Issue 62 Summer 2015 £2.75

Free Wi-Fi topsmost popularhotel amenityBy Christina Eccles

FREE Wi-Fi is the most popular hotelamenity in the world, a survey hasfound, with technology savvy trav-ellers choosing it as their mostimportant factor when deciding onsomewhere to stay.

Booking website Hotels.com askedalmost 5,000 respondents – a com-bination of both leisure and businesstravellers – which facilities were mostimportant to them when booking ahotel.

30 per cent of respondents pickedfree Wi-Fi, knocking a complimentarybreakfast off last year's top spot tosecond place with 21 per cent of theglobal vote.

Free parking remained in third placefor another year with one in 10choosing this facility, beating swim-ming pool facilities on eight per centand on-site restaurants and roomservice offerings, which achieved onlythree and two per cent respectively.

According to the results, the 10popular global hotel amenities are:1. Free Wi-Fi – 30 per cent.2. Breakfast – 21 per cent.3. Free parking – 10 per cent.4. Swimming pool – eight per cent.5. Luxury mattress – seven per cent.6. In room tea/coffee maker – fiveper cent.7. On-site restaurant – three percent.

7. High end linens – three per cent.7. Hair dryer – three per cent.10. Room service – two per cent.

The survey also revealed mini-barsare the hotel feature voted most dis-appointing, with nearly a quarterbelieving this is the top amenity thatisn’t worth the hype. This is followedby a turndown service, receiving 13per cent of the global vote.

Brits still seem hooked on a tradi-tional English breakfast, with meatssuch as bacon and sausages comingin at 46 per cent when looking atfood offerings, while only 20 per centchose the healthier fresh fruit option.

Carolina Annand from Hotels.comsaid: “It is interesting to see howimportant technology is to hotelguests these days, and with societyrelying on email, messenger toolsand websites to stay connected whenabroad, it looks as if more traditionalamenities such as the mini bar androom service are falling out of favourwith guests."

Free Wi-Fi also topped the list ofthe top 10 most popular UK hotelamenities on 28 per cent, with theUK breakdown showing similar resultsto the global survey, also naming freebreakfasts in second place and freeparking in third. Completing the top10 was an in room tea/coffee maker;swimming pool; on-site restaurant;high end linens; hair dryer; luxurymattress and child care options.

LONDON’S tourism bodyVisitlondon.com has wel-comed the birth of the Royalbaby as the capital expectsmore visitors than ever beforethis summer.

VisitLondon.com is predict-ing London will welcome near-ly 32m international and UKtourists to the city in 2015 –2.7m more than the 29.1mvisitors in 2013.

The year of Prince George’sbirth, 2013, was a record-breaking year for tourism, withLondon welcoming almost 17million international visits.

Gordon Innes, chief execu-tive of London and Partners,the Mayor of London’s officialpromotional company whichruns VisitLondon.com, said:

“While it’s impossible toquantify the effect the birth ofa new royal baby will have onthe number of tourists visitingLondon, it’s clear thatLondon’s tourism is goingfrom strength the strength,and its royal connections andattractions are key driversthat attract people from theUK and abroad to the capi-tal.”

To mark the arrival of thenewest member of the royalfamily, many London hotels,restaurants and attractionsare celebrating with regalthemed afternoon teas, pack-ages and special offers.

This year’s South Tyneside Festival isset to attract more than 120,000 visi-tors, with organisers announcing anaction packed programme of events.Confirmed so far include free concertsby Britain’s Got Talent winnersCollabro, X Factor winner JoeMcElderry (pictured) and pop legendBilly Ocean. A spectacular SummerParade, celebrating 150 years sincethe publication of Alice in Wonderland,will also form part of the celebrations,moving through the streets of SouthShields on Saturday July 4.

Londonwelcomesa newPrincess

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EDITORIALJudith Halkerston group editor 01226 734639 jh@scriptmedia.co.ukChristina Eccles reporter 01226 734463ce@scriptmedia.co.ukOlivia Taylor reporter ot@scriptmedia.co.ukDominic Musgrave reporter dm@scriptmedia.co.uk

PRODUCTIONStewart Holt – studio manager –sth@scriptmedia.co.ukLaura Blackburn – graphic designerlb@scriptmedia.co.ukScott Firth – graphic designersf@scriptmedia.co.uk

ADVERTISINGTony Barrysales and marketing director01226 734605

CIRCULATIONKelly Tarff01226 734695 kt@scriptmedia.co.ukWeb: www.destination.uk.com

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Contacts

At Script Media, we try to get things right but occasionally, we make mistakes. If you have acomplaint about a story featured in our magazine or on our website, please, in the first instance,contact us by email: ce@scriptmedia.co.uk We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice asdemanded by the Independent Press Standards Organisation. For details on the code and what todo should you be unsatisfied with the way we handle your complaint, please visit www.ipso.co.uk

Television series brought tolife on Edinburgh’s streets By Christina Eccles

HIT US television series Outlander isbeing brought to life on the streets ofEdinburgh, thanks to award winningMercat Tours.

The operator has launched theEdinburgh Outlander Experience – awalking tour that takes in locationsfeatured in the bestselling books byDiana Gabaldon – to celebrate therole the city plays in the stories andcapitalise on the popularity of theshow, particularly with Americanvisitors.

