Best Tourism Event and Anderton Boat Lift collected the Access for All Award.

Of our TIP hosts, Carden Park Hotel came first in the Excellence in Business Tourism category and Manor Wood Holiday Park carried off the Holiday Park of the Year award. Doubletree by Hilton Chester was also Highly Commended in the Large Hotel of the Year category.

We were delighted to learn that over at the TMP Tourism Awards in Merseyside, Echo Arena Liverpool won Performance Venue of the Year. In the Manchester Tourism Awards, the Lowry Hotel won both the Taste of Manchester and Outstanding Customer Service awards and Martin Mere Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust was Highly Commended for its Swan Spectacular at the Lancashire & Blackpool Tourism Awards.

Many congratulations one and all!

Over to Wales

We wish our Welsh friends and clients all the very best of luck at the National Tourism Awards for Wales, which will take place at the Vale Hotel, Golf & Spa Resort near Cardiff on Thursday 21st October 2010.

Fresh Fruit at the Farm

Diana and I went to Hawarden Estate Farm Shop earlier this month, an outlet specialising in delicious homemade, locally sourced, handpicked "foodie favourites" from around the UK.

The Estate consists of almost 20 acres of fruit and vegetable rich land (their asparagus is renowned for being exceptionally tasty), a food emporium – complete with deli counter - and the Cook Shop Cafe, which serves a mouthwatering selection of cakes, pastries, sandwiches and hot daily specials.

We thoroughly enjoyed mooching around the grounds, following the nature trail and looking at the pigs and hens, before relaxing with a coffee on the terrace. The Emporium was brimming with a splendid assortment of cheeses, cooked meats, puddings, chutneys and other treats for the taste buds, while shelves in the cafe were stocked with a range of unusual kitchenware and gift items from the Farm Shop’s sister company, Pedlars.

If ‘real food’ produced in North Wales and Cheshire is your bag, you should definitely take a look at Hawarden Estate’s excellent website and sign up for their newsletter - or even better, go there for breakfast or lunch (you can place your order over the phone so it will be ready when you arrive).

Hayley will be dropping in for the Real Food Fete, which is taking place on 19th and 20th June (10am-4pm) to coincide with the start of the fruit-picking season, so be sure to look out for her wandering around the stalls indulging in homemade ice cream.

Image: Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, ©LDS Tourism Services Ltd. 2010

The All New LDSTS Blog

You will probably notice a few changes around here since your last visit, not least to our title, which has become Swift Flyer. Clients and business associates will likely recognise the name from our Company newsletter, which has been landing on their doormats regularly since the early 1990s.

We became aware that the content of this blog was evolving and the focus had shifted from purely brochures and leaflets to include a great many topics, ranging from tourism trends and attraction reviews to industry reports and stories about the day-to-day running of LDS Tourism Services.

To better reflect the changes continually taking place at LDSTS, we decided to drop our old newsletter and replace it with an occasional bulletin - which will include the most popular pieces from this blog - for the benefit of those who prefer the feel of paper between their fingers.

We would very much like to involve you in deciding what sort of content to publish here in the future and would appreciate input of all kinds. Perhaps you would like to share your ideas and opinions with like-minded folk involved in the local or national tourist industry. Maybe you’re a business owner in North Wales, Shropshire or the North West requiring a spot of publicity or you may simply be longing to tell others about a particularly fun day out you had in the region with family and friends.

We’re wide open to suggestions, so if you feel like becoming a Guest Blogger for Swift Flyer, please feel free to submit your reviews, photographs, stories and opinion pieces. In return, your name, service, product, website or anything else will be prominently displayed for all to read.

We would also be delighted to receive input from people involved with brochures and leaflets in any way, shape or form, including designers, printers, writers, photographers and distributors.

Drop us a line if you have any suggestions for future topics.

Image: ©Britainonview / Joanna Henderson

No Slip-Ups For LDS Tourism In The Snow

No sooner had we celebrated our first white Christmas for many years and seen in 2010 with a dusting of the fluffy stuff than winter struck the region with a terrible ferocity. Severe weather warnings were issued by the Met Office and it started to snow, and snow, and snow…

Throughout North West Britain, schools closed, local councils ran short of grit for the roads and driving conditions became treacherous as temperatures plunged. A number of attractions were forced to close but many of our clients tried to make the most of the cold snap. Blue Planet Aquarium built a wonderfully realistic snow-shark (complete with razor sharp teeth), GreenWood Forest Park shared snaps of the Little Moss Dragon covered in snow with their fans on Facebook, Go Ape had great fun filming their antics and Knowsley Safari Park took some splendid photographs of the baboons eating baked potatoes.

LDS Tourism remained busy throughout. Our distributors dodged the worst hit areas as much as possible - only becoming depot-bound for a couple of days - and continued to service TIPs and deliver new leaflets and brochures to establishments throughout North Wales and the North West.

