Issue 34 May/June 2010 £2.75

By Christina Eccles

THE Best of Britain and Irelandshow will be moved to the NEC nextyear as a two-day trade-only event,organisers have revealed.

This year’s event took place atLondon’s Olympia in March andalthough post-event figures showeda five per cent increase in visitornumbers for the trade days, the con-sumer days struggled – with visitornumbers dropping from 9,237 to5,296.

Following feedback from visitorsand exhibitors, a steering committee– made up of over 40 industry rep-resentatives – and organisers BoBEvents met to discuss the future ofthe event, making the decision tomove next year’s show fromLondon’s Olympia to Birmingham.

It will again take place in March –to coincide with British TourismWeek – with the committee also dis-cussing a biennial rotation of venueand a return to London in 2012.

Managing director of BoB EventsRob Mackenzie said: “We welcomethe steering committee’s recommen-dation to return to the NEC in 2011.We have always believed that bienni-al rotation between London andBirmingham could potentially providean optimal solution to the needs of

the market and we’re confident thatwe can maintain the growth in tradevisitor numbers and quality when wereturn to the Midlands next year.”

Key recommendations included:� The extension of the successfuldomestic hosted buyer programmesfor coach operators and group travelorganisers.� The re-introduction of a simplifiedappointment system to allow thepre-scheduling of meetings at BoBI.

The organisers are also undertak-ing research to examine the atti-tudes of the domestic travel trade,particularly amongst non-visitors toBoBI, to identify how to make theshow more appealing to trade visi-tors.

Rob added: “With the quality of theBoBI trade audience enhanced bythe domestic buyers programme,trade visitor numbers 27 per centhigher than BTTF 2008, the largest-ever overseas buying delegation andthe best-ever levels of trade audi-ence satisfaction, I believe thatBoBI has strong foundations onwhich to develop.”

� What do you think should be doneto secure the future of the show?Send your comments toce@whpl.net or contact our editorialteam on 01226 734463.

BRITISH holidaymakers arelooking closer to home fortheir breaks as recent dis-ruptions in air travel makethem more reluctant to goabroad.

According to travel searchsite Skyscanner, massiveash cloud disruption whichled to the five day closure ofairspace over much ofEurope, boosted May bankholiday bookings to domes-tic locations such as Londonand Belfast.

Skyscanner co-founderBarry Smith said thiscould be due to people looking for ‘safer’ destina-tions because in the eventof more disruption, it wouldbe easier for them to gethome.

He said: “Top favouritessuch as Malaga andAlicante have not dropped inpopularity at all so overallconfidence is strong.

“However, we have seenan increase in popularity ofsome destinations closer tohome – London, Dublin andBelfast all shot up in popu-larity in the last couple ofweeks – and it will be inter-esting to see if this trendcontinues.”

Brits look for UKbreaks

The owner of a Stratford-Upon-Avonattraction has set up a new service fortourists following the sudden closure ofShakespeare Country. Dave Matthewsof Seek the Magic Org – which operatesattractions including the CreakyCauldron museum – created Not JustShakespeare to ensure visitors to thetown could get any information theyneeded. Dave said it would be‘appalling’ for a town like Stratford notto have a tourist information serviceand he had to step in and do something.Full story Page 3

Trade-onlyBOBI movingto Birmingham

01 30/4/10 13:47 Page 1

Enjoy discovering over 300 amazing places to visit across England,Wales and Northern Ireland with the National Trust. There arehistoric houses in all shapes and sizes, captivating castles crammedwith treasures from across the centuries, as well as gardens for everyseason, tours for every taste and a host of events every month.

Your group will feel as though its wandered into past times whenthey first see the vast ruins of Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire.This twelfth century Cistercian abbey is listed as a World Heritage Siteand is the start of a wonderful stroll through one of the country’sfinest Georgian water gardens of calm lakes, canals, temples andtowers.

For an extraordinary glimpse into the world of the upper classes inthe 1930s, visit Upton House and Gardens in Warwickshire. Period

newspapers, games and overheard conversations are just some of thenew features which bring the spirit of the house to life. Or in Surreystep into the shoes of the charismatic owner of Ham House, theDuchess of Lauderdale. Enjoy her riverside mansion where hercollection of art, textile and furniture offer a snapshot of Stuartfashions and styles.

Explore one of the most inventive and influential gardens of thetwentieth century at Hidcote in Gloucestershire. Discover the ‘Artsand Crafts’ design where avenues lead into small pockets of old roses,rare plants and trees from all over world. Groups can also enjoycroquet or tennis here, or simply add to their own garden with lots onoffer in the plant shop.

Plus for groups that want something that little bit different toenhance their visit, we’ve produced a guide specifically focused onSpecial Interest Tours. From going behind the scenes of some of ourmost atmospheric houses to exclusive tours led by our expert guides,including head gardeners; there’s something for ever group pastime.

All the information you need to plan your next group day out canbe found in our indispensable Groups Guide, inspiring SpecialInterest Tours and dedicated trade newsletters. You can order yourfree copies online at www.nationaltrust.org.uk/groups or contact thetravel trade team directly on 0844 800 2329 or emailtraveltrade@nationaltrust.org.uk

*Calls provided by BT will be charged at 5 pence per minute. A Call Set-Up Fee of 8 pence per callapplies to calls from residential lines. Mobile and other providers costs may vary.

NTPL Nick Meers

NTPL Andrew Butler

3

Entertainmentnews inCentrestagestarting on Page 14

Destination Scotland Pages 8-9

Destination Yorkshire Pages 18-22

Forecast bleak for

weathergirlWinceyPage 18

ContactsEDITORIALAndrew Harrod group editor 01226 734639 ah@whpl.netLouise Cordell reporter 01226 734694 lcordell@whpl.netChristina Eccles reporter 01226 734463 ce@whpl.netMary Ferguson reporter 01226 734712 mf@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

Rachel Woodproduct manager01226 734611rw@whpl.netAndrew Loadessales executive01226 734634Tony Barrysales and marketing director01226 734605/01226 734333

CIRCULATION

Kelly Tarff01226 734695 kt@whpl.netFax: 01226 734477

Web: www.destination.uk.com

DESTINATIONNEWS

New service tobridge gap leftby organisationBy Christina Eccles

A VITAL new service has beenlaunched in Stratford-upon-Avonfollowing concerns that thesudden demise of ShakespeareCountry could harm tourism inthe area.

Not Just Shakespeare hasbeen set up by the team behindthe town’s award winningCreaky Cauldron museum, afterthe withdrawal of funding toShakespeare Country – theorganisation responsible forpromoting the area – forced it tocease trading and two localtourist information centres toclose.

The new service includes adetailed website, supported bya telephone information serviceand leaflets on local attractionsset up in the museum, whichtogether aim to provide visitorswith comprehensive informationon what to see and do in thearea.

According to Dave Matthews –CEO of founding company Seekthe Magic Org – it wasunthinkable for such a highprofile destination to not beable to offer an information

service to visitors and so theytook matters into their ownhands.

He explained: “We haveattractions that need to bepromoted and ShakespeareCountry was a major form ofpromotion for us. So we set thisup as a direct response to thereno longer being a tourismservice in Stratford.

“For a town like this not tohave a tourist informationservice is appalling and wecouldn’t allow that to continue.”

Seek the Magic Org alreadyowned a website, so was ableto act quickly whenShakespeare Country ceasedtrading at the end of March, toensure the town didn’t miss outon footfall for the peak Easterperiod and Shakespeare’sbirthday celebrations.

And so far, the service isproving to be very popular.

Dave added: “We have hadbrilliant feedback and peoplehave been very positive – wehave put a lot of effort intogetting it out there and visitorstatistics and hits have beenvery high. Not just Shakespeareis here to stay.”

A tourist attraction in West Sussex is tohost its first ever music festival thissummer – featuring three nights ofentertainment in a spectacular open airsetting.Wakehurst Place, which is owned byKew Gardens, is following in thefootsteps of Kew’s popular SummerSwing concerts by staging eventsagainst the backdrop of its 16th centuryElizabethan mansion and ornamentalgardens.Organisers have secured acts includingKatherine Jenkins, pictured above, withthe National Symphony Orchestra, TheMagic of Motown and the BootlegBeatles and hope that the concerts willbecome an annual event.Kew’s head of venue hire andcommercial events Nickola Savage said:“After the success of Summer Swing atKew, we thought it would be a greatopportunity to showcase WakehurstPlace. It is something different for thearea and a unique setting andatmosphere.”To stage the concerts, the venue isworking with Musical Concerts Ltd – acompany which has built up vastexperience in this area after working onconcerts at similar venues such as RHSWisley.

The Lennon Wall in Prague

LIVERPOOL attraction theBeatles Story has teamed upwith the National Museum inPrague to explore Beatlesthemed links between the twocities.

The museum will host aspecial exhibition – Beatlemaniawhich opens in June – and whilein Prague, the Beatles Story willcontinue to promote Liverpoolas a city break destination fortourists from the Czech capital.

Managing director of theBeatles Story Jerry Goldmansaid: “We are delighted to be

working with the NationalMuseum in Prague and this isan ideal opportunity for theBeatles Story to promoteLiverpool to a nation of Beatlesfans. As well as providing themuseum with memorabilia weare encouraging Czechs to visitLiverpool for an exciting culturalcity break. With our forthcomingJohn Lennon Tribute Seasonopening in October, we aredetermined that foreign visitorsare aware of what the city ofLiverpool has to offer and howaccessible we are.”

