Issue 37 November/December 2010 £2.75

By Christina Eccles

THE industry has reacted angrily atgovernment cuts, which will seeVisitBritain and VisitEngland loseover a third of their current fundingover the next four years.

DCMS has announced that thebudget will be slashed over this peri-od – with VisitEngland’s budget fornext year cut to £9.2m – meaningthe industry will have to work evenharder to make every penny count.And key figures in UK tourism haveexpressed disappointment.

Tourism Alliance chairman KenRobinson said: “With DCMS sayingthat all sectors must share the pain,we expected cuts.

“However, the Treasury’s attitudeto tourism, not recognising thatinvestment in the sector bringsimmediate and high returns toBritain, is short sighted. It hampersgrowth and tourism’s potential inthe task of rebuilding the economy.”

UKinbound’s chief executive MaryRance added that strong overseasmarketing – and the sufficient budg-et to achieve this – is crucial toensure the UK can compete on aglobal scale.

She added: “Whilst we mustaccept that there is some inevitabili-

ty of cuts in funding for VisitBritainin line with the cuts across all sec-tors, it is proven that for everypound spent on marketing Britain, itdelivers an immediate and com-pounded return to the UK economy.

“The potential for inbound tourismis huge and the Prime Minister’saspiration to make the UK the fifthmost visited destination is to beapplauded. But visitors’ choice ofdestination is not a given and wemust preserve our positioning andability to sell internationally throughworking constructively to ensuresustained growth for inboundtourism and the UK economy.”

However, VisitEngland chief execu-tive James Berresford has tried toreassure the industry by insistingthey are prepared for cuts.

He added: “We are already wellprepared to adapt our businessmodel to this cut and will ensureVisitEngland continues to meet ourfundamental goal to grow the valueof domestic tourism. An immediatefocus for VisitEngland is to workwith the tourism minister, his teamand the industry to provide solu-tions that will ensure tourism is sup-ported throughout the country asthe Regional Development Agencies’funding for tourism ceases.”

TOURISM minister JohnPenrose has praisedEnglish tourism andpledged his commitmentto fighting for its futuregrowth.

In a speech to key indus-try figures at a conferenceorganised by VisitEngland,he thanked the industryfor its support as hecame into post, andpraised the existingStrategic Framework forTourism in England,launched earlier this year.

He also acknowledgedthe current challenges fac-ing the industry and urgedit to continue to work inpartnership.

VisitEngland chief execu-tive James Berresfordsaid: “I am delighted thatthe Minister could join usto address so many mem-bers of our industry.

“We have been workingclosely with the Ministersince he came into postto provide input into hisforthcoming tourism strat-egy. We are also workingtogether to provide solu-tions that will ensuretourism is supportedthroughout the countryonce the Regional Deve-lopment agencies close.”

The strategy will be laun-ched at the end of theyear.

Minister’ssupportfor Englishtourism

Model Danielle Lineker has launchedPremier Inn’s new Twitter-based virtualconcierge service for guests. To accessthe budget hotel chain’s service, guestsmust tweet @PremierInn #concierge, fromwhich they can ask for recommendationsto help improve their stay.

Anger overindustryfunding cuts

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Entertainmentnews inCentrestagestarting on Page 13

Destination South East Page 8

Destination Yorkshire Pages 16 & 17

The best ofBritish

hospitalityrecogniseds

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ContactsEDITORIALAndrew Harrod group editor 01226 734639 ah@whpl.netLouise Cordell reporter 01226 734694 lcordell@whpl.netChristina Eccles reporter 01226 734463 ce@whpl.netDominic Musgrave reporter 01226 734407 dm@whpl.net

PRODUCTIONJudith Halkerston – group deputyeditor – jhalkerston@whpl.netStewart Holt – studio manager –sth@whpl.netKyle Wilkinson – graphic designerkw@whpl.netLaura Blackburn – graphic designerlb@whpl.net

ADVERTISING

Andrew Loadesassistant product manager01226 734482Tony Barrysales and marketing director01226 734605/01226 734333

CIRCULATION

Kelly Tarff01226 734695 kt@whpl.net

Fax: 01226 734477

Web: www.destination.uk.com

DESTINATIONNEWS

Staycations stay popular – surveyBy Dominic Musgrave

THE staycation phenomenon isshowing no sign of slowing down,according to a new survey, withtrips taken in England this yearstaying unchanged compared with2009.

Figures from the UK TourismSurvey released by VisitEnglandhave revealed that in the first sixmonths of this year, visits bydomestic travellers have stayed thesame as last year.

The results also show that

although overall the number ofdomestic overnight trips made inthe first half of 2010 wasunchanged compared with 2009,there were differences in thepurpose of the trip.

The number of pure holiday tripsfell by three per cent betweenJanuary and June in the UK and the number of business trips during the same time period inthe UK also fell slightly by one percent.

However, the number of visitingfriends and relatives trips rose by

two per cent. During the month of June,

visitor figures also increased by five per cent compared to June 2009 – which could have been influenced by the later half-term holiday than the previousyear.

VisitEngland chief executive JamesBerresford said: ”Last year was thebest ever year for leisure tourismwith domestic holiday trips up by 18per cent in England and 17 per centin the UK.

“Despite a slight downturn in

holiday tourism this year comparedto 2009, England and the UK arestill experiencing double digit growthcompared to 2008.

“The industry should be proud ofsustaining strong and consistentfigures especially in view of a WorldCup and ongoing economicuncertainty.”

In the past 12 months, 125.97movernight trips were taken in theUK, 7.8m more than in the 12months from July 2008 to June2009 – representing an increase ofseven per cent.

Cumbrian hoteloperator’s fearsover funding threatA WORRIED Lake District hoteloperator has told how he fearsfunding cuts to Cumbria Tourismmay have a detrimental affect onhis businesses.

Stephen Broughton is a director oftwo local attractions – the LindethHowe Hotel and tour operatorMountain Goat – and he said thateven though both businesses haveenjoyed a bumper summer ofincreased bookings and revenue, heis concerned that funding cuts tothe area’s tourism organisation maymean that businesses in Cumbriaand the Lake District will struggle topromote themselves in futurewithout any additional help.

He explained: “We really benefitfrom Cumbria Tourism’s adcampaigns and their flying the flagfor the area. The risk of it beingreduced is a concern for us. Thefact is they have been there bangingthe drum for us and that hasbenefited the whole region.

“It will have a knock on effect intothe future because the area isconstantly having to compete

against otherdestinations inthe UK andabroad. This isof great concernto us as a LakeDistrictbusinessoperatorbecause wecannot afford toeffectivelymarketourselvesinternationally.”

He is nowcalling on thegovernment torecognise how working inpartnership has benefited localtourism and that businesses needthis support to continue operatingsuccessfully and to compete withrival destinations.

He added: “Working in partnershipwith similar businesses continuesto be a successful means ofpromoting ourselves abroad butthose efforts have always been

backed with resource and money byCumbria Tourism and the localcouncil. The Coalition Governmentneeds to recognise that we havehad local enterprise partnershipsworking successfully around herefor nearly 20 years and it would bea big loss to make them fail for lackof support and lose the expertisethat has been nurtured during thattime.”

Colchester Zoo’sSouthern Tamanduasare now experiencinglife outdoors, after thezoo built the firstoutdoor exhibit createdfor this species.The pair are one of anumber of animals nowinhabiting the newenclosure, which allowsvisitors to get up closeto them by walking rightthrough the middle.

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£1.6m newtourism driveround cornerBy Christina Eccles

VISITORS to Britain are beingencouraged to explore ‘a differentpicture around every corner’ in anew tourism campaign worth£1.6m.

The campaign – launched byVisitBritain and British Airways – isaimed at the traditional tourismmarket and offers travellerspowerful images of the diversityBritain has to offer as well asshowing how getting here has neverbeen easier.

It demonstrates how sights,activities and experiences lie aroundeach corner, stressing that researchshows the UK is packed with moreworld-class heritage and historysites than anywhere else on earth.

It particularly focuses on theemotional allure and authenticity ofattractions that can be found acrossBritain and brings them to life byadapting the ‘mode dial’ found oncameras across the world to displaythe wealth of British icons touristscan enjoy.

The campaign aims to highlightthat whatever visitors turn theirholiday dial to – heritage, sport,fashion or food – Britain has uniqueand exciting experiences waiting tobe found and explored.

And the global campaign alsooffers special fares to economypassengers as well as mediafamiliarisation trips and syndicationof VisitBritain web content ontoba.com and consumer databases.

