Epsom Coaches has reported a 27% increase in the number of day trip bookings made during September compared to the same period in 2015.
The figures reflect recent research from VisitEngland showing that the number of domestic tourism day trips from January to August in England this year hit 988 million, up 14% on the same period last year.
The Epsom Coaches team at the launch of the 2017 brochure at Epsom Racecourse on 5 October
Epsom Coaches says that October is set to be equally successful. With only a few days of the month gone, the number of bookings made has already passed 75% of the total made during the whole of October last year.
“Our September and October figures back-up the research from VisitEngland and reflect the growing interest for day trips,” say Huw Barrington, Epsom Coaches’ Commercial Director. “Our longer tours remain very popular, however, we’ve seen a marked increase in day trip bookings in the last couple of months which looks set to continue into Christmas and beyond. This is down, no doubt, to people’s busy lives and the flexibility of getting away just for the day, but also the diverse range of trips that we offer that appeal to all ages.”
For 2017, Epsom Coaches’ day trip programme, launched on 5 October at Epsom Racecourse, offers 207 trips in the UK and continental Europe, and 155 coach holidays.
The Coach Tourism Council has become the Coach Tourism Association as the trade organisation moves to better describe its purpose.
Announcing the change at the CTA AGM held on 8 August, Chairman Denise Bridges said that the term ‘Council’ was misleading and that the new name more accurately describes the trade organisation. A new logo has been designed that maintains the organisation’s green theme.
Brian Way, the owner of Wayahead Travel in Bournemouth, was elected to the CTA Board. He joins chair Denise Bridges of Albatross Travel, vice chair Jane Duffelen of Shaws Coaches, Robert Shaw of Harry Shaw, and Louise Fitzpatrick of Marriott Hotels who were all returned unopposed.
Members heard that the CTA is to support an initiative for a comprehensive survey to help the coach tourism industry plan for the future and exploit the potential to increase the number of people taking coach tours. For more information, go to www.coachtourismassociation.co.uk
The AGM formed part of a weekend hosted by QHotels at its 4-star Cheltenham Chase Hotel. Members enjoyed familiarisation visits to Gloucester and the WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, as well as the traditional CTA summer barbeque.
Dan Kelly, general manager of the Cheltenham Chase Hotel, says: “We were delighted to welcome CTA members to our hotel. With 122 rooms, and our location just off the M5, we regularly welcome groups of all sizes.”
Brian Way, of Wayahead Travel, is welcomed to the CTA Board by chairman Denise Bridges
The city of Inverness has become the 28th recipient of the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK’s prestigious ‘Coach Friendly Towns, Cities and Villages’ status.
The status acknowledges the commitment made by Inverness to understand and meet the requirements of coaches, drivers and passengers arriving in the city.
Jeremy Tinsley, manager for CPT Scotland says: “Highland Council, in partnership with Inverness Business Improvement District (BID), has worked tirelessly over several years to deliver and provide high quality facilities in Inverness for visiting coaches and their passengers. It has made excellent provision in terms of passenger pick-up, drop-off and coach parking and CPT, drivers and passengers alike are delighted with the service provided by the Coach Ambassadors who offer a true ‘Highland Welcome’.”
Alf Scrimgour, CPT’s tourism executive and administrator of the scheme, says: “We are extremely impressed by the way all the stakeholders in the city have pulled together to present a true ‘Coach Friendly’ face to the industry, its vehicles, staff and visitors. Inverness clearly appreciates the value of coach tourism to the city and region, and this Coach Friendly status is very well deserved.”
Mike Smith, manager of Inverness BID says: “BID is delighted to have worked with the Highland Council on delivering a successful coach friendly facility in Ardross Street. This drop off and pick up area will be used by a fantastic 1,900 coaches this season – up 18% from 2015. The feedback from coach passengers, guides and drivers is that they all are very pleased with the “Welcome” we have provided for them.”
Provost of the city of Inverness, Councillor Helen Carmichael, says: “This is great news for our ‘City in the Highlands’ which not only prides itself on our ‘Highland Welcome’ but recognises the major economic importance of the tourist industry and the vital part that the coach travel sector plays in making Inverness the fourth most popular destination in Britain. A dedicated coach drop-off and pick-up point supported by the appointment of a Coach Ambassador has greatly enhanced the coach tourism experience for visitors to Inverness. Central Ward Members have been instrumental in ensuring that the new arrangements at Ardross Street are a success and are most supportive of the Award. Congratulations to everyone who has helped to make this happen.”
The formal presentation of Coach Friendly Status to Inverness will be made at the CPT Scottish Conference on 4 October.