Beatles link two cities Industry urged to maximiseOlympic opportunitiesOLYMPIC gold medallist JonathanEdwards has urged the tourism industryto maximise the opportunities whichcould come from the 2012 Games.

Jonathan – who is now a LOCOGboard member and deputy chair of theLondon Nations and Regions Group –told visitors at this year’s Best ofBritain and Ireland trade forum that theLondon Olympics could act as aspringboard for a whole range ofbenefits – sporting, social and

economic – and it is up to UK tourismto take advantage of them.

He said: “The tourism benefit of the Games is absolutely crucial. The welcome we give can really make a difference and the tourismindustry is an important partner in that.

“This is a real opportunity for theindustry to make a statement. Here isa chance to make a mark and leave alasting legacy.”

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Tourism planmay bring225,000 jobsBy Christina Eccles

AN action plan has been created fortourism in England which could seethe industry deliver an additional£50bn in visitor spend and provide225,000 new jobs in the next 10years.

VisitEngland has launched the firstStrategic Tourism Framework for 10years, which highlights what needsto be done to maximise the tourismindustry’s contribution to England’seconomy, employment and quality oflife.

To ensure England retains andgrows market share in anincreasingly competitive industry,the detailed 10 year plan has beendrawn up to provide a focus for theindustry to work towards.

According to Visit England, theachievement of this growth wouldsee tourism significantlyoutstripping the performance ofmost other major sectors of thenational economy.

However a ‘no growth’ scenario forthe tourism industry would result insignificant job losses and thedemise of a wide range of tourism

businesses – so it is vital the actionplan succeeds.

The plan is made up of variousprogrammes and activities designedto boost tourism in Englandincluding events for the CulturalOlympiad, a new onlinesustainability programme andresearch around existing qualityschemes.

VisitEngland chief executive JamesBerresford said: “England is afantastic country whether visitorshave a couple of hours to spare, along weekend, or a two weekholiday.

“Tourism needs and indeeddeserves much greater recognitionfor the positive impacts it brings tothe economy in terms of income,skills and jobs. It is an excellentroute into employment at all levelswhich is why the prospect ofincreasing the number of jobs theindustry supports is so exciting.This framework strives for an evenhigher standard of quality andservice so that we improve ouroffering, increase jobs, spend andgrowth and champion a competitiveindustry.”

Twycross Zoo is celebrating two new arrivals – snow leopards Irmaand Suou. Once the pair have settled in, they will be introduced toeach other and moved to a new Himalayan themed enclosure in thezoo’s new visitor welcome centre.

Theme park packagedemand set to growDEMAND for packages for the UK’sbest theme parks will grow thisyear, according to experts atSuperbreak.

In the last 12 months, theoperator has booked over 15,000customers through agents on totheme park breaks and expects thisfigure to rise by a further 20 percent during the next year ascustomers seek to be among thefirst to experience this year’snewest rides.

Sales office manager ChrisCundall said: “New rides andattractions are a great way ofdriving repeat business and offer avalid reason to visit the park again.Staying overnight means it ispossible to enjoy two days in thetheme parks and get the most outof a visit.

“All package breaks are fullycommissionable to agents and area great thing to promote in thewindow.”

Local hoteliers have joined forces with Brighton and Hove City Councilto kick start citywide preparations for summer tourists.With all equipment and paint provided by the council, more than 30representatives from hotels, guest houses and B&Bs worked for threedays to paint sections of the resort’s famous seafront railings.This comes in addition to £600,000 agreed in the council’s budget torestore railings and shelters and carry out other improvements alongthe city’s seafront.

Stoneleigh selectedSTONELEIGH Park has beenselected as the venue for the GreatExhibition in 2012.

The event will take place betweenJune and August 2012 showcasingthe very best of Britain and will bean opportunity to see, in one place,all that is great about British cultureand society. It will run for over 90days and is anticipated to attractmore than 3m visitors.

Chief executive Brian Warren said:“We are absolutely delighted, hugelyexcited and immensely proud to behosting The Great Exhibition 2012.

“Stoneleigh Park offers a 1,000plus acre site with the utilities, theinfrastructure, as well as unequalledflexibility, ambition, and spirit toembrace any challenge and succeedand we are looking forward toworking with the team.”

THE Tour Booker is a new website designed to help online customers findthe right tour with minimum effort thus helping tour operators get morebookings without paying high agent fees.

We need tour operators to join us and place tours on our purposedesigned and easy to use booking system. The more companies that join,the better the site will work so ultimately more backsides on seats.

You have total control of how many and what tours you put onwww.thetourbooker.com and the accompanying information provided therein.There is a set format for every tour entered and you decide how many seatsyou wish to allocate. The Tour Booker is completely independent so nopreferential treatment, also no tour operator will be able to advertisebeyond their tour entries, so creating a level playing field. It will only take afew minutes to sign up. The site is live now.

New website designedfor minimum effort

04 29/4/10 14:12 Page 1

DESTINATIONNEWS

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Tourists gowild overnature ...NATURE and wildlife tourism isgrowing in popularity as visitors lookfor a meaningful experience on theirholidays, according to experts.

Operators running nature basedholidays have revealed that theescapism and emotional attachmentwhich tourists get from this type ofholiday is encouraging them toreturn.

According to figures, country andheritage tourism makes a £20.6bcontribution to the UK and one arealeading the way is Scotland, wherevisitors have the chance to getclose to some of the country’s mostspectacular natural landscapes andlocal wildlife

Sally Dowden – who runs touroperator Speyside Wildlife – said:“Research shows that people seeScotland as a place for those whoare interested in nature and wildlife.

“The media has had a huge affect– with programmes such as PlanetEarth and Springwatch – and thatgives us huge potential to capitaliseon an increasing interest in naturetourism.

“Scotland is perfect for naturebased tourism. It doesn’t have tobe difficult or strenuous – some

people take a very laid backapproach, such as a wildlifewatching boat trip.

“It is also a group activity. Nomatter what the size of the group is,people are looking for anauthenticity in their experience.

“Wildlife is unpredictable. Youcould go out and see nothing. Butone of the most fantastic thingsabout wildlife tourism is that youalways exceed expectations.”

But experts have warned that thistype of tourism also brings with it aserious message aboutsustainability to ensure that naturetourism doesn’t have a negativeimpact on the very environmentwhich tourists are wanting to see.

Duncan Mackay from NaturalEngland added: “This market iswhat overseas visitors want toexperience. But we need care andforethought to ensure we don’t killthe goose that laid the golden egg.”

To ensure Britain’s naturalenvironment isn’t damaged,operators and visitors are beingencouraged to be asenvironmentally friendly as possibleto keep their carbon footprint to aminimum.

Hollywood actor Robert Pattinson has joined the list of stars ondisplay at Madame Tussauds in London.To mark his debut a group of his biggest fans were invited to be thefirst to step into his exclusive VIP room to see him on display. Madame Tussauds’ spokesman Liz Edwards said: “R-Pattz is one ofthe hottest celebs on the planet. We are delighted to be able to givethem the chance to cosy up with their idol here at Madame Tussaudsand judging by the reactions of the first to meet him, he is set to topour ‘most kissed list of celebrities’ very quickly.”

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is hosting a two-day event which willtransport visitors into the world of steam.The Celebration of Steam will include displays of traction engines androad locomotives, steam wagons, boats and ride-on railways as wellas a whole host of Victorian dockyard characters.

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DESTINATIONNEWS

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By Christina Eccles

AN HISTORIC Scottish castle willhost its first ever outdoor concertthis year starring one of theworld’s biggest bands.

Chart topping boyband Westlifewill play a gig at Cawdor Castlenear Inverness in August after thevenue entered into an exclusivefive year deal with promoters CKEvents.

The company – which is alsobringing Rod Stewart to InvernessCaledonian Thistle’s football

ground in July – will stage theWestlife concert this year followedby two concerts every year for thenext four.

About 4,000 tickets for the10,000 capacity event weresnapped up in the first hour ofgoing on sale and the castle’sadministrator David Broadfootsaid Cawdor will provide theperfect backdrop for the concert.

He said: “The castle is openbetween May 1st and the firstSunday in October and we haveabout 95,000 visits in that period.

But you have to look for newincome streams all the time.

“It is very exciting. We want totake Cawdor out of the pack ofcastles and lead that pack. It canonly go from strength tostrength.”

But David added that the eventis not out to compete withScotland’s strong line up offestivals but instead it is bringingbands to the area which localpeople would not normally be ableto see without travelling to anarena such as Glasgow’s SECC.

He added: “The key thing is thisis not a festival. There are plentyalready in the Highlands such asBelladrum and Rockness. Andbecause there is no camping, thewhole local area can benefit, suchas B&Bs and hotels.

“The event will put big moneyinto the local area and gives usPR we couldn’t normally afford.”

The castle, which is the home ofthe Dowager Countess Cawdor,was also the venue for Take Thatstar Mark Owen’s wedding lastyear.