To celebrate the launch of the touron the Royal Mile, Mercat guidesLara Benne and Jason Martindressed as literary heroes ClaireRandall and Jamie Fraser.

Managing director of Mercat Tours,Kat Brogan, said: “Claire and Jamiehave captured the imagination ofpeople across the world andScotland’s stunning landscape is abreathtaking backdrop to theiradventures.

“We’re delighted to reveal the sitesfeatured in the historical drama and

share the true stories of turmoil andromance during the Jacobiterebellion.”

Regional director at VisitScotland,Manuela Calchin, added: “DianaGabaldon’s books enjoy a massiveglobal following and the launch ofthe television series has sentOutlander’s popularity into thestratosphere.

“We know that 40 per cent ofvisitors to Scotland are encouragedto visit this country after seeing it onfilm or on television, and MercatTours’ new Edinburgh OutlanderExperience will give fans a fantasticopportunity to learn about thecapital’s fascinating history, whilefollowing in the footsteps of theirfavourite fictional characters.”

Mercat Tours has launched the Edinburgh Outlander Experience.

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THE National Trust for Scotlandhas unveiled a new series ofgroup experiences at one of itsmost popular visitor attractions –Culzean Castle in Ayrshire.

The new tours are designed to‘unpack’ the fascinating historyand legends surrounding thecastle and the people who livedthere.

Head of travel trade PietroCecchini said: “Our latest guidedtours have been created byCulzean’s expert team,exclusively for the group market.

“Visitors can come face to facewith the past when they meet a‘marquess’ (or possibly the‘butler’!), delve into the stories ofthe Kennedy family, enjoy aspecial cookery demo in our‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ event, andmarvel at Robert Adam’s genius(including the magnificent ovalstaircase) on our celebratoryEnlightenment Tour.”

New toursat CulzeanCastle

Car-free dayout guidelaunched A NEW look traveller’s guide hasbeen launched to help make acar-free day out in the LakeDistrict easier than ever toorganise.

With support from the GoLakesTravel programme, 25,000copies of the free 64-page guideare being printed for distributionthroughout the South and CentralLakes ahead of the peak holidayseason.

Available from informationcentres, hotels and touristattractions, the A5 guide ispacked with inspirational ideas,itineraries and maps, as well aspractical details about gettingaround by bus, boat, bike andboot.

There is also advice on railtravel and 24/7 access to ‘pay-as-you-drive’ cars at keytransport hubs.

LIVERPOOL Pride will return tothe city on August 1, organisershave revealed.

Established in 2010, LiverpoolPride returns for its sixthconsecutive year, with the iconicbackdrop of the Pier Headtransformed into a colourfulfestival site bursting withactivities for all.

The full line-up of headline actsperforming on the Pier Headstage will be announced over thenext few months, along with aprogramme of film and fringeevents and ticket information.

Date revealedfor city’s Pride

The free Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Festival, supported by Telford and Wrekin Council, will betaking place this year on Saturday September 19. With the world famous Iron Bridge forming thebackdrop, the festival will be a celebration of the area’s designation as a World Heritage Site byUNESCO in 1986. Highlights will include heritage walks and talks, a craft and food market, live streetentertainment and family activities.

Forget foreign trips, exploreScotland more say ScotsSCOTS should do more to exploretheir own country, according toresearch by YouGov ScottishOmnibus.

Almost three quarters of thosepolled believe Scottish peopleshould visit places in Scotland morefrequently. 18 per cent said thecurrent amount is right while onlyone per cent said people shouldexplore less.

Those aged 35-44 were the mostenthusiastic, with 81 per cent sayingScots should visit places close to

home on a more regular basis.YouGov also asked which famous

Scottish landmarks people hadvisited. Comfortably on top wasEdinburgh Castle, which nine in 10respondents said they had gone to.Staying in the capital, 59 per centhave visited Arthur’s Seat.

Elsewhere, 77 per cent have beento the Scottish Highlands, LochNess has been visited by 71 percent and 43 per cent have seen BenNevis.

Senior research executive at

YouGov Scottish Omnibus StephanieFrost said: “Tourism is of course, anindustry of vital importance inScotland.

“There is always room for growthhowever. Native inhabitants couldexplore more of the cultural, naturaland historical attractions they haveon their own doorstep.

“The results suggest Scots are veryproud of what they have to offer, notjust foreign tourists but domesticones too, the challenge is convertingthis into actual visits.”

Day tickets go on sale forfamily-friendly music festivalDAY tickets for a family-friendly musicfestival in the South Yorkshirecountryside have gone on salefollowing the popularity of fullweekend tickets.

People wishing to attend theUnderneath the Stars Festival atCannon Hall Farm near Barnsley forone day only can now buy tickets viathe festival website.

The festival is being organised byBarnsley’s most famous singer-songwriter Kate Rusby and herfamily.

Kate will headline on the Sunday,with Saturday’s line-up topped byUS song-writing legend Mary ChapinCarpenter and Eddi Reader, formerlyof Fairground Attraction; and Friday’sprogramme including Galleon Blastfeaturing BBC radio personality MarkRadcliffe.

Festival director Emma Holling,who is Kate’s sister, said: “Daytickets are a great chance for thosefestival-goers who can’t quitecommit to a full weekend to stillcome along and be part of all theaction.