VisitBritain’s director of marketingLaurence Bresh explained: “Britainhas more attractions per squaremile than anywhere else in theworld and we think the ‘Classic’campaign will inspire visitors totravel the length and breadth of thecountry.

“I’m delighted to announce BritishAirways as the lead partner in ourbiggest campaign of the year todate. It is strong evidence thatVisitBritain is making great progressin winning match-funding from theprivate sector which only helps toincrease the number of tourists andrevenue coming into the UK.”

Two rare Sun Bears have arrived at Colchester Zoo after beingrescued from Cambodia. The pair are currently being settledinto a temporary enclosure, which is open to visitors, while thezoo begins a fundraising campaign to build a new £375,000,purpose built enclosure for them.

Businesses teamup to sell theircountry to worldVISITSCOTLAND will be using this year’s WorldTravel Market to showcase the country topotential visitors from all over the world.

The main focus at this year’s event will be onthe current international campaign – Meet theScots – and Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink.

And 14 diverse Scottish businesses –including hoteliers, visitor attractions andtransport companies – have teamed up withVisitScotland to sell their country to the world.

VisitScotland chairman Dr Mike Cantlay said:“No-one can deny that it has been a tough yearfor international tourism. We’ve had airlinestrikes, extreme weather and volcanic ash allset against a turbulent economic climate. Buttourism is one of the most resilient industries inthe world and, from speaking to our businesspartners, I know we’re all up for the challengesand, more importantly, the opportunities that lieahead.

“And there can be few better opportunitiesthan at World Travel Market, where we arepositioning the very best of Scotland in front ofa captive global audience of buyers, industryinsiders and international trade professionals.Tourism is already an £11b industry but eventslike this remind us there’s always morepotential to be tapped into.”

At the Scotland stand, buyers will also be ableto get their hands on EventScotland’s newwinter festivals campaign booklets, which detailmore than 60 events to celebrate St Andrew’sDay, Hogmanay and Burns Night.

A Lake Districthospitality companyhas re-branded toshow customers it ismore than just a hotelchain.English Lakes Hotelshas changed its nameto English Lakes:Hotels, Resorts andVenues to reflect thediversity of thecompany’s business –which includes self-catering lodges, amarina andwatersports centre,health and fitnessfacilities andconference andwedding venues.The Low Wood Hotelhas also changed itsname and will now beknown as Low WoodBay – reflecting themany facilitieslocated there.

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THE best of the British hospitalityindustry has been rewarded at aceremony in London.

The AA Hospitality Awards werehosted by Penny Smith and tookplace at the London Hilton onPark Lane.

Twenty establishments andindividuals received recognitionfor outstanding excellence in theirfield, including a lifetimeachievement award for GeorgeGoring and the coveted AA’sChefs’ Chef award for MartinWishart.

The award winners in full were:AA Lifetime Achievement –George Goring

AA Chefs’ Chef of the Year –Martin Wishart

AA Hotel of the Year:Winner, England – Lucknam ParkHotel and Spa, Colerne, Wiltshire Winner, Scotland – Boath House,NairnWinner, Wales – The Imperial

Hotel, Llandudno Winner, London – The RoyalHorseguards, London

AA Restaurant of the Year:Winner, England – The Harrow atLittle Bedwyn, Marlborough,Wiltshire Winner, Scotland – The Peat Inn,Fife Winner, Wales – The Hardwick,Abergavenny, Monmouthshire Winner, London – Galvin LaChapelle

AA Wine Award:Winner, England and Overall –Hambleton Hall, Oakham, Rutland Winner, Scotland – The Kitchin,Leith, EdinburghWinner, Wales – Fairyhill,Reynoldston, Swansea

AA Pub of the Year:Winner, England – The BlackSwan at Oldstead, NorthYorkshire Winner, Scotland – The Sun Inn,Eskbank, Edinburgh

Winner, Wales – The Swan Inn,Little Haven, Haverfordwest

AA Small Hotel Group of theYear: Winner – Apex Hotels

AA Hotel Group of the Year:Winner – Marriott Hotels

AA Eco Hotel and Eco HotelGroup of the Year:Winner, Eco Hotel – The Scarlet,Cornwall Winner, Eco Hotel Group – EliteHotels

AA Hotel Services group areamanager Giovanna Grossi said:“Every year the judging getsharder and harder, and this yearis no exception.

“The outstanding achievementsof the winning establishmentshave shone, and their dedicationand commitment to providingquality and excellence within the hospitality industry isexemplary.” Penny Smith

The best of Britishhospitality recognisedat awards ceremony

Hotel in mini-moon offerA HOTEL in the Peak District isoffering newlyweds the chance toget away on a budget with thelaunch of its mini-moon packages.

East Lodge in Rowsley has seen aboom in couples taking a shorterbreak immediately after the wedding– saving the traditional longerhoneymoon for a later date.

Director Iain Hardman said: “AtEast Lodge, a short break doesn’tmean compromising. A mini-mooncan be every bit as exclusive andindulgent as a longer honeymoonabroad, it is really just a matter ofgetting the location and ambienceright.

“Furthermore, we are finding thatcouples do still tend to honeymoonlater on, sometimes as late as twoor three years after the wedding.With mini-moons it’s all about

finding the ultimate venue andsettling down very quickly to a fewdays of rest and relaxation together.Many coupes are planning the ‘bigholiday’ for later, but you still doneed that bit of pampering and winddown time after any wedding andEast Lodge excels at that.”

Five trophies for ManchesterMANCHESTER has cemented itsreputation as a top touristdestination by taking home fivetrophies at England’s NorthwestTourism Awards.

Manchester Art Gallery wasnamed Large Visitor Attraction,while the Radisson Edwardian Hotelwas awarded Large Hotel of theYear. Manchester Central Conven-tion Complex took home the awardfor Business Tourism, while ChillFactore was awarded Tourism for Alland the Manchester InternationalFestival claimed Tourism Event.

Cherry Clough Farmhouse inSaddleworth was also Highly

Commended in the Bed andBreakfast category.

Chief executive of MarketingManchester Andrew Stokes said: “Itwas a great night for Manchester.Our winners highlight three of ourbiggest strengths – businesstourism, culture and sport.

“We can now look forward torepresenting the region in theVisitEngland national awards, wherewe will compete with other regionalaward winners.”

Organised by the NorthwestRegional Development Agency, theawards celebrated the best of theregion’s tourism sector.

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DESTINATIONNEWS

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SOUTHPORT’S tourism offeringwas showcased to about 25,000visitors when the town hosted theBritish Musical FireworksChampionships.

Seven fireworks companiesbattled it out over three nights tobe crowned champions – withPyrotex Fireworx coming out ontop after wowing audiences with aspectacular display.

The event takes place in theresort’s Kings Gardens andaccording to event organiserSarah Carter from Sefton Council,the event provides a great boostfor local tourism businesses whocan capitalise on the extravisitors who attend Southport towatch the championships.

She said: “The event gets about25,000 visitors over the threenights and many of these peoplecome into the town and spendmoney on eating out or shopping.And as soon as we announce thedetails of the event, local hotelsget booked up.”

Sarah also told Destination UKwhy she thinks the event has

continued to grow in popularityover the last 11 years – and whyit is loved by both the fireworkscompanies who take part andvisitors who enjoy coming backyear on year.

She added: “People lovefireworks – they are a lot of fun –and the displays look spectacularas they are also synchronised tomusic.

“We send out applications tothe fireworks companies at theend of November for the followingyear. Last year’s winner thencomes back and we pick anothersix names out of a hat.

“We usually get about 50entries and the event is seen asbeing really prestigious as thereare only two competitions in theUK.

“We get a lot of repeat visitsand people who come back everyyear. The event shows the town ina really good light.”

Cabinet Member for Leisure andTourism, coun Mike Booth added:"The annual British MusicalFireworks Championships is one

of the highlights in Sefton's busyevents calendar.

"Some of the best pyrotechniccompanies from across the UK battle it out for the coveted title as the skies ofSouthport become spectacularlylit up.”

Companies taking part were:� Flashpoint Fireworks� Anytime Fireworks� Pendragon Fireworks� MLE Pyrotechnics� Pyrotex Fireworx� Ashdown Fireworks� Pyro 2000

Firework companies battleit out in sparkling contest

Games’ gains two-foldTHE 2012 Olympic and ParalympicGames will provide both animmediate benefit and a longlasting legacy for UK tourism,according to the British HospitalityAssociation.

