extensive media coverage welcome - wordpress.com · e: [email protected] literature swap...

www.discover-stratford.com e: [email protected]

Extensive media coverageMillions of potential national and international visitors have been reached through extensive media coverage promoting the destination.

Destination News (Stratford-on-Avon District)

to the first edition of Destination News (Stratford-on-Avon District) Summer 2011, newsletter aimed at informing industry stakeholders across the district and the borders of tourism activity.

We hope that this gives readers a flavour of the tourism activity that the District Council is actively engaged with and has supported for the destination.

If you have an article that you would like to be considered for inclusion in the next edition of Destination News proposed for Autumn/Winter 2011 this will need to be no more than 200 words and include as high a resolution image as possible.

Please note that the deadline for copy is Monday 24 October, 2011 and as space is limited, articles will be considered on a first come first served basis – the editor reserves the right to decide which articles will be used.

For further details contact Nancy Singleton [email protected]

Welcome

This has been achieved through intensive promotional activity over the last 12 months by the PR expert commissioned by Stratford-on-Avon District Council who has thousands of contacts with national and international media. The value of this publicity equates to an advertising value equivalent of around £1million.

£1millionThis reflects the potential collective cost to industry stakeholders if they were to pay for adverts to promote their tourism offer.

Issue 1 : Summer 2011


Destination News (Stratford-on-Avon District) Issue 1 : Summer 2011

Discover Stratford

The website has been established as a vital marketing tool for the destination and enables visitors to access a wealth of information including accommodation, attractions, events, places to eat and drink, links to Shakespeare, travelling to Stratford district and details regarding the Tourist Information Centre. The website is continually updated with information and events which will appeal to the visitor.

If you are an accommodation provider, tourism attraction, hospitality provider, local producer, retailer and have a tourism offer then we can promote this FREE OF CHARGE on the Discover Stratford website. We can also promote forthcoming events that would be of visitor interest.

For further details contact: John Tonge [email protected]

Stratford District Council has created a visitor website under the brand ‘Discover Stratford’ which can be found at www.discover-stratford.com

Around 12,000 visitors and more than 80 exhibitors including local and regional food & drink producers and retailers were present at the Alcester and Forest of Arden Food Festival which took place on Saturday 21 May.

As well as locals, the event attracted visitors from as far afield as Herefordshire, Scotland, Devon, London and France who were keen to sample and purchase the variety of local and regional food and drink on offer from cheeses, sausages, ciders, home made chutneys, meats, breads and speciality cakes.

A day long survey of visitors produced some wonderful comments suggesting that every visitor enjoyed the experience of Alcester. They came from all over the country with many tourists staying in South Warwickshire, picking up a leaflet from their hotel and deciding to come to Alcester for the first time. The only serious complaint was that the foods on offer were so good that they spent more than intended! Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Alcester Town Council, Waitrose Ltd and Dudleys coaches all supported the event.

As two of the main aims of the Festival were to promote business in the area, and also to support Tourism in South Warwickshire, the event organisers safely believe that they have succeeded in this.

For further details contact [email protected]

Alcester and Forest of Arden Food Festival

Many of you will be aware that the District Council is currently out to consultation with its Draft Tourism Strategy. Thank you to those of you who have provided feedback. For those of you who have not yet responded there is still an opportunity to do so via the following link http://www.stratford.gov.uk/survey/tourism_strategy which will take you to an electronic version of the draft Strategy and a series of short questions for your feedback - closing date is 31st August. As part of the consultation process, stakeholders are invited to attend a workshop to start to develop a five year tourism strategy for the district.

Workshop 1:- Aimed at accommodation providers including hotels, B&B’s & self catering, hosted by:- The Arden Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon, on Monday 19th September, 10.00 am until 1.00 pm. Workshop 2:- Aimed at attractions/hospitality/retailers/local producers & others,

hosted by:- Stratford Armouries, Pathlow, Stratford-on-Avon, on Monday 26th September, 10.00 am until 1.00 pm There are only a few places left, so if you would like to attend please contact: [email protected]

Draft Tourism Strategy

http://www.discover-stratford.com

http://www.stratford.gov.uk/survey/tourism_strategy



Stratford-upon-Avon River Festival

Many different types of boats really brought the river to life, including coracles, canoes, lifeboats, cruisers, narrow boats and model boats.

Visitors over the two days were treated to a range of free family entertainment, including bands, dancers, street entertainers and music which continued into the night. On Saturday thousands of visitors were also treated to a firework extravaganza where more than 100 boats were moored on the river to add to the spectacular. For further details contact: www.stratforward.co.uk

More than 30,000 people descended on Stratford-upon-Avon during the weekend of 30th June and for the town’s annual River Festival where as well as the river, much of the entertainment centred on the recreation ground and bandstand.

Attracting New Visitors to the District through Familiarisation TripsFamiliarisation Trips (Fam trips) for Coach and Tour Operators

Two familiarisation trips were organised by Stratford District Council in July & September 2010 to showcase the Stratford District and encourage group tour operators and coach companies to bring groups to the area.

Business Tourism Fam Trip - 3 March 2011

Seven international conference bookers were hosted by Stratford District Council on a Fam trip to conference venues in Stratford-upon-Avon. The conference bookers were part of a group of 120 hosted buyers who were brought to England by Visit Britain. An E-Newsletter was issued to all of the 120 international conference buyers in March 2011 promoting Stratford-upon-Avon as a destination for business tourism and a press release was issued promoting the Fam trip.