“We hope that after theoverwhelming response we’ve hadfor the weekend tickets that the daytickets will be in similar demand.

“This is only our second timerunning the festival so we’redelighted with the amount of ticketssold so far and we want to increasethe numbers even more to make fora great weekend.

“We’d love to attract music festivalveterans and newcomers of all agesto enjoy this family-friendly culturalevent.”

Underneath the Stars festivaldirector Emma Holling.

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Take a fresh look atWestminster Hall ...WESTMINSTER Hall, the oldestsurviving part of the Houses ofParliament, has undergone majorcleaning work which has revealedeven more of the medieval detail.

Until November, this awe-inspiringspace is home to the colourfulbanner exhibition ‘The Beginnings ofthat Freedome’ whichcommemorates an 800-year historysince the sealing of Magna Carta in1215.

Houses of Parliament tours beginand end in Westminster Hall. Duringthe tours visitors follow in thefootsteps of the Queen at the StateOpening of Parliament, through theornate Robing Room and RoyalGallery, before entering the LordsChamber to view Pugin’s magnificentgilded throne canopy and theWoolsack.

The House of Commons offers a

contrast in style, having been badlydamaged during the Blitz and re-built in the late 1940s.

The entrance to the CommonsChamber is dominated by a fulllength statue of Churchill and thesmoke-blackened archway thatbears his name.

A choice of audio and guided toursare available every Saturday, and onmost weekdays during Parliamentaryrecesses including August and the‘party conference season’ in lateSeptember and early October.

Selected tours can be followed bystylish afternoon tea in the riversideTerrace Pavilion. Foreign languagetours and group rates for groups of10 or more are offered.

Call 020 7219 4114 or seewww.parliament.uk/visiting

for more details.

Picture credit: UK Parliament/Jessica Taylor

VISITSCOTLAND Meet the Scotambassador Adrian Shine has beenassisting Google in a mission toinspire everyone in the world todiscover what lies beneath LochNess.

Adrian, who is leader of the LochNess Project and designer of thefive-star Loch Ness Centre andExhibition spent a number of dayswith the Google Street View andCatlin Seaview Survey teams, asthey performed an undercoveroperation to photograph above andbelow the waters that host thefamous monster, Nessie.

Following the launch online, Nessiehunters worldwide will be able touse Google Street View to searchthe mysterious waters.

The launch date coincided with themost famous photograph of theLoch Ness Monster – the ‘Surgeon'sPhotograph’ which was published inthe Daily Mail in 1934.

Magically, when searching in theLoch Ness area, the usual yellowGoogle Pegman will change to aNessie peg-monster, giving users thepower to zoom into different areasof the lake.

Adrian said: “The Google projectwas so cloaked in secrecy, when

people asked about the ripples inthe Loch during the special divingexpeditions; for once I had noopinion! I’m so proud to have beenpart of this initiative and I hopepeople worldwide enjoy exploringStreet View to have a look and thenbe inspired to travel to Scotland todiscover this area of magical beautyand natural intrigue.

“If there are no dragons here,there should be.”

Chief executive of VisitScotlandMalcolm Roughead added: “TheStreet View project is hugely excitingand we are delighted the team atGoogle have been as inspired aboutour monster as the hundreds andthousands of visitors who travel toLoch Ness every year hoping tocatch a glimpse.

“Nessie is an enduring icon ofScotland – a character, a legend, amyth – whatever you want to callher, visitors from across the globehave been intrigued by her for morethan 80 years.

However, even without catchingsight of the monster, the landscapesin and around Loch Ness are simplybreathtaking and I would encourageeveryone to add a trip here to theirbucket list.”

Ambassador helpssearch engine tohunt for Nessie

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MEADOWHALL Shopping Centrewelcomed a VIG – Very ImportantGruffalo – with the world exclusiveopening of ‘The Gruffalo Experience’.

Running throughout this Easter, theGruffalo Experience was officiallyopened by pupils from nearbyTinsley Meadows Primary School,who became the first children towelcome the Gruffalo toMeadowhall.

The class of five and six-year-oldsenjoyed a fully interactive experienceduring their 45-minute journeythrough the attraction where they

got to meet the Gruffalo face to faceand interact with the all characters.

Darren Pearce, centre director atMeadowhall, said: “This event hasbeen months in the planning so it’sfantastic to see it all come to life atMeadowhall. The children’s reactionto the Gruffalo was just pricelessand I’m sure all the thousands offamilies who come to see it overEaster will enjoy the same magicalexperience.”

Taking place within a heated andweatherproof marquee structureoutside, youngsters were given their

very own mouse ears.They then meet a ‘Gruffalo Guide’

who led them through theExperience, which was split into twozones.

In zone one visitors got to meetthe characters of the deep darkwood.

They also got to find out all aboutFox, Snake and Owl and why you(the mouse) would make a tastytreat for them!

After meeting the characters thejourney continued through the deepdark wood into zone two.

There visitors enjoyed interactivestory telling before meeting andhaving a professional photographtaken with The Gruffalo.

The Gruffalo Experience ran untilApril 12 and tickets for all sessionssold out, with almost 16,000 peoplevisiting the event. The experience ishoping to return to Meadowhall inthe future, but this has not yet beenconfirmed.