The association claims that thereare significant benefits which willcome from hosting the Games anda positive legacy from the event willstretch well into the future.

The BHA’s chief executive, UfiIbrahim explained: “Many sectors ofthe hospitality industry will gainfrom holding the Games in London –not just hotels but also theentertainment and catering sectors.It’s estimated, for example, thatcaterers and restaurants will beproviding over 18m meals toathletes and visitors during the

event. This is, after all, one of theworld’s biggest events.

“The Games will give us theopportunity to showcase whatBritish companies can achieve inproviding top class facilities andthey will leave a long-lasting legacy.Competitors and visitors alike willleave knowing that the Britishwelcome surpasses that of anyother Olympic destination.

“Opening up new visitor markets isprecisely what the UK wants. I’msure that they will gain a highlyfavourable impression of Britainduring their visit which willencourage them to return.

“This will be one of the mostimportant parts of the Games’legacy.”

Positive feelings oversummer performanceTOURISM businesses in Englandare mostly feeling positive abouthow the industry performed overthe summer months, new figureshave claimed.

Results from VisitEngland’sBusiness Confidence Monitor foraccommodation businesses foundthat 87 per cent of accommodationproviders expressed satisfactionwith the summer months, from Juneto August.

76 per cent of operators said thatbusiness had either increased (38per cent) or stayed the same (38per cent) compared to the sameperiod in 2009, which was a recordyear for leisure tourism in England.

VisitEngland chief executive James

Berresford said: “This is a positiveindication that this summer was asuccess for many businesses inEngland. I’m delighted to see sucha substantial number of businessesreporting an increase in visitornumbers compared to last year,which was a bumper year withvisitor figures up 18 per cent.

“The increase in repeat visitscoupled with the decline in overseastrips by Brits points to a growingtrend to holiday at home. Theincrease in international visitorsgoes to prove that England iscompeting well on the global stageas well as inspiring Brits to stay athome and discover a superb holidaydestination on their doorstep.”

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Historic Royal Palaces and Royal Armouries have joined forces topresent ‘Fit for a King’, a stunning new permanent exhibitionshowcasing five hundred years of royal arms and armour. The Towerof London’s iconic White Tower will host the exhibition of Tudor,Stuart, Hanoverian and Windsor arms and armour from Easter 2010,marking the 350th anniversary of King Charles II’s restoration andthe Tower of London opening to visitors for the first time.

The exhibition begins with two contrasting pieces of 16th Centuryarmour created for King Henry VIII. His intricately decorated‘silvered and engraved’ armour (c.1515) celebrates his marriage toKatherine of Aragon, and is adorned with the intertwined initials ‘H’and ‘K’. This armour was possibly one of the first works produced inHenry’s newly-established workshops at Greenwich. This will bedisplayed alongside Henry’s much later field and tournament

garniture armour (c.1540), probably made for one of the lasttournaments organised by the monarch.

Whilst Henry VIII’s armour was created in the Greenwichworkshops built by the King, the exhibition will also showcase theskilled craftsmanship of other nation’s armour workshops. The trulyexquisite, traditional Japanese armour (c.1610) gifted to King James I(James VI of Scotland) by Tokugawa Hidetaada is almost certainly thefirst Japanese armour ever to be seen in Britain.

Also joining the royal line up on five hundred years of armour, arethose created for much younger royalty, including young Edward VIand Charles I as a prince, so they could ‘dress up’ as their heroicfathers and ancestors. King Edward VI’s light cavalry armour of about1550 was crafted for the teenage King when he was aged just 13 yearsin the Greenwich workshops established by his father, Henry VIII.Young Prince Charles’s miniature horseman’s armour of about 1615which later passed from Charles I to his eldest son, the future CharlesII, is another beautiful work of art created in the Netherlands.

Finally, a collection of Hanoverian and Windsor swords startingwith George I’s through to that of George VI completes the line up ofnearly five centuries of royal arms and armour.

See our next edition for exciting news of the new ‘Royal Beasts’, aninteractive exhibition recalling the days when the Tower was home toexotic lions, bears and even an elephant.

For help and advice in organising group visits to any of the historicroyal palaces, contact the Groups and Travel Trade Team on +44 (0) 203166 6311 or e-mail groupsandtraveltrade@hrp.org.uk. Please quote“Destination UK November” when contacting us.

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DESTINATIONSOUTH EAST

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West Berkshire harnessesNew Vision technologyto boost local tourismWEST Berkshireis galvanising itsambitious plansto promote thearea with an all-new cutting edgewebsite,designed, builtand managed byNew VisionGroup (NVG).

As the world’sonly provider of afully integratedtourismtechnologysolution, NewVision Groupoffered the mostcompellingproposition tomeet WestBerkshire’sambitioustourism growthplans.

The new website,www.visitnewbury.org, will bringtogether the wider geographical areacovered by West Berkshire Councilunder one roof to showcase thebest the county has to offer thebusiness and leisure visitor.

Heritage and tourism managerfrom WBC Amanda Loaring said:“We have ambitious plans for ourwebsite and we are very excited

about working with NVG to makethis a reality.

The design of the new website isreally important to us, by workingclosely with NVG we’re looking tocreate a site that will stand out forbeing innovative and inspiring.”

For more information contactCarmela Pisapia at New Vision

Group, on 0845 430 0321 or atCarmela.pisapia@newvisiongroup.

co.uk

Investmentrolled outacross parksA MULTI million pound investmentpackage is to be rolled out across ParkHolidays UK’s properties in SouthernEngland.

The majority of the company’s 25parks will be affected – with much ofthe work scheduled to be completed bynext spring.

Included in the programme arehundreds of new caravan holidayhomes which will provide the companywith a greatly increasedaccommodation capacity.

Among the parks which will benefitfrom improvements will be SeaviewHoliday Park in Whitstable and HartsHoliday Park on the Isle of Sheppey.

Director Tony Clish said: “Ourinvestment will be focussed onincreasing the number of holidayhomes for sale and rent, replacingolder letting units with newer models,and upgrading visitor facilities andattractions.

“People are rediscovering Britain as aholiday destination, and it's our ruraleconomies which will be the mainbeneficiaries.

“We're delighted to be making thisinvestment in our parks, and to beworking in partnership with localauthorities to support businesses andjobs in their areas.”

PORTSMOUTH landmark TheSpinnaker Tower has celebratedits fifth birthday with a series ofevents, including the launch of anew cafe and lighting design.

Café in the Clouds is situated105m high and has beencreated in response to customerrequests. It means that for thefirst time ever, people can sitdown for a coffee or glass ofbubbly while enjoying thepanoramic views from the tower.

Chief executive of the tower’soperating company, Continuum,

Juliana Delaney said: “Five yearsis a very significant milestone.The Spinnaker Tower haswelcomed over 2m visitors andthe tourism economic impacthas generated more than £72mfor the Portsmouth economy,and we should celebrate thissuccess. We want to say amassive thank you to everyonewho has supported the towersince its inception and toencourage people to continue tosupport it in the next five yearsand beyond.”

The Spinnaker Tower

Milestone for landmark

New investorsVISIT Kent has welcomed twonew investors – Foodari and theVillage Hotel.

The organisation bringsinvestors together to developeye-catching marketingcampaigns as well as

helping them join forces toattend travel and tourism tradefairs and exhibitions, which theymay not be able to afford ontheir own.

Chief executive SandraMatthews-Marsh said: “We aredelighted to welcome Foodariand the Village Hotel. We nowhave more than 80 investors inVisit Kent representing morethan 80 per cent of tourism jobsand income in Kent and Medway.

“With private investors and

local authorities working togetherwe are adding tremendous valueto our tourism, hospitality andleisure industry whichcontributes more than £2.5b tothe local economy and supports5,600 jobs.”

Sandra Matthews-Marsh

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Team swings into actionwith Gleneagles promotionTHE team behind Scotland’s 2014Ryder Cup preparations hasunveiled plans to capitalise on thetourism potential of Gleneagles asthe next European tournament host.

EventScotland and VisitScotlandhave joined forces to develop amedia campaign which includes anew website, online interactive golfgame and advertising campaign.

This will also be supported byScotland’s dedicated Ryder Cup2014 website, which will act as ahub of information providing userswith up-to-date insights anddevelopments in the run up toGleneagles 2014.

The organisations have alsostarted work with other agenciessuch as the Scottish Government,Scottish Development Internationaland Scottish Enterprise to ensureScotland is able to capitalise onhosting the event, which isexpected to boost the economy by£100m.