Westlife Cawdor Castle

Irish boyband headlinesScottish castle’s first concert

A major new attraction aimed atthe groups and coach tourmarkets has been opened by theLondon Bridge Experience andThe London Tombs.The new £750,000 interactiveset ensures visitors receive anaccurate experience of what lifeused to be like on London Bridge,led by characters in costume.Marketing manager GeraldineHuitric said: “This large new areagives us the ability to cope withgroups of any size and we will beworking closely with our grouptravel organiser and coach touroperator partners to make themost of this great opportunity forthem.”

£10million funding boostfor tourism in BlackpoolTOURISM in Blackpool is to benefitfrom £10m of new funding as partof a new regeneration programme,which could bring an extra 800,000visitors to the town every year.

Global visitor attractions operator,Merlin Entertainments has beenappointed by Blackpool Council tomanage the redevelopment andoperations of the iconic BlackpoolTower complex and Louis TussaudsWaxworks.

New features will include a

dungeon attraction in the towercomplex and the redevelopment ofLouis Tussauds into a second UKMadame Tussauds.

The investment programme –which begins in the Autumn – is setto transform the resort andestablish it as a world class familydestination for the future.

Merlin Entertainments’ chiefexecutive Nick Varney said: “This isa very innovative and groundbreaking initiative by Blackpool

Council, and a measure of just howseriously they take the regenerationof the town. We are delighted to beplaying a key role. From 2011 noother UK European centre otherthan London will be able to offersuch a broad selection ofinternational attraction brands.This will help take what is alreadythe best loved, and in our view mosticonic, seaside destinations inEurope into the premier league asan exceptional new family holidaydestination.”

Cruise firm offersnew experiencesLIVERPOOL’S Yellow Boat Cruisehas teamed up with local tourismbusinesses to create a newexperience for visitors wanting tosee the city by water.

The attraction has joined forceswith wine specialist Vinea andItalian restaurant Gusto to designa range of packages for touristswanting to enjoy a tour ofLiverpool’s South Docks.

To complement the Yellow BoatHeritage Cruise, passengers canchoose their own treat, including atwo-course meal or a wine tastingsession to complete theexperience.

06 28/4/10 12:40 Page 1

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 tournamentgarniture 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.

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.

Japanese armour image courtesy of The Royal Armouries.

DESTINATIONSCOTLAND

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SCOTLAND’S year of Homecomingsaw the whole of the Scottishtourism industry come together tocelebrate the best of the country’sevents and tourism industries.

A year long programme ofactivities celebrating all thingsScottish took place up and downthe country throughout 2009.

And although final figures have not yet been unveiled, alarge return on investment isexpected.

Philip explained: “2009 was agood year in the context of theeconomic recession and tourismhas done better than mostindustries. Tourism in Scotlandheld up pretty well, which wasdown to three facts – theexchange rate, people holidayingcloser to home and our year ofHomecoming

“But we had to take advantageof these trends with our

marketing. Homecoming was verygood. For a relatively modestinvestment of £5.5m, we expectto add value of £44m

“But what’s more important isthat it was a great example ofindustries working closely togetherand joining up their products, withevents taking place all over thecountry. We now hope to take thatforward.”

Philip revealed that the power ofa year long, nationwideprogramme – brought togetherunder one banner – proved to be agreat selling point and somethingwhich VisitScotland is hoping tobuild on.

He added: “We are going to haveanother year of Homecoming infour to five years and in between,themed years.

“The theme this year – runningfrom May to May – will be the yearof food and drink.”

The organisation has alsorecently launched the £2m PerfectDay campaign, which will alsohave a strong food and drinkelement – encouraging visitors tosample local produce andrestaurants and take part in acoastal food and drink trail.

Philip added Visit Scotland’smarketing focus is shifting – withthe organisation focusing onmarketing detailed itineraries tocreate the ‘perfect day’ inScotland.

“Looking at the market, we cansee similar trends continuing into2010. We believe there will stillbe an advantage from the weakpound and people staying closerto home and we are playing intothat with our marketing.

“I am confident we are in astrong position. Tourism is astrong pillar of the economy inScotland.”

Scottish tourism defied the recession last year thanks to clever marketing and the success ofits year of Homecoming. Christina Eccles spoke to Visit Scotland’s chief executive Philip Riddlewho explained why the positive outlook is set to continue this year ...

Homecoming helps Scottishtourism defy the recession

Philip Riddle

NEW funding worth £400,000has been allocated to helpprotect and enhance some ofthe most popular locationsaround Loch Lomondside.

The funding – provided by theNational Park Authority,Forestry Commission Scotlandand Scottish Natural Heritage(SNH) – will support a range ofmeasures including siteimprovements, trafficmanagement and improvedvisitor facilities.

It was announced byenvironment minister RoseannaCunningham on a visit to LochLomond and The TrossachsNational Park.

She said: “We have some ofthe most spectacular, unspoiltlandscapes in the world,including our iconic nationalparks which attract thousandsof tourists a year and areessential for our ruraleconomic development andrecreation.

“But welcoming millions ofvisitors every years means thatthis beautiful location issubject to a considerableamount of wear and tear – andit unfortunately attracts a smallnumber of people who payscant attention to theenvironment. The National ParkAuthority, working with keypartners, has long term plansto make sure we keep areas inthe park special forgenerations to come.”

£400k for Loch Lomondshire

Festival impact tobe measured inresearch projectTHE impact which the Edinburgh festivals haveon the city and Scotland as a whole are to bemeasured in a new research project.

The project, which will measure the impact ofall 12 Edinburgh Festivals, will look at theeconomic benefits as well as media profile,social and cultural benefits and environmentaloutcomes.

The work has been commissioned by sixScottish partners including EventScotland, City ofEdinburgh Council and Festivals Edinburgh.

EventScotland’s chief operating officer PaulBush said: “Measurement in the events industryis tremendously challenging and yet it isabsolutely vital to the ongoing success of eventsin Scotland.

The Edinburgh Festivals are, collectively, one ofour biggest assets, attracting massive audiencesyear on year. In 2010, we will start to gain aclearer understanding of just how great an assetthe festivals are to Scotland which will, in turn,help us determine the best ways to ensure theyflourish for many years to come.

“Potentially one of the most groundbreakingareas of work will be the measurement of thesocial impacts of the festival events, bothindividually and together.

“This will be an incredibly complex area toexplore and one which will potentially shapeScotland’s future relationship with the EdinburghFestivals. This research will, essentially, give usthe most comprehensive analysis of the festivalswe have ever had; it’s a hugely exciting piece ofwork.”

08 28/4/10 12:42 Page 1

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Tourism businessmust be pro-activeand well-preparedBy Christina Eccles

THERE are many opportunities fortourism in Scotland to capitalise on– providing businesses are wellprepared and pro-active, accordingto the new chairman of VisitScotland.

Dr Mike Cantlay’s role will involvehelping the industry grow andmaking the most of chances both inthe UK and in the internationalmarket.

And he told Destination UK thattourism in Scotland is a vitalindustry which can benefit theeconomy both in the short andlonger term.

He said: “We have aspirations forsignificant growth but the recessionhas blown us off course. I want tohelp to find the tools and look forstep changes that will transform theindustry.

“Tourism is huge – over 200,000people are employed in ourindustry. It is also sustainable. Thisshows with how it performs in arecession. The longer term ambitionis to seize upon these stepchanges to achieve sustainablegrowth.”

He also said that Scottish tourismcould also find positives from therecession if they approach it withthe right attitude.

He added: “Scotland has huge

opportunities in the short term andthe recession has opened up hugeopportunities internationally.

“Also, the ‘staycation’phenomenon will be here to stay.Brits, having stayed home last year,will have seen what they have beenmissing in their homeland. Theymay have had such a good timelast year, they will want to continuetheir voyage of discovery. Holidayingat home will become established.

“Scotland is in a great position.My greatest fear is that there arebusinesses in Scotland who don’tsee it coming.

“The opportunities are there butbusinesses must be aggressive andattack the market. It will be aslightly patchy year but tourism willlead the Scottish economy for yearsto come.”

Dr Mike Cantlay

Over 200 exhibitorsshowcase their servicesTHE best of the Scottishtourism industry gathered atGlasgow’s SECC for this year’sVisitScotland Expo.

Organised by Scotland’snational tourism agency, the two-day event attractedover 200 exhibitors keen to showcase their tourismservices and attractions.

Over 800 international and UKbuyers were present at theshow and according to figures,the number of appointmentsmade between buyers and

exhibitors and betweenexhibitors rose by almost 17per cent on last year to a totalof 4,684.

Visitors also had the option tojoin a spectacular Fire and Icenetworking event at XscapeBraehead where they weretreated to a ferry ride down the River Clyde to reach thevenue, live Scottish music and entertainment and the opportunity to try out Xscape’s range ofactivities.

Visitors to the QueenMother’s former home,the Castle of Mey will betreated to even morespectacular viewsthanks to the completionof a new turret.The Castle of Mey Trustlaunched its £35,000appeal to build the turretin the South East cornerof the walled garden 11months ago andcorporate sponsorsjoined individualbenefactors in buying abrick to help achieve thefundraising target.It was unveiled at aceremony by AnneDunnett, the LordLieutenant of Caithness.

Hotel chain has nine newScottish sites in pipelinePREMIER Inn is expanding itspresence in Scotland – with nine new Scottish sites in thepipeline.