Working together for the first timeUnit 10 Eventive & Magic LightPictures are the creators behind theGruffalo Experience.

The Gruffalo Experience premieresat Meadowhall Shopping Centre

Ullswater Steamers and the National Trust have joined forces tocreate the perfect Lake District family day out. As part of thepackage, a new lakeside jetty will provide passengers with an extrastopping point on the Ullswater shore; Aira Green. Once ashore,visitors can enjoy a walk to the waterfall at Aira Force; a hike to theheights of Gowbarrow fell, or tea and cake in the National Trusttearoom before a leisurely stroll back to Glenridding on a scenicnew off-road path.

We Love Kent launches appWE Love Kent is releasing a new appto further capitalise on the county’sbooming tourism trade.

The app will launch on June 1 –with an event at the BritanniaTheatre – to coincide with the startof summer and the bulk of thetourist trade.

We Love Kent’s creator JamesBradley said: “I fully believe that

while Kent is already a major touristattraction, with the introduction ofthis app we can help drive morebusiness into Kent businesses andtruly help stimulate the localeconomy even further. Companieswho might not have got much fromthe tourism trade previously, will findit easier to market themselves andattract footfall to their business.”

By Christina Eccles

WAYNE Hemingway, the creativedesigner and visionary behind the£18m restoration project ofDreamland in Margate, has beenconfirmed as a speaker at the annualTourism Society Symposium, takingplace in Kent on June 1-2.

A founder of the former fashionlabel Red or Dead, Wayne has builta successful 30-year career workingon numerous high-profile projectsranging from interior design tolandscape planning, housingregeneration and designing uniformsfor the likes of McDonald’s andTransport for London.

At Dreamland, Wayne is workingwith CEO Eddie Kemsley to preservethe cultural heritage of the projectwhile at the same time bringing theattraction up-to-date for a modernaudience. Eddie will be joiningWayne at the podium at theSymposium to share their vision forthe project.

Tourism Society chairman andchief executive of Visit Kent, SandraMatthews-Marsh, said: “We aredelighted that Wayne Hemingwayand Eddie Kemsley have agreed tospeak at the Symposium. Both

speakers have been responsible forsome tremendous work inrevitalising tourism and culturalprojects in the UK and we are alllooking forward to the relaunch ofthe Dreamland project as part of theregeneration of Margate.”

The topic for this year’sSymposium is Connecting to theFuture and other confirmed speakersinclude former Government minister,Steven Norris and Arts CouncilEngland chairman, Sir PeterBazalgette

The two-day event comprises studytours, a networking supper and a fullday of presentations anddiscussions.

The first day of the Symposium willshowcase Kent, the Garden ofEngland, with delegates able tochoose from three study tours of thecounty: The Ashford Experience, TheEast Kent Arts Coast, and MaritimeKent and Medway. The day endswith a reception and networkingsupper at Eastwell Manor, Ashford.

Day two will move to the Universityof Kent at Canterbury for a fullprogramme of leading speakersexploring the role of hard and softinfrastructure, with case studies andopportunities for networking.

Wayne Hemingwayto speak at TourismSociety Symposium

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WTM 2014 facilitates record£2.5billion in industry dealsWORLD Travel Market 2014, theleading global event for the travelindustry, will generate a record £2.5billion in travel and tourism industrydeals – an impressive 13% increaseon WTM 2013.

Independent research of WorldTravel Market’s exhibitors revealsWTM 2014 will generate a massive£2,506,739,121 billion of deals,either through contracts signed atthe event or from negotiations withWTM Buyers’ Club members, whichwill lead to deals signed before WTM2015.

WTM 2013 facilitated £2.2billion

in business deals, either on theexhibition floor or in the 12 monthsthat followed, which was a 19 percent increase on WTM 2012’s£1.9billion.

WTM 2011 saw £1.653billion ofdeals, while WTM 2010 facilitatedalmost £1.5 billion.

The increase in business generatedby WTM 2014 can, in part, beaccredited to the seven per centincrease in WTM Buyers’ Clubmembers to more than 9,100(9,124).

The WTM Buyers’ Club is theleading business network for travel

buyers and WTM facilitatesnetworking opportunities, includingthe hugely popular WTM SpeedNetworking sessions on the Mondayand Thursday, which match the rightbuyers to exhibitors.

World Travel Market senior directorSimon Press said: “I am delightedwith the amount of businessconducted at World Travel Market2014, which increases each year.This success firmly positioning WTMas a must-attend exhibition fornational and regional tourist boards,global brands, luxury and technologycompanies.”

NEVER-before-seen objects fromthe Metropolitan Police’s CrimeMuseum will go on public displayat the Museum of London in themajor exhibition, The CrimeMuseum Uncovered, opening thisOctober.

Previously only accessible topolice professionals and invitedguests, the exhibition will revealthe secrets of the CrimeMuseum, created by servingpolice officers since itsestablishment in 1875.

The exhibition, which is beingcreated with the support of theMetropolitan Police Service andthe Mayor’s Office for PolicingAnd Crime, will take visitors on ajourney through real cases andhow they were investigated.