VisitScotland chairman MikeCantlay said: “The Ryder Cup willundoubtedly be a huge opportunityfor Scotland to capitalise on anevent that will showcase Scotland

to a global audience and contributemany millions to both the local andnational economy.

“The team behind Scotland’spreparations has been workingtirelessly in positioning Scotland asthe next European host nation forthe competition; this hard work willintensify as we get closer to 2014,in order to exceed the expectationsof everyone attending the event.”

EventScotland’s COO Paul Bushadded: “The 2014 Ryder Cup is setto be a jewel in Scotland’s golfingcrown. We have four busy years onthe golfing calendar leading up tothis event, including the RICOHWomen’s British Open and theWalker Cup in 2011, the Curtis Cupin 2012, and the return of TheOpen Championship in 2013,before the eyes of the world turn toGleneagles in 2014.

“World class golf events inScotland have a huge impact on thenational economy and we will beworking hard as the national eventsagency to continue to raise thestandard of the tournament, and toensure that the legacy of thematches extend well beyond 2014.”

Resort ischosen asbidding venueQHOTEL’S Forest Pines Hotel andGolf Resort has been selected byUK Sport as the UK’s biddingvenue to host the prestigious 2015Solheim Cup.

The hotel in North Lincolnshireboasts a 27 hole championship golfcourse and if successful, the venuewill invest more than £500,000into developing its golf course andestablishing itself as a world classdestination for sport, business andculture.

The resort will now competeagainst courses from acrossEurope to play host to in excess of100,000 visitors during the weekof play.

Managing director of QHotelsMichael Purtill said: “We areincredibly proud to be bidding forthis event. It is very clear that thedecision, which could bring £35minto the local economy, will have apositive legacy not only for ForestPines, but for the NorthLincolnshire region.

“The Forest Pines Hotel and GolfResort is easily accessible from anumber of major cities in the UK,and we are confident that we canprovide a world class experiencefor all of our visitors should the bidbe successful.”

A final decision on the successfulbidding nation is expected nextyear.

Guoman Hotels has appointed Tim Cordon as general manager of The Cumberland hotel.Tim has a 10 year track record in developing flagship properties within the Radisson SAS portfolio and willbe tasked with driving forward the hotel’s wide ranging appeal.

Festival attracts at least 100,000Record numbers of people attendedthis year’s Brighton Food and DrinkFestival, organisers have revealed.Over 100 events were heldthroughout the city, including majorpublic events organised by thefestival committee and others held byeateries and venues – with at least100,000 people joining in the fun.Chair of the festival Roger Marlowsaid: “We are delighted with theoutcome – both the huge number oflocal businesses who joined in andheld great events, as well as seeingsome big names joining the festivalthis year, including Discovery Foodand Utterly Butterly – we have movedthe festival up to a new level.”

09 21/10/10 15:44 Page 1

Information on the move...

New version of GoLakes WebsiteGoes Live

Best value, sustainability, booking values, KPIs. These are just a short selection of terms from a fairlylengthy list of buzz words which are used to stress the importance of gaining maximum return ontechnology investment.

With the forthcoming spending cuts on their way, paying lip service to these words is not enough and truevalue will need to be proven. We have many case studies where destinations have generated fantasticfinancial results on the back of our e-tourism solutions – www.golakes.co.uk, for example, has nowexceeded £12.5M in booking value since launch, and over £3M in the last year alone.

It’s not just about online bookings, of course. There are dozens of ways destinations can earn significantrevenue using our platform – through shared commissions, e-shop transactions, ticketing, onlinemembership propositions, up-selling, conferences, Guestlink re-sales – just to mention but a few.

Our fully integrated platform encompasses a range of tools that are helping destinations achieve aprominent online presence to attract a wider global audience, and maximise revenue generation by inspiringtheir visitors to stay longer and do more. East of England Tourism are generating fantastic financial returnson the back of our e-tourism solutions, and their Marketing Manager, David Clarke, recently stated: “TheNew Vision Group e-marketing system generates more money for us than anything we do online.”

Other aspirational destinations such as Cumbria Tourism are using our Affiliates scheme to make more oftheir accommodation stock bookable online, and drive up bookings and commission income. Jill Killen,Webmaster at Cumbria Tourism, said: “The Affiliates scheme means more of our trade can now share inthe success of GoLakes and increase their exposure and bookings. Visitors get a greater choice ofbookable accommodation and Cumbria Tourism earns valuable commission.”

To find out how New Vision Group can help boost your destination generate income and reduce costs,contact Aviva Pearson on 0845 430 0321 or email aviva.pearson@newvisiongroup.co.uk.

New Vision Group are delighted to announcethe launch of version 4 of www.golakes.co.uk.The top performing, Webby Award nominatedwebsite of Cumbria Tourism raises the bar yetagain in terms of visitor appeal, richfunctionality and continues to deliver a hugevolume of visits, transactions and CRMactivity. “We just love the great new site NewVision have built for us,” commented JillKillen, Webmaster at Cumbria Tourism, “andthe new Content Management System is soquick and easy to use.”

“We are even more excited about the factthat for the first time we will be chargingcommission on bookings made through the site (operated through the Guestlink Affiliates scheme).Up to now, bookable businesses were those that bought into our Silver and Gold advertisingpackages, which has limited the number of accommodation providers that visitors could actuallybook with online. By dramatically reducing advertising costs to £50 per annum the earlyindications are that many more businesses will share in the success of Go Lakes in the future”.

Carefully scheduled, cleverly positionedand properly managed banneradvertising can actually add to theappeal and scope of your destinationwebsite and of course is another way ofgenerating extra revenue from youronline presence. The new Ad Managertool from New Vision Group enables youto maximise this opportunity and shouldrapidly provide you with a sustainableincome stream. With many cleverfeatures – such as auto and randomisedadvert rotation, together with an easytool for scheduling and publishing theadverts you’ll quickly see this a musthave addition to your overall websitecontent management solution.

Maximise your BannerAdvertising Potential

Now the Numbers Really Matter

With the explosion in smart-phone usage, a mobilewebsite is now an essential part of any destination’sproactive marketing strategy. Apple have alreadyshipped over 60 million i-phones worldwide, and thisnumber is growing exponentially. Our approach hasbeen to provide an integrated solution thatintelligently uses the content available within theDestination Management System and solves thechallenges of utilising the mobile devicesthemselves. Features include:

• New page templates display smaller amounts of content

• Content Management tool specifically designed for mobile applications

• Template automatically detects screen size and adjusts dynamically

• Separate publishing channel to control what information is shown (e.g. members only)

• Complete suite of KPI’s for analysis of usage patterns

• Geo-coding and sensing displays content local to the user

Graeme Whitehead, Tourism and Marketing GroupManager at Destination Staffordshire said: "Themobile site is our visitors' travelling companion,offering access to the latest information on events,availability and special offers, right at the time whenthey need it. And by inspiring our guests to do more,see more and enjoy more of all that Staffordshirehas to offer, we can further boost revenue generatedby fully exploiting all of our opportunities."

The New Vision e-shop solution is a great way to improve thecommercial performance of your destination website at thesame time as offering the visitor a more complete destinationexperience. There is really no limit to what can be soldthrough e-shop, from tickets for guided tours, attractions andevents, to merchandise such as maps, local produce andsouvenirs. The application comes with a complete inventorymanagement tool to keep all product details up to date plusflexible pricing solutions that cope with VAT / non VAT andpostage & packing supplements. Used in conjunction withNew Vision’s global basket tool, destinations can enable theirvisitors to put together their own overall trip package bycombining other purchases with their accommodationbookings. Best of all, thanks to the design of the solution, itis no longer necessary for destinations to become ATOLbonded when offering the DIY package option. Another greatfeature is the up-selling tool that allows webmasters to linkproducts together (e.g. by location, theme or date) andoffering these at the point of purchase confirmation.

A great way of providing 24 hour tourist information is by using one of New Vision’s “through-the-glass”interactive information kiosks. Amazingly, users can simply touch the outside of the window and easilynavigate through a special set of kiosk pages automatically formatted for the purpose. With increasedpressure on TIC opening hours this converts a typical shop window into an endless source of visitorinformation regardless of whether your TIC is open or not.

Our solution is fully integrated into the rest of the Destination Management System allowing easypublication of selected data to your kiosks without any need to re-author or re-purpose content.Another tool - again accessed online through a simple browser - provides full statistics on kiosk use,covering the number of users, time of day when used and the pages accessed right down to specificinformation on the number of times a particular record has been displayed. These “key performanceindicators” are an invaluable management tool enabling clients to measure, monitor and manage theeffectiveness of their kiosk deployment.