CPT has also launched a new website giving details of its ‘coach friendly’ initiative. There are details of the recipients of the ‘Coach Friendly Towns, Cities and Villages’ status, and the recently introduced ‘Coach Friendly Visitor Attractions’ status. For more information, go to www.coachfriendly.co.uk
Inverness has been awarded ‘Coach Friendly’ status by the CPT. L-R – Ward Member, Cllr Bet McAllister; Inverness BID manager, Mike Smith; Inverness City Manager, David Haas; and Provost Helen Carmichael
Bus and coach industry trade magazine routeONE is reporting (23 August) that the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK (CPT) has commissioned a London coach study, focusing on “the major areas where coaches have a pivotal function such as tourism, commuter services, scheduled express services and home-to-school”.
CPT says: “Recognising the importance of London as a destination and the significant part coaches play in supporting the capital’s economy, CPT has commissioned a study of the London coach tourism sector as an integral part of London’s transport network. Against a background of the ever greater challenges to improve the environment and keep London moving, the aim is to provide a definitive picture of the contribution the industry can make towards these goals and demonstrate the positive aspects which, on occasions, have been overlooked.”
The findings are expected to be published in the autumn.
Details have yet to be announced explaining how this new study links in with the London Tourist Coach Action Plan, the joint initiative introduced in 2014 between Transport for London and CPT that aims to find solutions to the challenges faced by coach operators working in the Capital.
The National Coach Tourism Awards (NCTA), the leading national awards scheme for the coach tourism industry, has been relaunched as the British Coach Tourism Awards (BCTA).
Organiser Diversified Communications has also taken the opportunity to introduce a new brand identity as it moves to fully integrate the awards with the British Tourism & Travel Show.
The renaming and rebranding completes a move started in March 2016 when the awards moved from being a stand-alone event to be part of the British Tourism & Travel Show.
The renaming and rebranding was announced this week as the search begins for the winners of the British Coach Tourism Awards 2017.
Entries are now being invited for 18 awards. The closing date for entries is 6 January with a list of finalists due to be announced shortly after. The winners will be announced on Wednesday 22 March at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham.
The National Coach Tourism Awards has been relaunched as the British Coach Tourism Awards
Comment
Since launching in 2005, the National Coach Tourism Awards has established itself as a major event in the coach tourism calendar.
Over those years, the awards categories have been finely tuned to give most sectors of the coach tourism industry the opportunity to battle it out with their direct competitors. It is this focus on giving the industry what it needs that has helped to bring continued success, both in terms of the number of entries and in the number of coach tourism professionals attending the presentation evening.
In 2016, organiser Diversified Communications moved the presentation evening to become part of the British Tourism & Travel Show, attracting new involvement from exhibitors and visitors to the two-day trade show. Now, as the search for the 2017 winners is launched, Diversified Communications has relaunched the scheme, introducing a new name and brand identity.
In addition to recognising the best coach tour operators, the focus remains on destinations, visitor attractions and suppliers who can demonstrate a commitment to being ‘coach friendly’.
It’s important to note that the BCTA categories are always ‘…of the Year’ and relate only to the year in question. This ensures a differentiation from the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK’s ‘Coach Friendly Visitor Attraction Status’, and ‘Coach Friendly Towns, Cities and Villages Status’ which is an ongoing recognition.
While many of the award categories for 2017 will be familiar, there are some new awards, and a handful of others have changed.
New for 2017 is the ‘Accessibility Award’, recognising destinations, attractions, hotels and tour operators that can demonstrate a strong policy for accessible travel.
Also new is ‘European Coach Friendly Visitor Attraction of the Year’, separating continental European visitor attractions out from the hitherto combined UK/continental European award. It’s an interesting differential in light of the new ‘British’ focus.
The long-standing ‘Cross-Sea Carrier’ award has been merged with the ‘River and Inland Cruise Operator’ category. In comes the ‘Sea, Canal and Inland Riverboat Carrier of the Year’. It’s a surprising move as these are very different industry sectors. It seem likely then that we may see the likes of Ullswater Steamers and Windermere Lake Cruises in direct competition with DFDS, P&O Ferries and Eurotunnel Le Shuttle.
There’s a similar challenge looming in the accommodation category. The two separate categories for hotel groups and individual hotels have been combined, resulting in a single category for what is a hugely important industry sector. It’s an equally surprising move.
The ‘Coach Monthly Special Award’ has been renamed ‘The British Coach Tourism Recognition Award’. The website indicates that the award will be presented to someone who has made an “extraordinary contribution to the industry”.