Fam Trip with Visit Britain

Visit Britain has been working with Emirate airlines to position Birmingham airport as the gateway to the Heart of England. As a result of this work a group of 12 top selling international travel agents from New Zealand visited Stratford-upon-Avon on 17 & 18 May 2011 and Stratford-on-Avon District Council coordinated the itinerary for them to showcase the district.

Many accommodation providers, attractions and hospitality providers benefited as a result of these trips.

Best of Britain & Ireland Exhibition March 2012The District Council has reserved an exhibition stand at Best of Britain & Ireland Travel Trade Forum which is the official travel trade event of the year. This showcase offers business opportunities for exhibitors, trade visitors and Hosted Buyers from overseas and the domestic market in a trade only business environment. This will provide stand share opportunities for tourism partners in the district.

Bollywood Comes to Stratford-upon-AvonStratford-upon-Avon is a magnet for the film industry and the District Council is regularly contacted by film directors and producers who wish to capitalise on the town’s beauty and its assets to showcase in their productions.

We actively work with the film industry to help them find accommodation and hospitality for their crews, presenters and celebrities. Working with the industry provides one of the best free opportunities to promote and showcase the area to potential national and international visitors.

Former Miss World/Miss India, Indian actress Priyanka Chopra and Indian actor Shahid Kapoor have recently been filming in Stratford upon Avon for the making of a new Bollywood block buster film directed by Kunal Kohli. Filming includes a montage of scenes which took place at landmarks across the town.

NBC are showcasing Stratford-upon-Avon in the run up to the Olympics and were in Stratford in June with presenter Mary Carillo where filming featured Holy Trinity Church, Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and Shakespeare’s school. On average 25 million people watch the Olympic broadcast, aggregated over the Olympic period this equates to over 200 million viewers.

http://www.stratforward.co.uk


Literature swap


Attractions and accommodation providers used the event as a networking opportunity to gather information on attractions for their customers.

Many exhibitors found the event useful and informative and wish to meet more accommodation providers at next years event which will be hosted by a National Trust attraction.

A literature swap event hosted by Stratford Armouries and organised by Stratford-on-Avon District Council took place on 11 April 2011.

For further details contact: Nancy Singleton: [email protected] Jackie Fallon: [email protected]

Tourist Information Centre

The District Council is committed to providing a Tourist Information Centre in Stratford upon Avon and is working with Stratford upon Avon College who are delivering the service.

The Tourist Information Centre is located in the centre of Stratford-upon-Avon and provides a wealth of information to visitors. The Centre has level access, and a loop system for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Summary of Services • Last minute accommodation booking

• Sales of books, guides and maps

• Advice and information on attractions, shopping and food & drink

• ‘Queue-Buster’ ticket sales for attractions

• Pay as you go Internet access with Skype, headset and webcam and print facilities

• Stagecoach Bus, National Express Coach, Johnson’s day trips and Open-Top tour bus services

Open 7 days a week 10:00am-5:00pm March to October (10:00am-4:00pm November to February). Tourist Information Centre 62 Henley Street Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6PT For further information contact:- Telephone: +44 (0) 1789 264293 Email: [email protected]

Destination News (Stratford-on-Avon District)

page promoting the major market towns of the district. A total of 20,000 Copies will be printed and distributed to variety of outlets including all the Tourist Information Centres in England.

This is Birmingham and Welcome to Oxford

An A4 advert promoting Stratford-upon-Avon has been placed in the publications “This is Birmingham” and “Welcome to Oxford”. The literature is circulated to hotels in both destinations and it provides visitor information to encourage extended stays.


Finally...

Runner Up Award


Visitor Survey

Whilst this newsletter is aimed at industry stakeholders, if you have a story of visitor interest that you would like to be considered for promotion, please let us have the information which we can pass on to the travel trade through our e.newsletters and promote on the Discover Stratford website.

The District Council has commissioned a visitor survey which is currently underway at various locations in Stratford upon Avon. The survey will end at the beginning of September.

National & International Promotion

Coventry and Warwickshire - At the Heart of Invention 2010-11

The 2012/13 edition of this publication will feature a double

We are promoting and showcasing the destination by actively working with consortia and national and international publications:-

Editorial and advert in German Publication April 2011 with a link to the Discover-Stratford website

A 500 word editorial and a web link were placed in the ‘Heritage of our World’ publication distributed in the German market place.

Britain’s Heritage Cities

Stratford District Council is a member of the consortia Britain’s Heritage Cities which is a group of cities that have joined forces to market their destinations to the group operator market in America. This consortia is sending a representative to New York in September 2011 to promote the Heritage Cities to North American Travel Agents at the Destination Britain event and also at the ASTA’s Travel Retailing & Destination Expo in Las Vegas.

Stratford upon Avon was recently Runner-Up in the 2011 Group Travel Awards category of Best UK Destination for Groups – the overall winner was York. The Group Travel Awards are voted for by the readers of Group Travel Organiser magazine and represents their personal experience of Stratford.

We were invited to place a small advert of appreciation in the latest edition of The Group Travel Organiser Magazine which has resulted in many requests for information on attractions including Stratford Butterfly Farm, Shakespeare Houses,

Stratford-upon-Avon – Runner up as the Best Place for Group Travel

accommodation, Christmas markets and Christmas lights festival.

So far enquiries have come from Bedford, Bristol, Essex, Swindon, Edinburgh, Wales, Liverpool, West Yorkshire, Marseille and Dorset.

extensive media coverage welcome - wordpress.com · e: [email protected] literature swap...

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