It will bring them close to theobjects and evidence from someof the UK’s most notoriouscrimes, including the Acid BathMurderer of 1949, the Great TrainRobbery of 1963 and theMillennium Dome Diamond Heistof 2000.

It will also examine some of thechallenges faced in policing thecapital, tackling themes fromterrorism and espionage tocounterfeiting and narcotics.

Never seenobjects goon display

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State intervention inTourism in the UK?By Kevin Kaley FTS MIH,Director, Tourism UK Ltd, andTourism Society board member

THE 1969 Development of TourismAct allowed for the establishment of‘a British Tourist Authority andTourist Boards for England, Scotlandand Wales with responsibility forpromoting the development oftourism to and within Great Britain;to provide for the giving of financialassistance out of public funds forthe provision of new hotels and theextension, alteration andimprovement of existing hotels; toenable provision to be made for theregistration of hotels and otherestablishments ……. and forsecuring that the prices chargedthere for such accommodation arebrought to the notice of personsseeking to avail themselves of it;and for connected purposes’.

Since then, state involvement inTourism has seen many changes.However, as a non-statutory functionthe type of intervention is always

threatened by the availability ofresources. The current economicclimate means that, acrossgovernment, pressure is on toachieve more with less. So whatshould the state be doing? Whatinterventions should take place?

Having recently been asked thisquestion by the 22 local authoritiesthat make up Yorkshire and Humber,one might think that I could easilygive an answer, but alas it’s a bitcomplicated!

Economic theory would suggestthat state intervention is requiredwhere there is proven market failure.In Tourism this can be externalities(e.g. economic impact,environmental impact and socialimpact); or the free rider problem(where many benefit from an actionwithout contributing to it, e.g. themarketing of a destination.) Acrossthe world many governmentsrecognise these externalities andintervene in some way, oftenthrough destination promotion.

Drawing international visitors haspublic benefits that go beyond thebenefits felt by individual operations,providing a case for public sectorintervention.

Economic theory suggests thatwhere market failure does not existthere is no case for stateintervention; but does that meanthat where any market failure existsthere is a justification?

Historically, in the UK, attemptshave been made to use public fundsto improve skills, marketdestinations, improveaccommodation and attractions,provide information, provide bookingfacilities, support events anddevelop infrastructure. Whilst theargument for these interventions hasundoubtedly been an economic one,were they intended to correct aspecific market failure?

During my time in economicdevelopment in Scotland I workedon a project to address tourismskills issues. Significant resourceswere used to subsidise training,produce materials and trainbusiness owners.

At the time the argument for doingthis seemed sensible; however, Inow doubt that these efforts toimprove the ‘hygiene factors’ ofskills and micro-businessperformance made any impact onthe destination.

The word ‘tourism’ is oftensubstituted by the phrase ‘visitoreconomy’ recognising that not allvisitors to a destination are tourists(WTO definition) but that they are

still important to the local economy.However, has this softening of thelanguage also meant that thejustification for intervention hasbecome softer? Are all interventionsthe subject of rigorous economicassessment following treasury GreenBook principles? Can they pass themarket failure test and what aboutdisplacement? Will the impact betruly additional or will it simply drawfrom elsewhere?

Many local level interventionsundoubtedly displace business fromother parts of the UK. Theseinterventions impact at a microeconomic level, e.g. by drawing dayvisitors from the neighbouring town,city or region, but show little impactat a regional or national level. Thatis not to underplay the importanceof some local activity such as eventsthat draw day visitors helping localbusiness cashflow and ensuring thesurvival of these businesses, whichthen service the tourist.

However, to make a moresignificant impact at a destinationlevel requires interventions that aremore visible. Interventions thatimprove transport, add hotel stock,or create new motivations to visitfrom outside of the area arerequired to make a difference. Suchinterventions require collaborationacross the public sector to shiftresources to deliver higher morestrategic level interventions.

So in the context of achievingmore with less, perhaps interventionactivities need to be more robustlyeconomically appraised. Perhapsthere is a need to focus oninterventions that are strategic,visible and can demonstrate agreater impact.

Whilst causality is difficult to prove,a more robust approach to appraisalwould separate interventions thatmight grow the tourism economyfrom those that cannot demonstrateimpact.

This will mean stopping someactivities, doing some othersdifferently and in some casesallowing the market to resolve itself.

New transport infrastructure in Manchester. Credit: SakhanPhotography – fotolia.com

Kevin Kaley FTS MIH

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Five of nine new properties Cottages in Northumberland has takenon have been from people over 50.

By Christina Eccles

INCREASING numbers of the NorthEast’s over 50s are renting out theirhomes to holidaymakers to fund theirown jet set lifestyles, it has beenclaimed.

In the past two months alone,holiday letting agency, Cottages inNorthumberland, has reported amore than 50 per cent rise in thenumber of people letting out theirown homes as a short term holidaylet to pay for their own holidays.

And the Newcastle-based company– which rents out coastal,countryside and city properties inthe county and across Tyneside –believes this reflects a permanentchange to the holiday lettings sectorin general.

Cottages in Northumberlandmanager Angela Mazingham said:“Of the nine new properties we havetaken on so far this year, five belongto people aged 50 and over, who

are renting them out in order to helpfund their lifestyles.

“I believe there are two emergingtrends here. The first is a socialchange: many people are retiringearlier and want to enjoy a lifestylethey have earned and deserve.