But what makes entering the BCTA worthwhile is the reputational benefit to be gained by either being a finalist or winning. These awards have always stood out from others because of the way in which the organisers supply finalists and winners with PR support.
The BCTA is the only national awards scheme that specifically focuses on coach tourism. But winning an award, or being a finalist is only part of the story. What really matters is the business benefit that follows as a result.
From Saturday 3 September, Leeds will have a new visitor attraction when the ‘Emmerdale Studio Experience’ opens its doors for the first time.
Situated in the programme’s former studio on Burley Road in Leeds, a short distance from the city centre, the brand new experience will take groups on a journey to show how Emmerdale’s characters and stories are brought to life so sensationally for the screen. The attraction says the ‘Emmerdale Studio Experience’ “will give groups the opportunity to become part of the drama and discover the magic that lies at the heart of ITV’s iconic television series”.
Fully guided tours will shine a light on the production process and reveal how everything fits together. With full-scale set reconstructions, preserved props and costumes, to the secrets behind stunts and special effects, this is a rare chance to step behind the camera and into the exciting world of telly.
Groups will experience the much-loved surroundings of the Dingles, Bernice’s Salon, Smithy Cottage and The Woolpack sets, hear fascinating facts on some of the soap’s biggest storylines, and get the gossip and stories from the studio floor as a guide takes them on a unique tour.
The attraction will feature a full-size replica of ‘The Dingles’ set. Artist impression (c) Continuum Attractions
A spectacularly crafted quarter-size replica ‘model’ village’ sits at the heart of the attraction where sculpted rows of ‘stone clad’ cottages, Bob’s café, David’s shop and The Woolpack nestle together illustrating the warmth of village life. Plus, groups have the chance to tread the boards behind The Woolpack bar for a photograph – the ultimate souvenir for any Emmerdale fan.
Groups will have the chance to tread the boards behind ‘The Woolpack’ bar for a photograph. Artist impression (c) Continuum Attractions
The visitor experience is being operated by Continuum Attractions in partnership with ITV, a relationship that generated unprecedented demand for the seasonal Emmerdale village tours to the exterior filming set north of Leeds, and the success of ‘Coronation Street The Tour’ in Manchester before it closed at the end of last year.
The Emmerdale Studio Experience tours will run seven days a week from 10am to 5pm. Rates for groups of 15 or more are £18.75 for adults, and £17.75 for concessions and children.
It’s understood that a typical visit will last between one and a half and two hours.
‘Coronation Street On Tour’ opens at the SECC in Glasgow on 27 August and runs until 1 January. It is then due to transfer to Belfast, subject to planning permission. Visitors will be able to see a purpose-built inflatable show dome featuring authentic sets and preserved memorabilia in what Continuum Attractions describes as “a compelling and extraordinary environment”.
Continuum Attractions owns, operates and manages the following cultural attractions across the UK:
What are people saying about the British Airways i360 in Brighton?
The world’s tallest moving observation tower, the British Airways i360, opened in Brighton on Thursday 4 August. Here’s an early snapshot of opinion.
Teresa Machan, writing in The Telegraph, says:
“At three times the height of Nelson’s column, many who look up at the i360 from the seafront promenade comment that it is too high to contemplate riding in. “I must admit I had the jitters,” said one rider, today. “But because the glass curves away you really don’t notice how high you are.”
Or that you’re moving. Our launch was so smooth that it is was only once the beach began dropping away that I realised the pod (an oblate ellipsoid to give it its technical name) was in motion and that our gentle, gradual ascent had begun. This was not a thrill ride – even in today’s inclement gusts. The tower’s cantilever design, we were told, is designed to withstand typical Brighton wind conditions.
First at our feet is Hove’s promenade with its grand, sea-facing Regency squares, the 1884 seafront bandstand and the rectangular expanse of Hove Lawns, where Victorian ladies would parade in bouffant skirts. Brighton’s rooftops trip cheek-by-jowl up the city’s gently sloping landscape towards the great iron canopy of the railway station.
The relatively low-rise domed turrets of Brighton Royal Pavilion are just about visible, and I was pleased to spot unmistakable red-pink façade of the Lion and Lobster pub – another popular Brighton institution.
At around 50 metres the rolling hinterland of the South Downs National Park begins to unfold. I could see as far as Worthing Pier to the west, and east, to Beachy Head. At 162 metres the chalky cliff is exactly the same height as the i360.
On a good day you can apparently see St Boniface Down on the Isle of Wight. “And there’s a white building in the distance that we think is Butlin’s Bognor Regis,” said someone from the i360 team. Binoculars may come in handy.”