Parent company Whitbread isinvesting over £42m to increase thetotal number of Premier Inns in

Scotland from 53 to 62.Locations for the new hotels

include Glasgow, Edinburgh,Dumbarton and Inverness and they will be opening in phases from Autumn 2010 to Spring 2012.

09 28/4/10 12:43 Page 1

DESTINATIONWILTSHIRE

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TOURISM in Wiltshire reported amixed 2009 with some areasperforming better than others.

Last year’s trends included the‘staycation’, people booking theirbreaks later and shorter lengthstays.

This year, the team at VisitWiltshire are feeling positive aboutthe coming months – with Alunrevealing to Destination UK howthey plan to target visitors.

He said: “Last year fromfeedback from our members wediscovered that generallyspeaking, attractions, bed andbreakfasts and camping andcaravanning had a good year.

“The sector that found it most

difficult was hotels. The businesstraveller and conferencing sectorof the market was the hardest hitbut a lot did turn their attention tothe leisure market to help offsetthe drop in business travel.”

Visit Wiltshire now has over 400members and a wider geographicalspread across the county thanever before.

Brochure requests are up over80 per cent on last year – and tocapitalise on this, discountedvouchers have been includedwithin the brochures for localattractions.

According to Alun, one of themost important markets for VisitWiltshire is day visitors and they

are using the area’s best knownbrands to try and highlightWiltshire as a destination for dayvisits and short breaks.

He added: “The day visitormarket is very important to us. 65per cent of our visitor spendcomes from day visitors. We areworking on a long term businessplan to maintain the number of dayvisitors but increase theproportion of staying visitors.

“We are using brands likeSalisbury and Stonehenge toposition Wiltshire as one ofBritain’s best kept destinationsecrets.

“Our key objective is to increasevisitor spend in Wiltshire, to

deliver more business formembers and more economicbenefit.”

Visit Wiltshire’s website is also akey marketing tool where usersare able to post their experienceof a break in Wiltshire online –providing a key resource for peoplethinking of holidaying in the area.

“People are finding the websiteuseful as a method ofcommunication and personalrecommendation is a powerful andimportant marketing tool for us

“There seems to be an increasedinterest in Wiltshire. We expect itto be a late booking market butresearch suggests there isoptimism about this season.”

With flagship attractions such as Stonehenge and Salisbury, Wiltshire is positioning itselfas one of Britain’s best kept destination secrets. Christina Eccles spoke to VisitWiltshire’s head of partnership Alun Williams to find out more ...

Mixed fortunes for Wiltshire in 2009

Left:Stonehengeand, right,SalisburyCathedral

OVER 120 cultural performancesand events will take place inWiltshire later this year as part ofthe Salisbury International ArtsFestival.

As part of the festival, some ofthe area’s most inspiring venues –including Stonehenge and SalisburyCathedral – will be used asperformance spaces.

Highlights from the festival’sprogramme include Shakespeare’s

Globe Theatre performing AMidsummer Night’s Dream at OldWardour Castle and the EuropeanUnion Chamber Orchestra with poetAndrew Motion performing inWilton’s Italianate church.

The Festival, which last year wasnamed the 2009 South West TouristEvent of the Year, is the biggestfestival in the South West and lastyear, over 23,000 people enjoyedfree events at the festival.

Last year’s festival

Unusual venues chosenfor Salisbury arts festival performances

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With the start of a new decade, Kensington Palace is undergoing awonderful transformation as June 2010 marks the start of a major £12million project to transform the visitor experience of one of London’smost iconic landmarks, Kensington Palace. Whilst this ambitiousproject is in progress, the palace will remain open for daytime visitorsto explore The Enchanted Palace and will continue to offer privateevening hire.

The transformation will include the complete re-presentation ofKensington Palace as a palace for everyone with transformed visitorfacilities and events to celebrate 2012 and Her Majesty The Queen’sDiamond Jubilee.

From 26 March 2010, Kensington Palace will become TheEnchanted Palace in a unique exhibition combining fashion,performance and dazzling spectacle to reveal Kensington’smagnificent State Apartments in a magical new light.

Acclaimed UK theatre company, WILDWORKS will cast a spell overthe palace, creating a mysterious and atmospheric world for visitorsto explore.

Against the backdrop of the King’s and Queen’s apartments, leadingfashion designers Vivienne Westwood, William Tempest, StephenJones, Boudicca, Aminaka Wilmont and illustrator/set designer EchoMorgan will each create spectacular installations, inspired by thestories of the princesses who once lived at Kensington – Mary, Anne,Caroline, Charlotte, Victoria, Margaret and Diana. Theseextraordinary contemporary designs will be displayed alongsidehistoric items from the Royal Collection and Kensington Palace’sRoyal Ceremonial Dress Collection, together with two dresses wornby Diana, Princess of Wales and Princess Margaret.

For help and advice in organising group visits to any of the historicroyal palaces, contact the Groups and Travel Trade Team on +44 (0) 20 3166 6311 or email groupsandtraveltrade@hrp.org.uk.

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Minister for culture, creativeindustries and tourism, MargaretHodge

“It is extremely difficult topersuade the treasury thatexpenditure today meansinvestment tomorrow.

“But we do all recognise thecentral importance of the tourismindustry and over the last threeyears, we have invested in excessof £2bn in our tourism industry.

“We have to choose our priorities.Anyone who says there is animmediate future in the reduction ofVAT [on accommodation] is settingup a false perspective.

“I try and pursue the objectives Ihave a realistic chance of achieving.There are other ways in which wecan support tourism, for example,offering free admission to museumsand galleries has made them hugelyattractive.

“I know the industry wants areduction in VAT but I am not goingto promise it. But I am going topromise the things I can deliver.

“The fact that more and moreBritish people chose to holiday inthe UK is good. And if they have agood experience, they will do itagain.

“We punch massively above ourweight and we ought to celebratethat.”

Chair of the ConservativeTourism Task Force, John Lewis

“We have had eight tourismministers in 12 years and fourculture secretaries in three years.The Conservatives have suggesteda whole range of changes such ashaving a dedicated tourism minister.“We are also intending to dismantle

the RDA system and let localcouncils decide what they want todo. RDA’s are irrelevant.

“We need a strong voice andsomeone representing the industrywho understands it – one personwho is solely responsible to answerproblems.

“Daylight saving time will also bein the Conservative manifesto.”

Shadow secretary of state,Liberal Democrats, Don Foster

“Tourism is an importantconsideration for any chancellor. Butall this talk about having a singleminister for tourism is not the keyissue. What matters is that we havea prime minister, chancellor andentire cabinet who recognise theimportance of tourism.

“If we are going to succeed intourism and the industry getting thesupport it needs and deserves, itmatters having all parties involved.

It’s not about having a singleperson but about crossdepartmental working, with greatsupport and attention given totourism.

“We are prepared to consider areduction of VAT rates onaccommodation. The cost would be£5b but the benefit would be in theregion of £5.75b.

“We will make it very clear thatthis is an issue we will look at veryclosely. It also should includeadmission to tourist attractions.

“It’s a very complex picture. If youlook at the figures, there has beena two per cent increase in thenumber of visitors coming to the UKbut the amount they spent per headwent down by six per cent.

“What matters the most is gettingthe overall economy back on track.That above everything is the thingthat will drive forward the tourismmarket.”

CEO Tourism Ireland, NiallGibbons

“We went through a turbulent timelast year and found we had to reactfast. The tourism industry spokewith one voice to make our case.We pulled together a tourism groupand got an increased fundingallocation of about three per cent.

“When times are tough, it isimportant we invest in promotingourselves overseas. We have a lotof good assets but need to ensureour offer is prominently displayed.

“The key challenge we have iscompetitiveness. There are certainthings we are not going to be ableto impact on but where we can havea real impact is our brand. We needeverybody to rally behind that andpull together under that banner. For now it is important to keep our product at the front of theshelf.”

Pictured, from left to right Margaret, Niall, John and Don

The biggest issues facing the UK tourism industry were discussed by a political panel at thisyear’s Best of Britain and Ireland trade forum. Destination UK went along to find out more ...

Panel tackle biggestissues facing UK tourism

SHADOW tourism minister TobiasEllwood has applauded the successof local partnerships in creating a sustainable and successful visitor economy in the Cheshireregion.

During a visit to the Virgin TrainsTalent Academy in Crewe, theBournemouth East MP praiseddestination managementorganisation Visit Chester andCheshire for its leadership indeveloping an approach to teamworking that has generated major economic and social benefits for the area and itsresidents.

He said: “The visitor economy inthe sub region continues to be astory of enterprise andachievement, thanks to the closeco-operation between the localauthorities, the strategic support ofthe Northwest RegionalDevelopment Agency and thecommitment to excellence of theprivate sector.

“Attractions, events and service providers are fully engagedin driving up standards and their efforts will undoubtedlygenerate more success in thefuture.”

Pictured at the event (left to right) are Virgin Trains communicationsdirector, Arthur Leathley, Tobias Ellwood MP and VCC chief executive,Chris Brown.

Praise for successof local partnerships

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SEEN by over 11m people worldwide,We Will Rock You is now storming intoits eighth year and is the biggest rocktheatrical event of the century.