Giving destinations the capability to publish rich and inspirational content is at the heart ofNew Vision’s e-tourism solutions. Our new Content Management System (CMS) is designedto be ultra flexible and extremely easy to use, enabling web editors to control every aspectof their online presence and significantly reduces the time and hassle factor of keeping ontop of your destination website. The intuitive ‘point, click, edit, publish’ interfaceincorporates standard and advanced publishing tools that control formatting, editing,indexing, reporting, organic SEO and multi-channel publishing. Best of all, no htmlexperience is required, making this system the best solution on the market.

Available in two levels, CMS and CMS pro, the solution integrates into all other aspectsof the New Vision e-tourism solution including:

• Links into booking engine and e-shop for easy promotion of bookable products • Sophisticated tools for publishing content from the core DMS product database• Tools for publishing and moderating user generated content• Display of selected content from Trip Advisor, Twitter, Flickr and other channels• Integration into CRM system for customer capture and profiling• Powerful website KPI’s for performance tracking and management• Option to display non Guestlink availability from Booking.com, Late Rooms, etc.

The CMS enableswebmasters to set upbanner advertisements andother commercial areas onwebsites (e.g. sponsoredbuttons, header images).Our fully integratedCampaigns system wouldthen enable you to monitorhits and click-throughs forany commercial feature on adaily basis. Thesecapabilities, along with thepotential to charge fordifferent levels of entry foraccommodation, attractionsand events providers usingthe DMS, would providescope to develop commercialopportunities in the future.

10th New Vision Group TourismTechnology Forum – 10th Feb 2011

Convert more“lookers” into“bookers”

How do you attract a quarterof a million enquiries with noTourist Information Centre?

Engage & Impresswith Easy CMS

Register your interest now for our eagerlyanticipated New Vision Group 10th TourismTechnology Forum, a prominent andrespected feature of the industry eventsdiary. Attended by key and influential figuresfrom across the tourism industry, this must-

attend event highlights the topical issues ofthe day and explores how our approach to e-tourism is helping destinations around theglobe do better business. EmailCarmela.pisapia@newvisiongroup.co.uk toregister your interest.

Contact New Vision Group today and find out how we can help your destinationgenerate income and effectively communicate with your visitors and trade.

Call 0845 430 0321 or email aviva.pearson@newvisiongroup.co.uk

DESTINATIONNEWS

12

New service ensuresa friendly welcomeA NEW service has been createdto ensure travellers to the UKreceive a warm and personalwelcome before they even arrive.

VisitBritain has teamed up withtravel website Tripbod.com toconnect visitors with a localperson before their trip who canhelp them to plan their visit aswell as providing a friendly faceonce they actually get here.

The new services will launch infive pilot areas – London,Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgowand The Lake District – and willoffer unique experiences basedon the individual visitor.

Head of eCommerce at Visit

Britain Vicky Birnage said “As aglobal brand we are delighted tobe able to connect with the grassroots and offer VisitBritain shopcustomers a truly local service.We know that our travellers allhave their own personal interestsso it’s important to be able tooffer tailored local advice thusenhancing their welcome toBritain. By working with localTripbods we endeavour to makeevery visit to the UK a personaland authentic one.”

Tripbod director Liz Sutcliffeadded: “Tripbod local WelcomeExperiences are particularlyspecial because they help visitors

connect directly with the grass-roots of Britain and lift the lid onauthentic local life.

“Working with VisitBritain allowsus to extend our unique servicebeyond the pre-departure stage and bring the humanconnection we offer to life bysharing memorable travelexperiences with our customers inperson.”

� How do you think the tourismindustry could help overseasvisitors to the UK plan their trips?Contact Destination UK’s editorialteam on 01226 734463 or emailce@whpl.net

Edinburgh is one of the pilot areas involved in the new scheme.

New moveallows usersto findcheap dealsVISITBRITAIN has teamed up with atop hostel booking website to offertravel options for visitors on abudget.

Hostelworld.com will provideinformation about available hostels,B&B’s and budget hotels toVisitBritain’s website – allowingusers to find cheap deals for theirstay in the UK.

Group partnerships manager withHostelworld.com Yvonne Finlaysaid: “Hostels are now theaccommodation of choice forpeople of all ages and not just the20-something backpacker.

“The UK is one of the mostpopular destinations in Europe andwith the 2012 London Olympic andParalympic Games around thecorner, we will be in a uniqueposition to provide affordableaccommodation to millions ofvisitors to the UK.”

On the TrailsTHE Bowes Museum has teamed upwith nearby tourist attractions tocreate one and two day bespokepackages aimed at the group travelmarket.

Treasure Trails consists of a pickand mix of itineraries, with venuesforming a partnership to createexcursions ideal for group travellers.

The Bowes Museum’s head ofbusiness and operations Matt Lengsaid: “There are some stunningattractions within easy drivingdistance of the museum and eachother and it seemed a naturalprogression for us to get together topromote these day or overnightexcursions.”

Tourist Boardshortlisted foronline successLANCASHIRE and Blackpool Tourist Boardhas been shortlisted for two awardswhich recognise the UK’s best onlinecommunications.

The Some Comms Awards celebratethose who are revolutionising the use ofthe internet to communicate innovatively.

LBTB e-marketing manager, Sarah Lundysaid “The tourist board has fullyembraced social media and used itcreatively to increase awareness of theregion; using the personality and genuinewarmth of Lancastrians to initiateconversations that are of interest to ourcustomers and which ultimately benefitour members and colleagues across theindustry.”� Picture left shows the LBTB digitalteam outside the tourist board officesin Chorley – from left, Cilla Lowe, AmyColgan and Sarah Lundy.

Chain branchesout with newpackagesHOTEL chain DoubleTree by Hiltonhas created a new package toinspire travellers to make the mostof their weekends.

The Make My Weekend Getawaypackage provides deluxeaccommodation and breakfast forup to two adults and two childrenand is available at UK locationsincluding Aberdeen, London,Chester and Cambridge.

Global head for DoubleTree byHilton Rob Palleschi said: “Withpeak summer travel now complete,people are taking another look attheir upcoming holiday plans andconsidering easy, affordable minibreaks with family and friends.

“Our package encouragestravellers to make the most of theirtime away.”

12 21/10/10 15:45 Page 1

13 22/10/10 12:13 Page 1

DESTINATIONCENTRESTAGE

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COMEDIAN Jimmy Carr hascelebrated a record 13th show atBirmingham’s Symphony Hall –beating the previous record held byVictoria Wood.

The host of hit Channel Fourcomedy Eight Out Of 10 Cats firstvisited the venue in 2005 and hassince performed to a total audienceof over 25,000 people.

Jimmy has now performed theremore times than any other artist orentertainer, breaking VictoriaWood’s record of 12 shows in total.

General manager Chris Baldock

said: “It’s fantastic for us thatsomeone of Jimmy’s calibrecontinues to return to SymphonyHall each year and reflects how weare reaching out to new audiencesthrough a wide variety of shows,concerts and events.

“We’ve seen a tremendous growthin comedy performances over thelast few years here and as a result,we are committed to bringing theUK’s finest comedy talent toBirmingham for the foreseeablefuture.”

Jimmy’s a record breaker

The stars of this year’s pantomime in Stoke on Trent have launchedthe show at local attraction Waterworld. Jonathan Wilkes and JenniferEllison (pictured at the launch) will star in Robinson Crusoe and theCaribbean Pirates at the Regent Theatre from December 9 to January9.

THE eagerly-anticipated new additionto London's West End, The Wizardof Oz promises to be the biggesttheatre event of the year when itopens at the London Palladium nextSpring (previews from February,First Night the 1st of March) As theopening approaches and as morecast announcements are made,short break specialist Superbreak ispredicting a heightening in demandfor the show.

Michael Crawford has recentlyannounced to star as The Wizard inthis new production alongsideDanielle Hope who captured thehearts of the country when she wonthe BBC’s smash hit Over TheRainbow. Michael is internationallyrenowned for originating the titlerole in The Phantom of the Operaand loved by millions for his role asthe hapless Frank Spencer in theclassic British sitcom, SomeMothers Do 'Ave 'Em. They will bejoined by Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion

and Dorothy’s little dog Toto whoare yet to be announced.

Ian Mounser, sales director atSuperbreak comments: “Ourregional theatre break bookers havebeen crying out for a big new WestEnd show and they don't comemuch bigger than The Wizard Of Oz.This new Andrew Lloyd Webberproduction is sure to appeal toclients from coast-to-coast and of allages and we have some great valuepackages for customers who wantto be amongst the first to see it!”