“The second is a change in theletting industry. At one time, holidaylettings were very much restricted tothe school summer and Easterholidays, but now the market hasgrown and expanded.

“Along with holidaymakers, walkersand cyclists, we’re also attractingbookings from business visitors,people relocating to the area andoften academics on secondment tothe region’s universities.

“So, where bookings in ourproperties used to last for one ortwo weeks – the length of a familyholiday – they can now range from acouple of nights to several weeks ata time.”

Over 50s letting outhomes to fund a jetset lifestyle, claim

HF Holidays has opened the doors of its new walkers’ place by thesea in Weymouth’s Lulworth Cove. Set in the heart of thespectacular Jurassic Coast, Lulworth Lodge offers magnificent seaviews and is ideally placed for walkers to enjoy the surroundinglandscapes. CEO of HF Holidays, Jim Forward, said: “The JurassicCoast is a very special place, particularly the natural phenomenonof Lulworth Cove. We wanted to provide an equally special, invitingand comfortable place by the sea for walkers to stay as theyindulge their passion for exploring. We have certainly achieved thiswith Lulworth Lodge and I am sure guests will be quick to agree.”

Taste York targetsfood lovers fromacross the globeYORK’S delicious food and drinkoffering will be marketed in a newcampaign from Visit York, backed byMasterchef star Gregg Wallace.

Gregg took to the streets of York toseek out the best places to eat,drink and buy local produce, withthe video of his visit being used inthe Taste York campaign alongside40,000 copies of a new leafletdesigned to spread the word aboutYork’s fast growing food and drinkscene.

Sponsored by the York FoodFestival and supported by York’s fivestar Grand Hotel and Spa, this newfood and drink tourism drive will tapinto a new audience of UK andinternational visitors.

Marketing manager for Visit York,Michelle Brown, said: “The reasonsvisitors choose their holidaydestinations are continually evolving.We know that quality food and drink

has moved up the list of ingredientsholidaymakers consider beforebooking.

“With this new campaign we aimto work with food and drink suppliersin the city and surroundings toposition York as the must visitdestination for a gastro break.”

The new campaign comes hot onthe heels of a York Food Traillaunched by city-based gourmet tourcompany Yorkshire Food Finder.

Treks in the City offers visitors andlocal foodie fans the chance todelve into the gourmet nooks andcrannies of historic York like neverbefore.

This new tour offers a behind-the-scenes peak at York’s best artisanproducers as well as the opportunityto get hands-on making chocolate,baking bread, mixing pickles andblending coffee.

Thousands check-in atPark’s latest additionFANS of Thomas the Tank Engineand his friends have visited DraytonManor Theme Park for the launch ofthe £2.5m expansion to its ThomasLand attraction.

The Fat Controller officially unveiledthe extension to the attraction,which has increased in size by 40per cent and is now home to a hostof new rides as well as the mainattraction, Sodor Airport.

The airport complex includesbalconies that offer ‘jet-setters’views over Thomas Land andbeyond, with themed event rooms

opening this summer and the SodorCoffee Shop.

CEO of Drayton Manor ThemePark, Colin Bryan, said: “Since itslaunch in 2008, Thomas Land hasbeen hugely popular, attractingguests young and young at heartfrom all over Europe.

“It is due to this popularity that wemade the decision to expand theattraction and accommodate theincreasing visitor numbers, whichhave surged year-on-year. We hopethis investment will delight visitors,offering more Thomas themed fun.”

The Fat Controller opens the £2.5m expansion at Thomas Land.

AN historic walled garden in thegrounds of a North East hotel willopen to the public this summer aspart of a £5.3m investment.

The Walled Garden at WynyardHall Hotel, Tees Valley will open onTuesday August 4 and is therealisation of a long-held ambitionof the property’s owner, Sir JohnHall.

It has been designed and plantedby multi-award-winning RoyalHorticultural Society landscapearchitect Alistair Baldwin and willcontain more than 3,000 roses.

The development will also housea state-of-the-art visitor centre,shop and café, stocking andserving locally-sourced goods andproduce.

Hotel to unveil historic garden

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Community thatsaved castle payattraction a visitBy Christina Eccles

A WEST Wales community that foughtfor more than 15 years to save itstown’s dilapidated castle has taken afirst-look inside the fully restored site,following the completion of a £12mrestoration project.

900-year-old Cardigan Castle hasbeen transformed into a modernheritage attraction, complete withluxury accommodation, riversiderestaurant and summer eventsprogramme.

After four years of restoration work,which included the repair of theGeorgian house’s decaying roof,relaying of Regency style pathwaysand landscaping of the historicgrounds, and reconstruction of theCastle’s crumbling medieval walls,the site is open to paying customersfor the very first time.

The campaign to save the historicsite was led by the CadwganBuilding Preservation Trust, whichwas formed in 1999 by localvolunteers and has grown to includemore than 250 members.

The trust secured much-neededinvestment, including more than£6m from the Heritage Lottery Fundand £4.3m from the EuropeanRegional Development Fund throughWelsh Government, to restore thebuilding, while creating new,sustainable uses for the historic site.