This sensational mega-hit phenomenoncontinues to raise the roof and bringsaudiences to their feet with rapturous

standing ovations every night. Created by Queen and Ben Elton, the

show includes over 24 of Queen’sclassic hits, including Killer Queen,Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio GaGa ...and of course, We Will Rock You.

The rock theatrical phenomenon!

One Dream, One Vision ... One Smash Hit!

Dancing on Icewinner HayleyTamaddon willstar inpantomime inSheffield thisyear.Hayley will betaking on thetitle role ofPeter Pan in theshow at theLyceum Theatrefrom December10 to January 9.

THE world’s largest free theatrefestival is to return to London inJune, organisers have revealed.

More than 200,000 peopleare expected to attend WestEnd LIVE – which will take placein Leicester Square over twodays.

The event will include a line upshowcasing the very best ofWest End theatre, performingon a giant outdoor stage, andlast year performers includedthe cast of Chicago, JerseyBoys, Wicked and Dirty Dancing– with this year's line up set tobe bigger and better then ever

before.As well as watching the stage

performances, Westminster CityCouncil also organises a hostof fun activities for families toenjoy, including interactiveexhibitions from London’sleading museums and galleries.

President of the Society ofLondon Theatre Nica Burnssaid: "London has the besttheatre in the world and WestEnd Live is a fantasticopportunity for people tosample some of the West End's most popular shows for free."

200,000 expected atfree theatre festival

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West Endboom forfamily showsTHE West End is seeing a boom infamily-friendly shows – with the LionKing currently taking top spot asSuperbreak’s top-selling Londontheatre break.

The operator’s latest figures,which cover the Easter period, showthe school holiday period affectsthe demand for different shows –with the trend set to continue duringthe summer holidays.

Superbreak’s top selling showsthrough agents for April/May 2010are: 1. The Lion King 2. Billy Elliot 3. Jersey Boys 4. Dirty Dancing5. Sister Act

Sales director Ian Mounser said:“If the Easter period is anything togo by, I expect that the family showssuch as the Lion King, Wicked,Oliver! and Sister Act will sell wellduring the summer holidays. Wehave good ticket allocations andexcellent package prices forfamilies, making a theatre breakgreat value this summer.

“It is interesting that the Lion Kinghas returned to the top spot. Lastyear Oliver! had not been open long,but once that initial surge had dieddown it is clear that strong, longrunning shows come in to their ownand shows such as the Lion King,Billy Elliot and Wicked demonstratetheir resilience.”

By Christina Eccles

THE weak pound is continuing toattract visitors to London – and inparticular to West End theatres –according to an expert.

Figures released by Encore Ticketsfor the first quarter of the yearshow that ticket sales to inboundtravellers increased by 25 per centfor the first three months of 2010compared with last year.

North Western Europe – includingareas such as Scandinavia andGermany – was top of the list ofthose taking advantage of bargainrates in the UK. The top show forinternational bookings being AndrewLloyd Webber’s new hit Love NeverDies.

Managing director John Walessaid: “We have seen huge interestin the show from all round the world– so much so that we have nowbeen able to secure extra ticket

inventory for both our internationaland UK trade partners.”

The strong showing by EncoreTickets for the first quarter of thisyear builds on its 50 per centgrowth in ticket sales during 2008and 2009.

The latest figures from the Societyof London Theatres show that over14m people visited the capital’s 52major theatres last year, and of thisfigure Encore sold 1.5m tickets –more than 1 in 10.

And John added that the goodnews looks set to continuethroughout the rest of the year.

He added: “There is no doubt thearrival of spring will give a furtherboost to both the long termfavourites and great newproductions now showing in theWest End as well as the extrapublicity from the TV search for theactress to play Dorothy in the newproduction of the Wizard of Oz.” John Wales

Love Never Dies

West End thrivingas weak poundattracts visitors

Play transfersTHE Lyric Hammersmith andLiverpool Everyman and Playhouseproduction of Ghost Stories istransferring to the West End.

The play will open at London’sDuke of York Theatre in June,following sell-out successes. Artisticdirector of the Lyric HammersmithSean Holmes said: “I’m delightedthat Ghost Stories is transferring tothe Duke of York’s, not only is thetransfer a fantastic endorsement fora brilliant production but also anamazing way to end my first seasonat the Lyric.”

Booking has been extendedfor smash hit musicalGrease until September2011.The show returned to theWest End in July 2007 andhas since been seen by over1m theatregoers atLondon’s Piccadilly Theatre.The current cast includesNoel Sullivan as Danny andSiobhan Dillon as Sandy.Former Olympic skatingchampion and Dancing onIce judge Robin Cousinsalso guest stars as TeenAngel until June 19. Picture:Paul Coltas

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New West End play All My Sons will preview at the ApolloTheatre, Shaftesbury Avenue from 19 May. The productionstars David Suchet and Zoë Wanamaker andwill be directedby Howard Davies.

Singer Jane McDonald will be calling at the Princess Theatre inTorquay later this year to perform her smash hit new show.Jane, complete with orchestra and backing singers, will be leadingthe audience through a magical evening of music and laughter in alive concert at the venue in September.

Any Dream Will Dofinalist Keith Jack is to

take on the leadingrole of Joseph in

theatres up and downthe country.

The colourful retellingof the biblical story

about Joseph, his 11brothers and the coat

of many coloursincludes a score whichfeatures songs such as

Close Every Door andAny Dream Will Do.

Star of All The Fun of the Fair David Essex popped in to the EncoreTickets head office to meet the team.The company is offering group rates for the show, which is on atLondon’s Garrick Theatre, and includes hits such as Winter’s Tale,Hold Me Close and Me and My Girl.� Pictured is David with Encore Tickets MD John Wales.

STRATFORD-upon-Avon is the town where William Shakespeare, the world’sgreatest dramatist, was born and is buried.

Every year, millions of people celebrate his life and visit the attractions inthe town, including performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The company is currently performing in the award-winning CourtyardTheatre, but at the end of this year the RSC will re-open their transformedRoyal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres.

Become an RSC Group Member for just £15 per year – RSC GroupMembers enjoy a range of benefits including Priority Booking for RSCperformances in the UK, regular newsletters and email updates, ticketdiscounts and deferred payment options.

RSC Group members bringing a group of 8+ adults to RSC performancesMonday through Friday, enjoy £7 off Superseats and top price seats (non-members are entitled to £5 off per ticket), plus one half price ticket for thegroup organiser. In addition to the discount, if your plans change groupmembers are not charged a ticket exchange or resale fee (£2 per ticket fornon members).

Join online at www.rsc.org.uk/membership or call the RSC Membershipoffice on 01789 403440

Award winningtheatre with the RSC

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THE UK’s original celebrity weatherwoman Wincey Willis has been‘burned at the stake’ in the YorkDungeon.

The attraction was recreating thehorror of 16th and 17th centurywitch burnings in its most blood-curdling feature yet … WitchesBurned Alive.

Its terrifying climax sees the accused – usually someone plucked randomly from the audience – apparentlyincinerated on a raging bonfire.

Dungeon boss Helen Douglasexplained: “It’s all smoke andspecial effects of course but it’salso a chilling reminder of asuperstitious age when women andin some cases men could becondemned as witches on the mostabsurd grounds.

“Just owning a cat or having aknack with herbs could be crimesenough if someone pointed anaccusing finger.

“Being able to forecast theweather would have been ahazardous talent indeed.”

Forecast bleak as Winceyis burned at the stake

GROUP travel organisers can earn15 per cent commission for sellingthe Yorkshire Pass to Yorkshire’svisitors. The newly launched Yorkshire Passis the UK’s first regional sightseeingpass, offering entry to 75 crownjewel attractions. Attractions include world heritagesites from Fountains Abbey toStudley Royal, world famous historichouses from Castle Howard andYork Minster and the region’s royalcastles such as Conisbrough Castle. The Yorkshire Pass adds value toany group tour and offers greatdiscounts, giving visitors the

freedom to explore the region andsave money. The pass is availableas a one, two, three or six day passmaking it a superb addition to anyleisure break to the region. Thepass also comes with anaccompanying special offers bookletfor leisure activities, coffee shops

and restaurants, eveningentertainment and retail offers,alongside a map and attractionsinformation guide. The flexibility of the pass is afantastic add-on to any visit to theregion. It’s a great way to add valueto any trip whilst giving visitors thebenefit of exploring places theyotherwise might have missed.

For more information on how toqualify for the 15 per centcommission and include theYorkshire Pass in your itinerary,contact Elaine Moss oninfo@yorkshirepass.com orem@visityork.org

New Yorkshire Passcommission incentive

DESTINATIONYORKSHIRE in partnership with

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OFFERING great value for moneycombined with a high quality visitorexperience will be the key to asuccessful year, according toWelcome to Yorkshire’s chiefexecutive.

Gary Verity said that 2009 wasYorkshire’s ‘vintage year’, whichsaw the county become the fastestgrowing area in the UK in terms ofvisitor numbers and spend.

And he told Destination UK thatthe potential is there for this year tobe just as successful – as the areahas so much to offer to tourists.

He said: “You have got to shoutabout what your main positives areand stay on top of your game.Consumers have a lot of choiceavailable to them so look to offergreat value and high quality.

“The potential is there for it to bea good year.”