Superbreak offers packages thatcombine a wide range of hotels withtickets to the show. Prices startfrom £136 per person including onenight at the three star Presidenthotel with full breakfast and a toppriced ticket to see the show.Based on two sharing in Februaryand March 2011.

www.superbreak.com<http://www.superbreak.com>

0871 221 4444

Superbreak anticipates high demandfor Wizard of Oz theatre breaks

The Wizard of Oz: Andrew Lloyd Webber, Danielle Hope and MichaelCrawford Picture: Gabrielle Crawford

FROM the Gothic surrounds of the ParisOpera House to the dazzling heights ofNew York’s Coney Island – the Phantomhas returned. Andrew Lloyd Webber’sspectacular new musical reunites themasked Phantom with his only true loveand musical protégée, the stunningbeauty Christine Daaé. Love Never Diesis a roller coaster ride of intrigue,obsession and romance – where little isas it first appears.

With Madame Giry’s help the Phantomescaped the Paris mobs to build aglittering new empire in the new world.For ten long years the Phantom hashidden himself amongst the freaks andsideshows nursing his broken heart andyearning for his true love to return. Andnow…

Blinded by money and the bright lightsof Coney – Christine, with Raoul and theirson Gustave, is lured to America toperform one final time. But Christinesoon discovers the true identity of themysterious impresario who has temptedher across the Atlantic. As old woundsare reopened and forgotten memoriesunlocked – The Phantom sets out toprove that, indeed, Love Never Dies.

Ticket prices range from £25.00 to£67.50 and Love Never Dies is nowbooking until 28 May 2011.

For further information go to www.loveneverdies.com

‘Love Never Dies is Phabulous’The Independent

‘Lloyd Webber’s finest show sincePhantom … the music is a constantpleasure’ The Daily Telegraph

‘Andrew Lloyd Webber at his musicalbest’ The Times

‘The music is aconstant pleasure’

14 25/10/10 15:05 Page 1

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By Christina Eccles

THE UK’s theatre offering isproving a massive draw for foreigntourists visiting the country, a newreport from VisitBritain hasrevealed.

According to figures, over 3mforeign tourists spent £2.8b ontrips that included going toBritain’s theatres last year.

10 per cent of the 30moverseas travellers who came tothe UK in 2009 went to a stageshow – ranging from classicShakespeare in London toexperimental fringe in Edinburgh,opera in Wales or a glitzy WestEnd musical.

And the report revealed severaltrends which are set to keeptheatre audiences high.

These include: � Over two thirds of theatrevisitors from overseas are onholiday, a group that is set to

grow.� The number of tourists agedover 55, the most ardent theatregoers, has grown at a faster ratethan under-55s in 12 out of thepast 15 years, and this willcontinue.� Tumbling exchange rates havemade a night at the theatre moreaffordable.

VisitBritain’s chief executiveSandie Dawe said: “Britain has aphenomenal theatre industry.Whether it is a feel good musicallike Billy Elliot or Mamma Mia, aShakespearian tragedy, grandopera or beautiful ballet, you arenever far from a world classexperience. And due to theexceptionally competitiveexchange rates it has become amore affordable treat than ever.

‘’This report shows that Britishtheatre is making a massivecontribution to Britain’seconomy.”

THE report also took an in-depthlook at London and the impact ofWest End theatre.

According to the report, Londondominated the theatre world –with around 2.2m foreign touristsspending £1.9b on trips involvingthe capital’s theatres last year.

Word of mouth is the most

powerful way that overseasvisitors find out about the magicof London’s theatre.

And the growth of social mediasuch as Facebook and Twittermeans that gossip about just how good theatre is in Londonhas the potential to spread morewidely.

The number of overseastourists who visited theatresin 2009, by region:

� London – 2,200,000� North East – 12,300� North West – 85,400� Yorkshire – 40,000� West Midlands – 66,000� East Midlands – 31,000� East of England – 133,000� South West – 106,000� South East – 235,000� Scotland – 120,000� Wales – 30,000� Northern Ireland –15,000

Total UK – 3,100,000

� Women are the keenesttheatre goers – some 55 percent of overseas audiencesare female.

� Women drive the decisionto go to a show but theygenerally bring along theirpartner.

� Musicals are by far themost popular choice, chosenby 64 per cent.

� 25 per cent prefer plays.

� Three per cent go to theballet.

� One per cent choose theopera.

� Theatre is most popularwith overseas tourists whohave good English.

� One in six overseastheatregoers are Americans.

� They are followed by thosefrom Germany, theNetherlands, France, Spain,Denmark, Ireland, Norway, andAustralia.

� Musicals are especiallypopular with Norwegians,Danes, Swedes and Irish.

� More serious theatre ismost highly regarded byNordics, Asians and LatinAmericans.

Theatre drawsin foreigntravellers

West End shows such as Wicked and Mamma Mia are attractinglarge numbers of overseas visitors.

West End impact explored

VisitBritain theatre report: key findings

Theatre groupcelebrates 39thUK openingTHE Ambassador TheatreGroup has celebrated theopening of its 39th UKvenue – the AylesburyWaterside Theatre.

As part of the openingceremony, Cilla Black – starof the theatre’s Christmaspantomime Cinderella – wason hand to cut the ribbonand open the house for thefirst professionalperformance on TheWaterside stage – NorthernBallet’s Swan Lake.

Co-founder and joint CEOof The Ambassador Theatre

Group Howard Panter said: “In a time of suchausterity Aylesbury Vale District Council’s bold £42m investmentprovides the perfectantidote.

“We are delighted to beopening the Waterside atthis time.

“This is a fantastictheatre, which willundoubtedly become animportant cultural resourcebringing the very best inentertainment to Aylesburyand beyond.”

AnniversarylaunchENCORE Tickets is celebrating its10th anniversary with the launch ofa new London attractions onlinebooking system.

The system enables the traveltrade to boost income by bookingLondon add-ons instantly eitheronline or over the phone.

Options on offer include popularattractions such as the London Eye,Madame Tussauds and the Tower ofLondon, plus river cruises,afternoon teas and sightseeingtours.

Managing director John Walessaid: “This new system enables ourtrade partners to increase thetransaction value of bookings byincluding add-ons such as these toan existing booking quickly andeasily.”

15 21/10/10 15:47 Page 1

DESTINATIONYORKSHIRE

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One of Yorkshire’s most iconicattractions celebrated itsVictorian Gothic heritage witha weekend of themed events.Visitors to Whitby Abbey weretaken back in time 120 yearsto the late 19th century whenBram Stoker first visitedWhitby.As part of the event, theycould meet Victorianfalconers, showing their skillsat handling magnificent birdsof prey and at nightexperience a floodlit walkaround the ruins, enjoyingtraditional fare and watchingclassic Victorian sideshows.

Museum on track to boost Christmas spiritin York’s festive fairTHE National Railway Museum willbe helping visitors to get into theChristmas spirit by holding anArctic Express themed weekend.

As part of York’s St NicholasFayre celebrations, visitors to themuseum will be able to step into asurreal winter wonderland and takea different perspective of the GreatHall through a giant human snowglobe filled with falling artificialsnow.

Visitors can also perfect theirskating skills by having a go on themuseum’s synthetic, indoor icerink.

Cultural planning manager SueDalton said: ‘‘St Nicholas Fayre isone of York’s most popular eventsin the Christmas calendar.

“This year we are looking forwardto offering visitors an excitingcouple of days in our winter-themed haven, providing thechance to escape the hustle andbustle of the Christmas rush.

“An experience in our amazinggiant snow globe and a few lapsaround the ice rink will be a mustfor getting everyone into thefestive spirit.’’

Almost 35,000 people attendedthe Harrogate Autumn FlowerShow at the Great YorkshireShowground. The show is heldtwice a year – in spring and thenagain in the autumn – andfeatures include competitions forbest fruit, vegetables andfloristry as well as displays oflocal produce and crafts.

Show director Martin Fish said:“We are very pleased. Figuresare a little up last year on thegate, which shows we can holdour own even in a difficultclimate. We are already lookingforward to next year, whichmarks the centenary of thesociety, so it will be acelebration.”

A CAMPAIGN to boost tourism inYorkshire has been voted the bestin Europe.

Welcome to Yorkshire has beennamed Europe's Leading MarketingCampaign at the World TravelAwards Europe Gala Ceremony inTurkey.