Further funding was receivedthrough a Communities AssetTransfer grant with support from theWelsh Government, Cadw, BigLottery Fund, The UK Association ofPreservation Trusts, The ArchitecturalHeritage Fund, Ceredigion CountyCouncil, Cardigan Town Council andThe Prince’s Regeneration Trust.

Hundreds of local volunteers havealso played their part in protectingthe much-loved site, by fundraisingmore than £200,000.

Cardigan Castle spokesman SueLewis said: “After more than adecade of campaigning, the wholecommunity is of course ecstatic tosee Cardigan Castle returned to itsformer glory.

“The site has witnessed many keymoments in Welsh history over its900 years, from bloody battles tothe birth of the National Eisteddfod,and now this heritage can be takeninto the future for local people andvisitors to explore and enjoy.

“Through our exciting eventsprogramme with headline acts, theworld’s first dedicated Eisteddfodexhibition, first-classaccommodation and a stunningriverside restaurant, we’re hoping toattract thousands of visitorsthroughout the summer months andto establish Cardigan Castle as oneof west Wales’ leading touristattractions.”

A £12m restoration project has been completed at Cardigan Castle.

RECORD numbers of visitors haveflocked to Liverpool FC’s AnfieldTour and Museum, with nearly200,000 people passing throughthe door in the last 12 months, anincrease of 50,000 on the previousyear’s total.

The club’s visitor attractionswelcomed tourists from across theglobe, with top ranking nationalitiestraveling from Ireland, Norway,

Spain, Australia, and the US.August represented the busiestmonth, with over 23,000 visiting.

Operations director AndrewParkinson said: “We are delightedwith the visitor numbers to ourmuseum and stadium tours overthe past year. We continue to striveto give our fans a unique,authentic and memorableexperience when visiting Anfield.”

Reds report record numbers

Caravan park toinvest £1m in itsleisure facilitiesA CUMBRIAN caravan park companyis to invest £1m in additional leisurefacilities at its flagship site onCumbria’s coast.

Holgates’ Silverdale Holiday Park isset to see the building of anadditional 400sqm of leisureprovision, with the improvementscreating an additional three full-timejobs and a further three part-timejobs, bringing the total number ofstaff employed across Holgates’ sixparks to 120.

Work has already started on thenew facilities, which will be availableto both Holgates’ guests and thelocal community. They include a six-lane, 15m long bowling alley andthe creation of a new soft play area,with parent supervision and viewingfacilities.

The function room space is alsobeing increased to increase the bar

area and restaurant provision, whichwill allow additional events on-siteand further enhance theperformance and conferencingspace already available.

New public internet facilities willalso be installed, as well as a newshop which will allow the team toincrease the range of local producealready available on site.

Owner of Silverdale Holiday Park,Michael Holgate, said: “Every yearwe work hard to improve the guestexperience across our parks andinvest significant amounts of moneyto that end. This year our focus ison the provision of new leisurefacilities for our guests, which willsee the creation of six new jobs andfurther continue to ensure that thismulti-award winning site maintainsits place as one of the top sites inthe UK.’’

The sales team from SuperBreak has been out visiting travel agentswearing their branded red jackets to promote the new Visit EnglandHolidays at Home are GREAT campaign with Shaun the Sheep. The team is giving away a variety of Shaun the Sheep merchandiseand promoting SuperBreak offers linked to the campaign.Pictured are sales executive Ellen Kennard and businessdevelopment managers Scott James and Donna Smithson.

MORE tourists are beating theunpredictable British climate bychoosing to visit all weatherattractions, according to data from365Tickets.

To help those looking to take theuncertainty out of visiting Britain’sshores, the ticket selling service hasput together a list of the topattractions suitable to experience nomatter the weather.

365Tickets’ top UK tourist all-weather attractions are:1. Tower of London 2. London Eye 3. Windsor Castle 4. Buckingham Palace – The StateRooms 5. Eden Project

6. Hampton Court Palace 7. The View from The Shard 8. Tower Bridge Exhibition 9. Manchester United – Stadium Tourand Museum.

365Tickets’ marketing managerNeil Langdon said: “Britain’snotoriously unpredictable weathermakes it difficult for tourists toanticipate which must-seeattractions they should visit.

“Luckily the United Kingdom boastsa large number of attractions thatcan be enjoyed whatever theconditions outside. Tourists can restassured that the Great Britishweather will not affect the quality oftheir stay as the UK’s tourisminfrastructure caters for all weather.”

Top all-weather UK touristattractions are revealed

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By David Thomas

I HAVE met many remarkable menon the West End beat, but for sheerenergy and humour none comeclose to the human dynamo that isJim Dale.

Best known for the Carry On filmsand being the toast of Broadway inBarnum, Jim’s career has spannedfrom the Music Hall to the National,to singer song-writer (he was thefirst act to work with fifth Beatle,George Martin and he wrote thelyrics for the theme of Georgy Girl,which sold 11 million copies).

Just Jim Dale will be playing at theVaudeville Theatre from the 26th ofMay for four weeks only – so don’tmiss him.

When I asked Jim what was nextup in New York he replied “Theyhave asked me to do Noise’s Off butit was the old man role so I turned itdown. I’m too young to play oldmen.”

One truly remarkable womenwowing audiences at the moment isImelda Staunton who is starring inGypsy at The Savoy (must closeNovember 2015).