To maximise on tourismopportunities in the region, a range

of marketing tools have been usedto promote Yorkshire to as wide anaudience as possible.

However, Gary also said that whenputting marketing campaigns inplace, it is important to try differentthings in order to get the messageacross.

He added: “Our marketing hasbeen a combination of high profileTV advertising, some advertising atLondon mainline stations and anincreasing amount of work on theweb. You definitely need thatmarketing mix.”

This year, Welcome to Yorkshire isworking hard to target bothdomestic and international visitors –with the county’s strong transportlinks seen as a huge benefit.

Gary added that although thelargest number of internationalvisitors come from the USA, visitornumbers are also strong fromEuropean countries such as

Germany and Holland because of aregular ferry link with Hull.

Domestic visitors are also able tobenefit from a good train network –with trains running betweenYorkshire and London every half anhour.� One of the themes whichWelcome to Yorkshire is pushing

this year is gardens.The organisation is taking a stand

at the Chelsea Flower Show topromote Yorkshire’s range ofbeautiful gardens – of which 90 arefree to enter – to visitors.

The stand will also includecookery demonstrations from theregion’s six Michelin starred chefs.

Gary Verity

A vintage year for Yorkshire

RELIVE a golden era of the railways at the award-winning National RailwayMuseum.

Perfect for groups of any size from large coach parties to small socialgroups, you can look forward to an array of discounts and other benefitswhen you pre-book a visit to the NRM along with free entry, secure coachparking, guided tours and a free lunch for the coach driver.

As well as ahugecollection ofstunninglocomotivesand 100s ofexhibits, thereis alwayssomethingnew to

experience including a changing programmeof special events, talks and exhibitions. Wesay a fond farewell to the iconic, record-breaking Mallard on June 23 2010 as she

leaves on a return ticket to Locomotion, the National Railway Museum atShildon.

Witness the beginning of her journey as she is pulled from the Museum byTornado.

Discover the story behind a new stunning display of the locomotive andcarriage, Wainwright D Class 737 and Topaz in the Great Hall at the end ofJune and take a closer look at intriguing new exhibition Great WesternRailway Reflections, celebrating the 175th anniversary of the founding ofthe Great Western Railway (opens May 28 2010).

For further information about what’s on please visit www.nrm.org.uk

New exhibitionfrom NRM

DESTINATIONYORKSHIRE in partnership with

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Capital chanceto raise profileof YorkshireBy Christina Eccles

ABOUT 1,500 people attended aconference in Harrogate to hear major announcements whichaim to raise Yorkshire’s profile toanother level and attract morevisitors.

Gary Verity, Welcome toYorkshire’s chief executive,revealed at the Y10 conferencethat the tourism agency will besupporting a production of TheRailway Children at Waterloostation in London, using real steamtrains in the show.

As part of the event, an area ofexhibition space at the entrancewill also showcase the whole ofYorkshire, enticing Londoners andtourists in the capital to visit thecounty.

Gary said: “When it ran at theNational Railway Museum in York,The Railway Children attractedhuge audiences which is notsurprising as it is such an

engaging, interactive experience.

“We are incredibly excited to be taking such a successfulshow to the new ‘Welcome to Yorkshire Theatre’ in London.

“This is a massive opportunity toraise the profile of Yorkshire in ourcapital city.”

Welcome to Yorkshire alsorevealed it is working on a new TV series, The Dales, with filming scheduled to take placethroughout the Yorkshire Dales thissummer.

Gary added: “The impact this is set to have on tourism figures cannot be underestimat-ed.

“The Lakes attracted averageaudiences of 4.3m viewers andwe’re hoping even more will tune infor The Dales.”

Dome makes a splashwith prestigious awardDONCASTER Dome has scooped aprestigious business tourism award.

The attraction was named LargeVenue of the Year at the 2010Insider Business Tourism Awards –beating off competition from PondsForge, the Yorkshire Event Centre,the National Railway Museum inYork and the Harrogate InternationalCentre.

General manager Michael Hartsaid: “We are absolutely thrilled tohave won the title best large venue

at these prestigious industryawards.

“The award highlights the diversenature of events held at the venue.

“It really is testament to the hard work and dedication of all ourstaff that we are recognised fordelivering excellence in businesstourism.

“Such honours help to put theDome on the map, highlighting thehard work we do to help promotethe town on both a local andnational level.”

TAKE hold of thepast and explore theexcavations whichfirst unearthed theViking-age city ofJorvik in our brandnew exhibitions.

Built on the very sitewhere archaeologistsdiscovered over40,000 Viking-age

artefacts, this is nowyour chance to get up-close to 1,000-year-oldhouses as they arerevealed beneath yourfeet, objects taken fromthe excavations exploredand Viking-age timbersbrought before your eyes.

New audio and videodisplays help you to

investigate all of the information gathered from the five year-long dig atCoppergate and piece together the jigsaw of where the Vikings came from,why they came here, how they lived and died and where they travelled to.

Also coming soon, a new attraction from York Archaeological Trust –Micklegate Bar Museum – opening May 2010.

Special discounted rates are available for groups of 15 people and more,as well as a designated entry time to make the most of your day.

For more information visit www.jorvik-viking-centre.co.ukor call 01904 615505.

NOW in its 123rd year, theScarborough Cricket Festival isan end of season series ofcricket matches featuringYorkshire County Cricket Club.

The event has been held inScarborough, on the east coastof Yorkshire, since 1876 andthis year takes place fromAugust 22-26.

Welcome to Yorkshire areproud to be sponsoring the

event and are working with theclub to extend the period overwhich it is held to include morecultural events centred aroundthe cricket.

This year’s event looks set tobe even bigger and better withplenty to offer for groups of allsizes.

Further details can be foundon www.yorkshire.com.

Discover a worldbelow your feet

Bigger and better forannual cricket festival

in partnership with

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Theatre re-openingexpected to drawthe crowds to townTHE re-opening of Europe’slargest open air theatre inScarborough is expected toattract more visitors to the townand encourage them to staylonger.

The 6,500 seater venue will re-open in July – with a spectacularopera event starring JoseCarreras, Dame Kiri Te Kanawaand the Opera North Orchestra –after a £3.5m investment from Scarborough BoroughCouncil to restore it to its formerglory.

Scarborough Borough’sCouncil’s chief executive Jim

Dillon said: “It is fantastic that weare now living the dream ofbringing Scarborough’s Open AirTheatre back to life and it isanother fine example of thetown’s ability to deliver successon a grand scale.

“I believe that the theatre willhave a significant impact on bothtourism and the economic wellbeing of the whole of ourborough.

“It will be a unique facility and really put Scarborough on the national and internationalmap.”

VISITORS to Leeds will be able totake a fresh look at the city thissummer with the introduction of anew sightseeing bus and city cruise.

The open-top bus will offer a ‘hopon hop off’ service, between Mayand September, across a five mileroute of Leeds City Centre – taking

in sights such as MillenniumSquare, the Corn Exchange and theVictoria Quarter.

The new Leeds City Cruise willalso give visitors a new way toexplore the city – taking in thewaterways from Clarence Dock toBrewery Wharf and Granary Wharf.

Fare idea for Leeds visitors

IDEALLY located for groups visitingDerbyshire, Yorkshire, Lincolnshireand the East Midlands is Sheffield’sTropical Butterfly House, Wildlife andFalconry Centre.

Handle exotic snakes, seemagnificent birds of prey andwander among free-flying butterflies,bats and birds. Feed marmosetmonkeys, lorikeets and many moreamazing creatures.

Visit Meerkat Mansion, where youcan feed the centre’s most popularresidents and observe meerkatbehaviour in a natural environmentfrom special viewing areas.

Daily demonstrations includespectacular bird of prey displays andmany other enthralling animalencounters.

Let inspiring, knowledgeableguides provide a unique insight intoa world of tropical butterflies,insects and birds.

The charming new conservatoryprovides an idyllic setting in which tosample a range of traditional andspeciality teas, quality coffees,freshly-prepared meals andhomemade treats includingtraditional cream teas.

Open daily and located just fiveminutes from the M1 junction 31,the centre is within easy reach ofmany other popular destinationssuch as Chatsworth House, thePeak District and the city of Lincoln,making it a perfect addition to youritinerary.

Generous discounts apply togroups and coach tours. Otherbenefits include free admission forgroup organisers (groups of 15+),free coach parking andcomplimentary refreshments fordrivers.

For an unforgettable group visit in2010, visitwww.butterflyhouse.co.uk or call01909 569 416 to make a booking

FOR a summer treat with asporting twist, try the StephenJoseph Theatre Company’s newspin on Gilbert and Sullivan’smasterpiece: The Mikado.

Prepare to be bowled over asJapan is swapped for the idyllicsetting of Titipu Cricket Club,with superb melodies and songsto complement a biting satire oncapital punishment where in theend love conquers all.

The SJT is Scarborough’s localtheatre with an international reputation, with a block-busting summerseason that also includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream by WilliamShakespeare, Communicating Doors and Life of Riley, both written anddirected by Alan Ayckbourn.