“From the top – on a clear day – you can apparently see the tip of the Isle of Wight, 40 miles away. No such luck on my visit. On the hazy afternoon of my 20-minute “flight”, the sparkling white cliffs of the Seven Sisters were a dull grey smudge in the distance, while the rolling Sussex Downs dissolved into a blur. But even on a dull day, the city unfolds beneath you in surprising ways. Brighton’s steeply sloping topography becomes ever more apparent as you glide upwards, as does the pattern of buttery Regency terraces, framing squares that open on to the waterfront to capitalise on views of the sea. The merry hotchpotch of the seafront’s bandstands, paddling pools and beach volleyball courts then slowly flattens out into a train-set landscape, until the Palace Pier is reduced to nothing but a spindly finger of twinkling lights.
The experience is similar to a tethered hot-air balloon ride, the kind that used to entertain Victorian crowds at the nearby St Ann’s Well Gardens in Hove – except you’re trapped inside a glass capsule, cut off from the sounds and smells of the seaside. With the view partly distorted by ripples and reflections in the double-curved glazing (which might prove more of an issue at night, when the accompanying cocktail bar glows into action), it can make you wish for the simpler age of balloons and baskets, and for a gulp of fresh air. To opponents, it may still be the iSore, a Chernobyl chimney despoiling the beach. It could have been designed to feel less like a corporate entertainment lounge on a stick. But by night, when it glows like a sword plunging down from the heavens, it is hard to resist.”
Kate Whiting, from the Press Association, writing for the BT website, says:
“Besides soaking up the views, it’s mesmerising to watch the honeycomb-patterned steel cans that form the world’s most slender tower slip through the centre of the pod.”
Martin Slater, National Sales Manager with Greatdays Travel Group, says:
I felt privileged to be invited to the pre-launch of the British Airways i360 on Tuesday 3 August. This is simply a combination of exceptional engineering technology and architectural design. Located on Brighton beach, where the once famous Victorian pier stood, it was then said you can experience walking on water. With the British Airways i360 you have the opportunity to experience walking on air! The pod will elevate up to 200 people to a height of 138 metres (453 feet), while simultaneously providing an observation platform giving passengers unimpeded views and the freedom to stroll around or sit whilst taking in the unfolding views. The attraction is ideal for the leisure, incentive or educational market.
The British Airways i360 in Brighton, the world’s tallest moving observation tower, will open on Thursday 4 August.
The operator of the attraction, which is located on Brighton’s sea front, says that visitors will “glide up the tower in a fully enclosed futuristic glass viewing pod to admire the unfolding views across Brighton and the south coast”.
During the day, ‘flights’ will take 20 minutes (from leaving the ground to returning to it). After 6pm the pod transforms into the Nyetimber Sky Bar serving the finest drinks from the region. These evening flights will take 30 minutes.
Pre-booked group visitors will benefit from priority entry and discounts and/or group free places. The attraction says that a visit will last around an hour. This will include a ‘pre-ride experience’, the flight itself, and time in the shop and exhibition.
Ticket prices for groups of 15 or more are £13.50 for adults, £11.25 for Seniors aged 60 and over, and £6.75 for children aged 4 to 15 inclusive. Children under 4 travel free.
Tour operators planning to take regular groups may be eligible for a travel trade account. For more information email groups@britishairwaysi360.com
Conceived and designed by Marks Barfield Architects, creators of the London Eye, the attraction opens almost exactly two years to the day from the moment the project team put the first spade in the ground to begin construction.
Architects David Marks and Julia Barfield say: “After two years of intense groundbreaking architectural and engineering work on Brighton beach, we are delighted to announce the forthcoming completion of British Airways i360 with tickets now on sale to the public for flights from Thursday 4 August. The team behind the British Airways i360 has gone beyond the call of duty and created a new landmark they should all be proud of.
“Built at the landward end of Brighton’s historic West Pier, the British Airways i360 is a modern day vertical pier which invites visitors to ‘walk on air’ and gain a new perspective on the city, just as the West Pier invited Victorian society to ‘walk on water’.
“The glass viewing pod, ten times the size of a London Eye capsule and capable of carrying up to 200 passengers, will slowly rise up a slender steel tower to a height of 450 feet to provide passengers with stunning views of Brighton and Hove and a beautiful panorama of the south coast and English Channel.”
Lynne Embleton, British Airways director of strategy and MD Gatwick, says: “The British Airways i360 is now ready for take-off and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors on board. Brighton is home to thousands of our customers and colleagues and we fly to more than 65 destinations across the globe from Gatwick so we are delighted to be involved in this exciting attraction that we know UK and international visitors will love.”