Incidentally, Knowsley Safari Park has been nominated for an award in the Best Family Day Out 2010 category in Lifestyle Monthly (a magazine for Liverpool and the surrounding areas) and they would very much appreciate your support. Please click this link to vote and you can also select your favourite salon, restaurant, home improvement company, green contribution to the City, spa, fashion retailer and beauty clinic.

We were delighted with the response to our article, LDS Tourism Services Celebrates 18 Years in Business!, which appeared in the Directory of Chester at the start of the month. Within 24 hours of the feature going live, we were listed in Google’s top five under the search term ‘social media marketing’. Amazing results! Many thanks indeed to Esther Rosie and her team at directoryofchester.net.

Finally, if you are attending the ‘At Home with VCC’ networking event at Visit Chester and Cheshire’s offices on 21st January, we look forward to seeing you there.

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Image: ©Britainonview / David Sellman

Winter Days Out in North Wales & the North West

Although we are out of the main tourist season, there are still plenty of places to visit during the colder months.

If you are looking for something to warm you up, The Palms Tropical Oasis in Nantwich is a brilliant family day out. Pili Palas on Anglesey is another all-weather attraction - as well as being Wales premier butterfly house with mini-beasts, birds and plenty more. Techniquest in Wrexham is a great place to take the children for some hands-on fun. It's all under-cover with fun science shows and on the spot demos.

If you want to try something a bit different, Llangollen Climbing Centre is a great place to start. It is Llangollen and the Dee Valley's only dedicated indoor climbing wall and offers beginner's taster sessions, family sessions and classes for the children. The World of Glass Museum in St Helens has some fascinating information on the areas' glass-making history and the live glass blowing is well worth seeing. However, if you're looking for a unique gift, Blue Planet Aquarium has redcued the price of its Dive Experience especially for Christmas.

If you fancy a great day out but need to watch the pennies, you could try National Museums Liverpool. The National Conservation Centre, Whitechapel, has a brilliant exhibition by Stephen Shakeshaft and Liverpool People features photographs of the City's characters. It's also completely free, as is The Rise of Women Artists at the Walker Art Gallery. There is so much to see at all these museums and galleries - pick up a Family Guide or an Exhibitions and Events Guide from an LDS Tourist Info Point and check out the excellent programme of free events.

If you want to get into the yuletide spirit, Father Christmas is making plenty of visits to our regions' attractions. You can catch him at Chester Zoo Festive Fun, running from 5th December to the 3rd January, and see the carousel and children's train while you are there. He will also be stopping off at Tatton Park, which is beautifully decorated over the festive season. You should also catch the Christmas Shopping Fair on the 21st & 22nd November and enjoy Tatton by Candlelight from the 2nd to the 5th December.

Llangollen Railway is running a Santa's Christmas Special, whereby you can take a ride on a decorated steam train with a visit and gift from Santa himself. Hoo Farm is opening its Christmas World from 28th November - go along and meet Santa in his log cabin but be sure to stick around for his Toy Workshop and the Christmas Bear Wrapping Factory. Father Christmas is a busy man and will also be at Ruthin Gaol on the 5th December with a Christmas Workshop. You can head over to the Santa Experience at Park Hall Farm, with a traditional Father Christmas in a warm welcoming setting, and Croxteth Hall has its Santa's Grotto open from 21st November to 24th December. Here you will discover Christmas Markets on 22nd and 29th November and the 6th and 13th December. You can also visit the Carol Service on the 13th December.

If you fancy getting crafty, the Royal International Llangollen Pavilion has a Christmas Craft Fair on the 28th November, Rhyl Library, Museum and Arts Centre is celebrating Christmas Glitter on 21st December - a chance to make your own cards, decorations and gifts - and Lady Lever Art Gallery has Edwardian Christmas art activities on the 6th December. Liverpool City Centre is becoming an Antarctic Paradise with the launch of Go Penguins - these colonies of Penguins will form a trail around the City following on from the success of Superlambananas - look out for them! There are also activities inspired by the penguins at the Walker Art Gallery and Merseyside Maritime Museum.

Everyone is in the mood for a Pantomime at this time of year, so why not try Cinderella at Hartford Grange Theatre or Hansel & Gretal, Mother Goose and the Snow Queen at Theatr Stiwt. You could also try the fabulous family musical, Bink and the Hairy Fairy at Glyndwr University, Wrexham.

There is plenty more to see and do throughout the region, so why not have a look at your nearest LDS leaflet display - our literature isn't just for the benefit of tourists, you know! You will be pleasantly surprised by what is happening right on your doorstep. Get out there and beat those winter blues!

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Image, ©Britainonview / - Britain on View

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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