For more information contact the Box Office on 01723 370541 or visit www.sjt.uk.com

Play offers a sporting twist

Sheffield attractionin an ideal location

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A great experiencewhatever the event!AFTER a spectacular £34m redevelopment completely changed the look andfeel of Doncaster Racecourse in 2007, the venue has gone on to prove itselfas a world class venue – not just as one of the UK's best known racecourses,staging the globally renowned Classic St. Leger horse race, but also as anexcellent setting for a multitude of high profile events and music concerts.

Past events and exhibitions have included live outdoor concerts after racing,with artists ranging from iconic '80'sband Madness attracting a crowd of over15,000 and R'n'B artists Alesha Dixonand Lemar, pulling crowds in excess of10,000, through to the quirky andamazing talents of tattoo artists fromacross the world showcasing their art atthe 2009 Tattoo Jam, due to return tothe racecourse again in August 2010.

Regular antiques fairs, computermarkets and toy fairs bring visitors fromaround across the UK and the constantaddition this year of new and excitingevents such as the Doncaster Pride eventand the course's own premium qualityWedding Shows ensures that there isalways an excellent choice of things to doand see at the venue all year round.

Horse racing is of course the key toDoncaster Racecourse, both recently andhistorically. With an equine heritage dating back to 1776, horse racing andthe racecourse have remained a strong force within Doncaster throughout andremain a key attraction for visitors to the town.

With an average of 32 race meetings each year running from Januarythrough to December, the racing fan is able to enjoy both Flat and NationalHunt racing at the course, enhanced on many dates by free entertainment forboth children and adults.

For race meetings, children are admitted to the course free of charge up tothe age of 18 years (but must be accompanied by an adult) including afterracing events such as the live outdoor music concerts.

For more information and event details visit:www.doncaster-racecourse.co.uk or call: 01302 304200

DESTINATIONYORKSHIRE in partnership with

DONCASTER may be a destination relatively unfamiliar to many in the traveltrade, but the launch of a new visitor guide by the recently formedDoncaster Tourism aims to change all that and showcase the many fineattractions in this historic Yorkshire town.

The new guide is packed withideas for a great day out or shortbreak.

Colin Joy, head of DoncasterTourism said: “For years,Doncaster has been far toomodest about its beautifularchitecture, fascinating historyand beautiful scenery. Being thelargest metropolitan borough inthe country, much of Doncaster isactually quite rural with manynature reserves and sites ofspecial scientific interest, such asPotteric Carr. And, being an oldcoaching town on the originalGreat North Road, the town ofDoncaster is simply brimming withhistory.

“We hope very much that ournew visitor guide will encouragemore people to appreciate justwhat Doncaster has to offer. Ourmarket is undoubtedly one of thefinest traditional markets in all of

England; our racecourse stages the oldest classic horse race in the world,the St Leger Stakes, taking place every September since 1776; and theDoncaster Locomotive Works was where the finest of steam trains werebuilt, such as the Flying Scotsman and the Mallard.”

The new 72 page guide is available from Doncaster Tourism.For more information contact:01302 736036tourism@doncaster.gov.ukwww.visitdoncaster.com

New visitor guidelaunched for Doncaster

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By Christina Eccles

USING sustainable methods oftransport can improve destinationsand the all-round visitor experience,according to experts.

The Brecon Beacons National Parkhas seen increasing numbers ofvisitors utilising public transportfacilities.

Having a good bus service to theattraction helps those who rely onpublic transport to visit as well asencouraging visitors who do havecars to leave them behind.

Sustainable tourism managerRichard Tyler revealed thataccording to figures, the percentagesplit of users of the Beacons Buswas 50/50 between those with nocar who needed to use the bus tovisit the park and those who had acar available but chose to travel onpublic transport.

And he said the key to successhas been effectively marketingalternative options for thosetravelling by car and delivering themessage that coming by bus or on

foot is not only better for theenvironment but also more fun.

He said: “We have tried to becommunicative and use goodillustrations to get across ourmessages for car free days out,which include family walks by busand mountain walks by bus. Wealso have a stand alone websitewhich has walking information onit.”

Alistair Kirkbride from the LakeDistrict National Park Authority hasalso been working to enhance traveloptions for visitors.

The area gets about 8m visitors ayear and the park has beensurveying their habits to determinewhat would encourage them toleave their cars behind.

He added: “We have looked at thedifferent types of visitors and thebiggest impact is their transport.

“Visitors’ attitudes to reducing caruse are that people are keen to usetheir car less but it has to beconvenient.

“You have got to be clever aboutmarketing places. We have

promoted alternative transport inthe Lake District such steamrailways, cruises, buses andelectricity charged vehicles.

“We are also starting to work with

coach operators, offering weekendbreaks for young people and alsomeasures to make it easier forpeople to leave the car once theyare here.”

More visitors use public transport

Pictured right: An award-winning museum in Stratford-upon-Avon has opened a newattraction.The Creaky Cauldron’s magicaltea and coffee shop, TheTaming of the Brew will stock arange of unusual teas, coffeeand old fashioned snacks.Spokesman Dave Matthewssaid: "We are delighted to beopening our magical Tea andCoffee Shoppe which will beunique to Stratford. Our teasand coffees come from allcorners of the world from Chinato Kenya and from Bangladeshto Vietnam. We will be sellinga truly unique range that willprovide our customers with theultimate tea drinkingexperience and unlimitedrefills.”

Pictured left: Oxford Castle haslaunched a new walking tourfor groups. The Sights andSecrets tour is available tovisitors already booked on atour at the famous visitorattraction and who want to findout more.

A HOTEL in Stratford-upon-Avon has retained itsprestigious four star AA rating after a recentinspection.

The Menzies Welcombe Hotel Spa and Golf Clubwas awarded a merit score of 83 per cent for itsaccommodation.

Head chef Robin Smith also retained two AARosette in the hotel’s Trevelyan Restaurant. Generalmanager Greg Fehler said: “We are delighted tohave retained our Four Star rating and two Rosetteswhich are both testament to the exemplary highstandards and commitment to excellence wemaintain. Our rating is a fantastic achievement andrecognition of the hotel being one of the leadingluxury country house hotels in the region.”

Hotel’s delight New hotelto be builtA NEW Premier Inn will be builtadjacent to the Olympic Stadium in Stratford as part of thecompany’s £160m hotel expansionin London.

The hotel will also be the closesthotel to the new StratfordInternational station, which openedlast December.

The site – plus the other newLondon locations – will all be open and trading by Summer 2012.

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Attractions staffcome togetherfor training daySTAFF from a range of Norfolkattractions came together for a oneday training course on how to givevisitors to the region a warmwelcome.

Representatives from WroxhamBarns, Pensthorpe Nature Reserve,Broads Tours and the RAF RadarMuseum – all members of theNorfolk Tourist AttractionsAssociation – completed theWelcome Host training course,which was delivered by East ofEngland Tourism.

It formed part of the nationalWelcome to Excellence initiative totrain staff in tourism businesses incustomer service skills and give

them a greater understanding of thevalue of tourism to the localeconomy.

Course leader CarolineFeatherstone said: "Welcome Hostis an activity based course.Delegates work in groups andreview their own customer serviceand look at ways to improve it. Wecover subjects like body language,first impressions and customerneeds, including those with specificneeds.

“The course also considers theimportance of tourism to the localeconomy, so that delegates canunderstand their contribution to theindustry.”

Two of the region’s tourism businesses were rewarded at this year’sEnjoy England Awards for Excellence. The Bildeston Crown in Suffolkwon gold in the Taste of England category and BeWILDerwood inNorfolk was awarded silver in the Large Visitor Attraction category,which was won by RHS Garden Wisley. The awards – sponsored byThe Caravan Club and run by VisitEngland – were presented at aceremony held at the Brighton Dome.� Pictured are the team from the Bildeston Crown collecting theiraward.

Phase two of a spectacularconservation project hasopened at Butterfly Worldnear St Albans.A new butterfly breedinghouse and insect studycentre are among the newattractions on display – withthe project due forcompletion next year withthe opening of a massivebiodome. When open, it willbe filled with 10,000 tropicalbutterflies, Maya ruins,caves, streams and ropewalkways.Butterfly World, backed byProfessor David Bellamy,pictured, Sir DavidAttenborough and actressEmilia Fox, is designed inthe shape of a butterfly’shead and set within 27acres of land.

St Albans’ project flies high

By Christina EcclesAN event has taken place to helptourism businesses in the Eastof England capitalise on the2012 Olympics.

About 130 tourism leaders andaccommodation providers fromacross the region met at theImperial War Museum Duxford tohear a range of speakers offeradvice and guidance on how tomake the most of the eventcoming to the UK.

Speakers included DonnaTaylor, head of accommodation atLOCOG, who gave the group

details of how many rooms willbe needed in London and the UK over the period of theOlympics and Paralympics andthe major planning andorganisation that is going onbehind the scenes.

She was joined by chiefexecutive of East of EnglandTourism Keith Brown whodiscussed the Fair Price Charterand Chris Foy, Head of the 2012Games Unit at VisitBritain – whogave the audience an insight intohow plans are developing withoverseas markets.

Advice on 2012opportunities

DIRECTLY to the north of London,the East of England is based aroundthe ancient kingdom of East Anglia –covering the counties ofBedfordshire, Cambridgeshire,Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk andSuffolk. The area has preservedmuch of its unspoiled character,rural landscape, architecture andtraditions. From the University city ofCambridge and seaside fun, tooutdoor pursuits and the unspoiledwaterways of The Broads – there issomething for everyone.