Tickets can be booked at www.britishairwaysi360.com or by calling 03337 720 360 (a £2 surcharge will be added to each booking made by telephone). Bookings can also be made at the British Airways i360 ticket office from Thursday 4 August.
www.britishairwaysi360.com
The British Airways i360 in Brighton opens on 4 August
The popular north Wales destinations of Conwy and Betws-y-Coed have been awarded the Confederation of Passenger Transport UK’s prestigious ‘Coach Friendly Towns, Cities and Villages Status’.
The status, established in 2003, recognises the work and commitment that towns, cities and villages have made to providing coach operators, along with their drivers and passengers, a warm welcome and easy access to key visitor attractions and facilities in their area.
Neighbouring Llandudno was awarded the status in November in 2014.
Commenting, Alf Scrimgour, CPT’s Tourism Executive, says: “These three tourist locations in north Wales, which are all part of the Conwy Development Board, may all be very different in terms of what they have to offer visitors but they each make every effort to both attract and provide a warm welcome to visiting coach groups.
“I am delighted to see that Llandudno continues to go from strength-to-strength, further improving its offer to coaches and coach parties. Despite being much smaller resorts, Conwy and Betws-y-Coed have shown a real understanding of the requirements of coaches and coach groups by developing suitably located coach parking, pick-up and drop-off points close to key attractions and facilities. I have been particularly impressed by the ongoing commitment of the Conwy Development Board in maintaining and improving the overall offer to visiting coach groups.”
Accepting the status on behalf of Conwy, Betws-y-Coed and Llandudno, Councillor Graham Rees, Chairman of the Conwy Strategic Management Board says: “Coach passenger travel is a growing and valued market segment to the tourism industry in Conwy County, and a vital income source to accommodation and service providers of the county. It provides the county with an environmentally friendly mode of transport for visitors especially as they travel around the beauty spots of the county.
“The value of the CPT Coach Friendly status has been clearly identified in our 2015-18 Destination Conwy Action Plan. We see it as a great honour and are very proud to be the first UK destination to have three of its resorts achieve this status. We will strive to have our other resorts and attractions achieve the required standards to obtain these and similar awards.”
Conwy and Betws-y-Coed bring the number of recipients of the award to 27.
Conwy and Betws-y-Coed have been awarded the CPT’s ‘Coach Friendly Cities, Towns & Villages Status’. Conwy Castle stands guard over the town
A move by the French region of Seine-et-Marne near Paris to engage more productively with UK group travel professionals has been hailed a success.
A two-day trade workshop held at the Phoenix Artist Club in Covent Garden in central London on 14 and 15 June gave coach operators, tour wholesalers and group travel organisers the opportunity to spend up to an hour with representatives from the Seine-et-Marne region.
Severine Camblong, media and communications manager with Seine-et-Marne Tourism, who led the initiative, says: “We were really pleased to be able to come to London to meet coach operators, tour wholesalers and group travel organisers. The longer one-to-one meetings gave us all more time to discuss group packages. I would like to thank all the coach tourism professionals who took the time to meet with us, and look forward to welcoming them and their groups to Seine-et-Marne soon.”
Mandy Keating, product development manager with Market Harborough-based Diamond Holidays, was one of the UK group travel professionals to attend. Commenting on the workshop she says: “It was great to have time to talk about an area of France that I’m not very familiar with, and beneficial to have a whole hour of one-to-one to really get to know and understand what Seine-et-Marne has to offer. I’ve come away from the workshop with ideas for new tours and new experiences to add to our existing tours.”
The trade workshop is the latest initiative from Seine-et-Marne to encourage more UK group and tour planners to take a closer look at the region that sits just to the east of Paris.
In May the tourist office re-launched its one-stop-booking service that makes it easier for the UK market to find out more information and book tour packages.
Group-friendly attractions include the three chateaux of Fontainebleau, Vaux le Vicomte and Champs-sur-Marne, the medieval walled town of Provins, and the historic town of Meaux.
Tour planners wanting more information should email Marjorie Sebille at sebille@tourisme77.fr, or go to www.visit.pariswhatelse.fr
The Phoenix Artist Club, located under the Phoenix Theatre in Charing Cross Road in Covent Garden in central London offers tour planners an unusual venue for pre-West End show meals. For more information, go to www.phoenixartistclub.com
Seine-et-Marne tourism visited London on 14/15 June to meet with UK tour planners. The workshop was held at the Phoenix Artist Club in Charing Cross Road. Mandy Keating (right) from Diamond Holidays, is seen here with Florian Chenet from Meaux Tourism, and Severine Camblong, from Seine-et-Marne Tourism