The campaign beat off stiffcompetition from rivals includingThomas Cook and Visit London aswell as marketing campaigns inDenmark and Spain to take thetitle.

Welcome to Yorkshire’sinternational sales director Peter

Dodd said: “This is an absolutelyphenomenal feat for us.

“We have beaten off some toughcompetition from seven othertourism bodies across Europe butwe have worked hard to plantYorkshire firmly in the public eyeand on the tourist map and thisaward reflects that.

“Since we launched Welcome toYorkshire 18 months ago, our teamand our partners have pulled out allthe stops to spread the word thatour county really is the best inBritain and now we have proved thisby beating the rest of Europe.”

Welcome to Yorkshire‘the best in Europe’

16 21/10/10 15:50 Page 1

DESTINATIONYORKSHIRE

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A WEST Yorkshire inn celebratedbecoming a member of The Great Inns ofBritain by inviting a special guest tosample the perfect pint.

Simon and Caitlin Heaton who ownShibden Mill Inn in Halifax invited SirThomas Ingilby, chair and co-founder ofThe Great Inns of Britain, to visit afteralso achieving the prestigious CaskMarque Award for their outstanding caskconditioned ales.

Simon said: “We already know many ofthe Yorkshire based Great Inns and it’sbeen wonderful to become part of thecollection which is now part of theHistoric Hotels of Europe. We hope towelcome even more overseas guests toHalifax and West Yorkshire.”� Pictured left: From left, generalmanager Glen Pearson, Simon Heatonand Caitlin Heaton and Sir ThomasIngilby.

Special guestfor Yorkshireinn celebration

THE winners of Yorkshire’s mostprestigious tourism awards havebeen recognised at a glitteringceremony in Harrogate.

90 finalists battled it out at theWhite Rose Awards, which wereorganised by tourism agencyWelcome to Yorkshire.

1,000 people attended the eventat the Yorkshire Event Centre,Harrogate – among them guestpresenters Christa Ackroyd andimpressionist Kevin Connelly.

The award winners in full: Bed & Breakfast/GuestAccommodation of the Year17 Burgate Pickering

Small Hotel/Townhouse of the Year The Feversham Arms Hotel &Verbena Spa Helmsley, NorthYorkshire

Large Hotel of the Year The Leopold Hotel, Sheffield

Taste of Yorkshire AwardSilversmiths Restaurant Sheffield

Small Visitor Attraction of the Year The Walled Garden at ScampstonMalton

Large Visitor Attraction RHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate

Yorkshire Pub of the Year The Milestone Sheffield

Access for All Tourism AwardThe Deep Hull

Sustainable Tourism AwardRHS Garden Harlow Carr, Harrogate

Self Catering, Cruisers andServiced Apartments Award

The Dovecote Barns Kelfield, York

Business Tourism AwardNational Railway Museum, York

Caravan Holiday Park and HolidayVillage AwardFaweather Grange High Eldwick,Ilkley Moor

Outstanding Customer Service The Conference Team, The MetLeeds

Tourism Event of the Year"Sports Personality of the Year"Sheffield InternationalVenues,Sheffield

Visitor Information AwardMalton Tourist Information Centre,Malton

Best Tourism Experience of theYear York Maze, York.

Welcome to Yorkshire’s chiefexecutive Gary Verity said: "Welldone to everyone shortlisted for theawards; the judges had aparticularly tough time choosing thisyear due to the high calibre ofentries.

"Yorkshire's tourism industry hashad an exceptional couple of yearsand the White Rose Awards are anexcellent example of why. Theindustry, which is worth £6.5b toour local economy, is a seriousbusiness and when you see thehard work that our partners put intomaking the visitor experienceexceptional you recognise this is asector that is well worth investingin."

Yorkshire’s best recognisedat White Rose Awards

TheWhiteRoseAwardsinpictures

17 21/10/10 15:52 Page 1

18 20/10/10 10:24 Page 1

Henry VIII continues to hold court daily at Hampton Court where groupsenter a living Tudor world and can participate in life at Henry's palace fromspecial Tudor cookery weekends to everyday court life. However, visitors maymeet one of Henry's renowned six wives during 2010 in a series of Henry'sWomen weekends.

Groups can also step into the Tudor kitchens and watch the cooks preparetantalizing feasts for Henry's queen using traditional recipes, ingredients,utensils and cooking methods. Remaining cooking events are 6-7 Novemberand 4-5 December

The fabulously re-presented Tudor palace will continue to wow visitorsfrom Easter 2011 with Henry VIII’s new interpretation in his apartments atHampton Court Palace will focus on his search for an heir and the desire tosecure the Tudor dynasty. Henry’s three children, Mary, Elizabeth and Edwardwill be introduced, as visitors ask “who wears the crown next?” Walk in thefootsteps of Henry through the Chapel Royal under its magnificent ceiling tothe newly re-created richly decorated imperial crown, worn by Henry and hissuccessors. The ever-popular wedding of Henry VIII and his sixth wife will stillbe taking place with live interpretation daily.

For your groups opportunity to meet Henry VIII's wives or to enjoy a tippleor two at the Wine Fountain, call our Contact Centre on 0844 482 7770 or e-mail groupsandtraveltrade@hrp.org.uk. Please quote "Destination UKNovember" when contacting us.

19 20/10/10 10:29 Page 1

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Bid to attractAutumn visitorsto ScotlandBy Christina Eccles

A NEW campaign to promotetourism in Scotland has beenlaunched by VisitScotland inpartnership with P&O Ferries.

The ‘Capture Your AutumnMoments in Scotland’ campaignhas been designed to encouragevisitors from the rest of the UK tovisit – and showcases the broadspectrum of activities andexperiences available to travellers.

The link up with P&O Ferries, alsoshowcases the accessibilitybetween Ireland and Scotland and itis hoped the partnership will lead toa significant increase in the numberof people from Ireland coming tothe area.

The campaign is also supported bypromotions and online activity withpartner websites including UTV, theBelfast Telegraph and Hotmail.

VisitScotland’s chief executiveMalcolm Roughead said: “Tourismis Scotland’s most importantindustry and partnerships like thisare crucial to our success. This is

the first time we have worked withP&O Ferries in this way and wehope that we will welcome manymore visitors from Ireland as aresult.

“There is so much to see and doin Scotland in Autumn and therehas never been a better time tovisit.”

Marketing manager for P&OFerries Tracy Robb added: “We aredelighted to partner withVisitScotland on its hugelysuccessful Autumn MomentsCampaign. Recent researchundertaken by the Office of NationalStatistics shows that in today’seconomic climate more and morepeople are abandoning thetraditional foreign holiday in favourof holidaying within the UK.

“By travelling with P&O Ferries andbringing the car holiday makershave increased flexibility to tailortheir holiday to their particularneeds and make the most of theirbreak whether they are going for aweek, the weekend or even a daytrip.”

Fans of Robin Hood will beable to get their hands onmoney can’t buy prizes thanksto a new competition fromVisitBritain.The tourism body andUniversal PicturesInternational Entertainmenthave produced a special insertthat will appear in DVD copiesof the film epic, which starsRussell Crowe, pictured.It will feature a number ofprizes including a medievalbanquet with the Sheriff of

Nottingham, a private archerylesson, a guided tour ofNottingham and Lincoln orfree entry to NottinghamCastle. Partner marketing managerAlison McKay said: “The DVDand Blu Ray along with thefantastic prizes we are givingoffers film fans and Britainfans from around the world agreat opportunity to exploreBritain and investigate thetrue roots of the Robin Hoodstory.”

New King Arthur experience reignsA NEW digital tourism experiencehas been created to showcase thelegend of King Arthur in south EastWales.

The project has been created bythe University of Wales, Newport’sInstitute of Digital Learning and the

South Wales Centre for Historicaland Interdisciplinary Research.

It includes an interactive website,maps and leaflets setting out thehistorical and geographical evidenceshowing how South East Wales is atthe heart of the legend of Arthur.

New name, new owners ...A PLYMOUTH hotel will be renamedafter it was sold to new owners.

The Novotel Hotel in Marsh Millswill become the Legacy Plymouth

International Hotel after being takenover as part of the company’sexpansion programme in the SouthWest.

Skybreak has opened a new desk in the South Terminal at GatwickAirport placing them in prime position to help customers arriving into theUK.. Pictured are Simon Edwards, airline business development managerand Leica Taylor, director of Skybreak performing the traditional openingceremony of ribbon cutting.

Poole in web moveA NEW web editor has joinedPoole Tourism with theresponsibility of looking after the organisation’s popularwebsite.