A visit to one of our seasideresorts is always a hit – fromCromer or Sheringham in the Northof Norfolk – over to the west for

Hunstanton or south into Suffolk forSouthwold, for a taste of how thingsused to be, Aldeburgh or Felixstowethen towards the great Essexresorts of Clacton, Walton orSouthend with their sandy beachesand great attractions.

Perhaps you would prefer a morecultural experience? Then discoverthe history and heritage of our majortowns and cities. In Colchester youwill find over 2,000 years of historythriving alongside 21st centuryculture. Norwich offers plenty ofhistory and the Norman Cathedral isa particular treasure.

For fabulous views around Suffolkand Essex in the Dedham Vale, anArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty– see the locations John Constableused for his famous paintings.

On the website you will find a hugevariety of places to stay, explorewhat exciting things there are to doand discover a comprehensivedatabase of events.

www.visiteastofengland.com

Area offers somethingfor everyone

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By Christina EcclesA NEW campaign has beenlaunched to position Suffolk as thefestival capital of the UK.

The Festivals Suffolk brand hasbeen created to highlight thenumber and quality of events takingplace in the county and toencourage more tourists to tie avisit to an event into their holiday orshort break.

Festivals promoted will includeLatitude, the Newmarket Festivaland Harvest at Jimmy’s and festivalfans will be able to find out morethrough a dedicated campaignwebsite.

Choose Suffolk’s tourism managerAlex Paul said: “There are a greatvariety and quality of festivals inSuffolk and festivals areincreasingly driving traffic todestinations and are a great way to connect with new audiences.

“The idea has been very wellreceived in the local area andevents have been keen to get on

board.”

Alex added that the campaign will be beneficial both to the local tourism industry and to theevents themselves who will besharing database contacts to help to market each other’s events.

He added: “Suffolk is a strongbrand in itself but if you run highquality events you need to work withtourism.

“You can’t just rely on the sameaudiences coming back again.Tourists are a very serious sourceof new visits.”

As well as a website, a new brandidentity and logo has been createdand a Festivals Suffolk sofa will beappearing at all of the partnerevents for press and VIPs.

The campaign will carry onthroughout the year and Alex also said that Choose Suffolk iskeen to also roll it out overseas tokey European markets such asFrance, Germany and theNetherlands.

Latitude Festival

Suffolk bids tobe the festivalcapital of the UK

VISITORS to Cambridge can nowexperience university life forthemselves – by booking intoone of 19 colleges offering bedand breakfast.

The colleges have just openedtheir doors for B&B in theUniversity’s vacation periods –with a range of room styles andlocations on offer.

Manager of ConferenceCambridge Kelly Vickers said:“Thousands of visitors come toCambridge each year, attracted

by the historical architectureand unique atmosphere of thecolleges.

“In the past, requests forstaying in college have mainlycome from groups but we have noticed a significantincrease in enquiries fromindividuals.

“Now everyone can experienceit first hand by booking into oneof our participating venuesoffering bed and breakfast in theUniversity vacations.”

Taste of university life

GAINSBOROUGH’S House is thebirthplace of Thomas Gainsborough.

The house dates back to the 16thcentury and has an attractive walledgarden. The outstanding collection isshown together with 18th centuryfurniture and memorabilia. There isa varied programme of exhibitionson both historic British andcontemporary art throughout theyear.

Special arrangements are made forgroups; please ask for details whenbooking a visit. The size of the house precludes guided tours, but we dooffer an introductory talk about the house and the collection.

Open: Monday - Saturday 10am - 5pmTelephone: 01787 372958 www.gainsborough.org

BRIM full of history, WestNorfolk is a treasure trove ofhouses, windmills, castles andheritage sites to discover.

King’s Lynn is a real jewel ofa town, steeped in maritimeand trading history. Not farfrom the renownedSandringham House isHoughton Hall, a splendidPalladian mansion with award-winning gardens and parkland.

Discover museums and the natural world, beautiful gardens, arts andcrafts centres, festivals and so much more.

West Norfolk – Easy to reach, great to explore. For further information and advice on planning trips to West Norfolk,contact one of our Tourist Information Centres or visit our website.King’s Lynn TIC 01553 763044. Hunstanton TIC 01485 532610Downham Market TIC 01366 383287. www.visitwestnorfolk.com

16th Century attraction

Exploring West Norfolk

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By Mark Miller, executive director of the Tourism Society

THE 2010 Tourism Societyconference will be returning toLondon after a five-year absenceand the venue will be the iconicLord’s Cricket Ground.

This year's conference will besponsored by The Carrier Group,comprising of direct marketingspecialists Carrier DirectMarketing and online marketersCarter Communication.

The pre-conference programmekicks off on Sunday June 13 whendelegates can either join a guidedstudy tour of the 2012 LondonOlympic site, or watch a 20/20cricket cup match at Lord’s. Therewill be an informal networkingevening open to all members.

The conference will take place onMonday June 14. The format thisyear will be different from that ofprevious years, aiming to engagedelegate participation and debate.

Following the official opening byour chairman, Alison Cryer, keynote speaker Tobias Ellwood,currently shadow minister forCulture, Media and Sport will nodoubt provide first hand interestinginsights into the future of Britishpolitics.

The audience will then hear twoplenary sessions:

The first presentation will be leadby Ken Robinson, Tourism Societythink-tank chairman on OptimisingTourism – Strategies, Policy,

Funding and Delivery. This willfocus on how the tourism industrycan best utilise the assets it hasto propel it forward for the comingdecade.

The second presentation willcover tourism’s link withBiodiversity.

After a networking lunchdelegates will split up into fourbreakout sessions and will havethe option to go to two of thesessions during the afternoon.

The first will be chaired by TheCarrier Group, entitled New Mediaand Marketing for Tomorrow, PeterVarlow, TEAM Tourism Consulting

will talk the audience through theworld of social media. There willalso be a live Twitter feed runningin the background which will beused during the presentation.

The second option will beContinual ProfessionalDevelopment, Training andEducation and the Need forIncreased CPD as the Workforce'sAge Increases Over the NextDecade. With the integration of theTourism Management Institute(TMI) and the Tourism Society, CPDhas become the latest benefit ofbeing a member. Cathy Guthrey,honorary secretary TMI, will talk

delegates through the advantagesof participating in a CPDprogramme and what it can do foryour career.

Session three will look at A NewDecade of Events Conferences andIncentives post recession,analysing the current market andlooking at future opportunities andthreats such as the impact of the2012 legacy and bidding for the2018 World Cup.

The final session will focus onThe Future of Tourism Consultancy.Chris Wikeley, chairman of TheTourism Consultants Network, aspecial interest section of TheTourism Society will consider therole consultants play in thetourism industry, how this haschanged and the TCN'sexpectations for the next 10 years.

Finally delegates will come backtogether for summaries of thesessions and outcomes by thechairmen followed by debate andcomment.

After the conference, dinner willbe held in the famous MaryleboneCricket Club Long Room. Finallyrounding off the day with awelcome speech from the societypresident Lord Thurso MP and anentertaining after dinner speech.

On day two, Tuesday June 15,the 2010 Tourism Society AGM willbe held in the delegate hotel at9am. All members are welcome toattend and hear about theirsociety's future plans.

For more information and toregister for the conference pleasevisit the Tourism Society website –www.tourismsociety.org

Conference returns to thecapital after five-year break

TV PRESENTER Michaela Strachanwill host the Lancashire andBlackpool Tourism Awards, whichtake place at the MercureDunkenhalgh Hotel in June.

The awards highlight theachievements and contribution ofthe county’s tourism businesses toLancashire’s £3b visitor economy –with winners progressing to theNorthwest regional finals and thechance to go on to the nationalEnjoy England Awards forExcellence.

LBTB chief executive MikeWilkinson said: “It is great news

that Michaela is going to join us forthis year’s awards. Lancashire is 80per cent rural and blessed withareas of outstanding natural beauty,an abundance of fascinating wildlifeand attractions dedicated to sharingan appreciation of animals and theenvironment. Judging by some ofthis year’s finalists, which includethe award-winning Blackpool Zoo,the internationally significant naturereserve Martin Mere and attractionssuch as Cobble Hey Farm and theoutdoor experience Go Ape –Lancashire, like Michaela, is justwild about nature.”

MichaelaStrachanPicture: AdamWhite

Michaela to host awardsTHOUSANDS of visitors descendedon Stratford-upon-Avon to celebratethe 446th birthday of WilliamShakespeare.

The celebrations began with theunveiling of a specialcommemorative plaque displaying apoem by Dr Sir Muhammad Iqbal –who was influenced byShakespeare’s work – at theShakespeare Centre.

During the celebrations,internationally renowned artistsfrom Pakistan entertained thecrowds with a spectacularprogramme of performance.

The streets of Stratford were alsofilled with music and entertainmentand a people’s procession throughthe town.

Chairman of the ShakespeareBirthday Celebrations CommitteeNicolas Walsh said: “We had greatbirthday celebrations, from theceremonial of the procession, to thecarnival atmosphere of theentertainment.

“Youth theatre companies fromRussia, the USA and Englandperformed Shakespeare scenes andwe heard great speeches.”

Bard’s birthday celebrated

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