Melanie Campbell will bedeveloping the site, whichreceives over 1m visitors per year,to promote up to the minuteinformation on what’s happeningin the resort.

She said: “It’s a really excitingtime to be involved with PooleTourism and a fantastic product topromote.

“Most of my work will be looking to maximise Poole’sexposure to UK and internationalvisitors by making surepooletourism.com reaches its potential as one of the best tourism websites in the UK.”

Venues unite to promote areaA GROUP of London venues havejoined forces to promote thecapital’s South Bank area as a top destination for businesstourism.

Known as South Bank Venues,the collective seeks to maximise

the appeal of its central Londonlocation and members include theImperial War Museum London,Park Plaza Westminster Bridge,SEA LIFE London Aquarium andThe Merlin Entertainments LondonEye.

20 21/10/10 15:52 Page 1

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‘The fourth mostadmired countryin the world’By Christina Eccles

THE UK is the world’s fourth mostadmired country, according to theresults of a survey.

The annual Nation Brand Indexsurvey put the country fourth out of50 nations, coming in behind theUSA, Germany and France.

The result, based on interviewswith 20,000 adults worldwide, is animportant indicator of how countriesare regarded by the public –measuring the world’s perception ofeach nation as if they werecommercial brands.

The UK also retained its fifthposition as a desirable tourismdestination and was ranked fourthin the world for being rich in historicbuildings and monuments and forhaving a vibrant city life and urbanattractions.

VisitBritain’s chief executiveSandie Dawe said: ‘’This result is atestament to the enduring appeal ofBritain. It is clear that we are

retaining our appeal in anincreasingly competitive worldmarket.

“With more governmentsrecognising tourism as a driver ofgrowth and ramping up theirinternational marketing it is strikingthat our ratings are remainingsteady.”

When asked which country theywould like to visit if money were noobject, the UK retained its eighthspot and on being rich in naturalbeauty – a surprisingly weak area inthe past – the UK has climbed oneplace to 23rd.

Sandie added: “We cannot rest onour laurels, however. Our ‘welcome’ranking at 13th suggests we stillneed to work hard on this aspectahead of the 2012 Olympic andParalympic Games.

“But at the same time there is agreat opportunity for us to introducethe world to the many surprises anddelights that exploring more ofBritain’s natural beauty can offer.”

Bristol Zoo Gardens has won a top award in the 2010 RoyalHorticultural Society Britain in Bloom competition. The Zoo’s 12-acrebotanical gardens was given the RHS Britain in Bloom DiscretionaryPublic Park Award, which is awarded to parks which conveyhorticultural excellence in all areas.

THE cast of West End hit War Horse will beperforming at The London InternationalHorse Show at Olympia in December.

War Horse – The Christmas Finale issupported by The Hilton London Olympia andwill be performed at the end of each day ofthe show.

Associate producer of the finale Izzy Hattonsaid: “War Horse will be taking the audienceon an emotional journey, from the perils ofwar, to the Christmas that every soldierdreams of. We are absolutely delighted tohave War Horse and its magnificent cast andpuppets at Olympia. This year’s finale will bevery special indeed.”The London International Horse Show at Olympia Picture: Olympia/Kit Houghton

West End meetsInternationalHorse Showat Olympia ...

£20m revampA NEW hotel has opened inGlasgow followingrefurbishment worth £20m.

The Grand Central Hotel –which was previously theCentral Hotel – waspurchased by Principal Hayleyin spring 2009.

And after the multi millionpound investment, ownershope the iconic building willonce again become one ofGlasgow’s top destinationhotels.

CEO of Principal Hayley TonyTroy said: “The £20m

refurbishment of the CentralHotel has been a majorproject for us this year andit’s great to see thetransformation complete.

“The hotel is a major part ofGlasgow’s history and we arelooking forward to the nextchapter.”

Features of the hotel include186 guest bedrooms, achampagne bar overlookingCentral Station, a grandballroom and 21 meetingrooms.

THE UK’s biggest budget hotel chainhas received a prestigious award forits website.

Premier Inn scooped the award for

Best Hotel Website at theTravolution Awards with the judgespraising the site for beingcomprehensive and easy to use.

Chain website wins award

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DESTINATIONNEWS

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By Kurt Jansen, policydirector, Tourism Alliance

OUTSIDE the world of touroperators and travel agents, it’sfair to say the Package TravelRegulations are a little knownpiece of legislation.

The consumers that it sets outto protect have little idea of itsexistence and mostaccommodation and attractionbusinesses in the UK will probablynever come across them either.

To quickly recap for those onlyvaguely aware of the regulations,the EU developed the PackageTravel Directive in 1990 ‘toprotect consumers who contractpackage travel in the EU’.

Its provisions were introducedinto UK law in 1992 with thePackage Travel Regulations.

The Package Travel Regulations,with a few exceptions, apply to thesale of all packages that containtwo of the following threeelements – transport,accommodation and significantactivities.

Examples of a package includeeverything from a fortnight all-inclusive holiday in Cuba to aweekend golfing break at StAndrews.

Companies that supply packagesare required to provide customerswith certain information regardingthe type and standard of thegoods and services provided, theterms and conditions under which

they are provided and complaintsand refund procedures.

Importantly, the regulations alsomake the company selling thepackage legally responsible for allcomponents of the package (eventhose they don’t own or operate)and require them to have apayment protection scheme inplace so that customers areprotected if the company goesbust.

While well intentioned, theRegulations are arcane.

Although 1990 seems relativelyrecent, in terms of packaging andselling holidays it’s a completelydifferent era.

Remember, 1990 was an agewhen Ryanair had two planes andno website, Expedia was not evena twinkle in Bill Gates’ eye andonly three million people in theentire world had internet access.

The problem with the Regulationsis that they were born in a worldwhere ‘dynamic packaging’ (wherecustomers build their ownpackages) didn’t exist.

So you end up with a situationnow where if two customersaccess the same companywebsite and a one buys a flightand a hotel stay at a single pricewhile the other buys the sameflight and the same hotelseparately, the first will berepatriated if the company goesbankrupt while the second will bestranded overseas.

To avoid these types ofproblems, the EU is currently

revising the Package TravelDirective so that it takes accountof dynamic packaging andprovides customers with betterprotection.

This can only be a good thing.However, there is a catch.

And the catch is this – just whatconstitutes dynamic packaging?

Everyone would agree that if youbook a flight and a hotel throughExpedia as part of a singletransaction then that is a dynamicpackage.

But how about if a customerbuys a flight on Expedia one dayand then logs back in the next dayto purchase the accommodation.Is this a dynamic package?

Or how about the person whobooks a Ryanair flight.

At the end of the bookingprocess customers are asked ifthey would like to book a hotelthrough Booking.com.

If the customer agrees, they arelinked to the Booking.com websitewhere they make the purchase.

In this case the two companiesand the two purchases arecompletely separate but there is astrong case that this is dynamicpackaging because of the internetlinkages and cross-promotion.

Now, if you think that the Ryanairexample is dynamic packaging,how about this one.

You own a small countrysidehotel and on your website youhave information about all thegreat activities that visitors canundertake in countryside.

There’s a golf course just onemile away and in the local villagethere’s a horse riding centre.

As a service to your customersyou add a link to the websites forthese businesses so they cancontact them and ask make abooking. Is this dynamicpackaging?

And here is the crux of theproblem the EU will have toresolve.

How do you provide protection tocustomers who undertake dynamicpackaging while, at the sametime, protecting small businesswho are simply trying to providegood service to their customers.

Kurt Jansen

What is a dynamic package?

City revealsits history in‘must do’ listBy Dominic Musgrave

THE university city of Lancaster hasreleased a list of ‘must do’historical activities for visitors whohave been attracted by its shops,bars and restaurants.

The Norman Lancaster castle,which dates back to 1093 and isstill in use as a prison and a courthouse, is open to tourists and aguided tour reveals old weaponsand Hadrian’s Tower.

The grade I-listed Judge’s Lodgings was originally home towitch hunter Thomas Covell, butnow it houses a Museum ofChildhood with a fascinatingcollection of dolls and games fromthe 18th century.

Other museums include theLancaster Maritime Museum andthe City Museum where visitors candiscover more about Lancaster’s

2,000-year history.

Finally, tourists are encouraged toexplore the River Lune MillenniumPark, a 15km foot and cycle pathwhich showcases space-age signs,sculptures and glassworks anddiscover the elaborate dome ofAshton Memorial, within WilliamsonPark.

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