This is one of the finest shows Ihave ever seen, and the highesttribute I can pay the rest of the castis that they are of a piece withImelda’s performance – which I amsure will be a worthy shoe-in for the

next Olivier Awards.The standout winner of this year’s

Oliviers was Sunny Afternoon, the hitnew musical about The Kinks whichwon four awards, including Best NewMusical and Best Actor In A Musicalwith Kinks’ legend Ray Davieswinning Outstanding Achievement InMusic.

And no-one at the Royal OperaHouse will ever forget Katie Brayben,winner of the Best Actress In AMusical, opening the show with arollicking number from Beautiful –

The Carole King Musical, or KevinSpacey, closing the show by singinga duet of Bridge Over TroubledWaters with Beverley Knight(Beverley’s co-star in Memphis TheMusical at the Shaftesbury Theatre,Killian Donelly, has just beenannounced as one of the leads inthe hugely anticipated Broadway Hit,Kinky Boots, which Previews at TheAdelphi Theatre from August).

Other new shows on the West Endhorizon are High Society at the OldVic (first night May 14) and Bend It

Like Beckham at the Phoenix(Previewing from May 15) andBroadway mega-hit Motown…along with the announcement ofthree entire seasons of newProductions: The Kenneth BranaghSeason at the Garrick, the MatthewWarchus season at the Old Vic, andRufus Norris’ first season at theNational. And one new show hashad to have new material added justtwo days after opening! (TheAudience, starring Kristin Scott-Thomas, opened at the ApolloTheatre on May 5. The story centreson Her Majesty the Queen and thePrime Ministers across her reign sothe David Cameron section neededto be brought up-to-date after theGeneral Election on May 7).

Two major West End show recentlycelebrated landmark birthdays.Cats, which opened on May 111981, returns to the LondonPalladium from October 23 2015 toJanuary 2 2016, and Billy Elliot TheMusical celebrated its 10th birthdayat the Victoria Palace on May 12.

To celebrate Billy’s birthday theproducers flew a lucky few of usover to Las Vegas to see the show’scomposer, Sir Elton John, performingat Caesar’s Palace. We joined SirElton on stage, then he joined us fordinner afterwards.

“Remarkable” does not even comeclose.

David Thomas with Sir Elton John.

News from around the theatres ...

BEND it Like Beckham is a brandnew, British musical that previewsfrom May at The Phoenix Theatre inLondon and is expected to be one ofthe most popular shows this year.

The adaptation of the popularBritish film of the same name –released in 2002, and starring ayoung Keira Knightley – is onceagain directed by Gurinder Chadha

Featuring an original score with anIndian kick, it brings a uniquecultural fusion of musical theatre tothe stage for the first time.

Short Break specialist SuperBreakhas a range of packages on offerthat combine overnightaccommodation at a wide selectionof hotels with tickets to the show forthe ultimate break away.

THE STORY: Jess needs extratime. She is facing the mostimportant decision of her life: live upto family expectations of university,career and marriage, or follow in thefootsteps of her hero DavidBeckham. When the talentedteenager is spotted playing footballin Southall, a world of unexpectedopportunities opens up before her.

But as her sister’s traditionalIndian wedding approaches, can shekeep her family happy and stillfollow her dreams?

The audience will enjoy a sparklingscript by Chadha and writer Paul

Mayeda Berges, who workedtogether on the film version, Bend ItLike Beckham promises to be atotally different kind of musical.

With music by renowned Theatre,Film and TV composer HowardGoodall and words by The Phantom

of the Opera lyricist Charles Hart,the show has a fantastic pedigree.

Graham Balmforth, national salesmanager at SuperBreak, comments:“Like all great musicals, Bend It LikeBeckham is about following yourdream, and the popularity of the film

should provide a solid foundation forAgents to place many bookings inthe back of the net.”

SuperBreak has great valuepackages starting from £108

per person based on twopeople sharing twin or double.

Bend it like Beckhamset to be a smash hit

Natalie Dew stars as Jess in the adaption of Bend it like Beckham (left) and SuperBreak national salesmanager Graham Balmforth (right).

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TO CELEBRATE 10 years as one ofthe West End’s best loved hitmusicals, the Producers of BillyElliot invited a group of leadingLondon ticket agents to Las Vegas,to join the shows composer, EltonJohn, in concert at the Colosseum,Caesars Palace.

Following a drinks reception at Fizz,the lavish Champagne lounge co-owned by Elton’s partner, DavidFurnish, the group took their seatsin the 4,000 seat arena for TheMillion Dollar Piano extravaganza.

After the two-hour show, whichincluded an onstage appearance by

the ticket agents where theyperformed ‘Saturday Night’s Alrightfor Fighting’ to the sold out crowd,they retired to a local restaurant forthe celebration dinner hosted byElton John, the producers of theshow and Working Title.

Billy Elliot the Musical is playing atThe Victoria Palace, London.Currently booking until December 192015.

Group prices from £23.70 (seniorsand schools), with the standard10+ rate of £30.70 valid Mon –Thurs matinees. Fri and Satmatinee: £36.20.

Agents celebrate musical’sanniversary with Vegas trip

The London ticket agents with Sir Elton John and David Furnish.Credit: Dimitrije Curcic, Cashman Photography

DISNEY’S award-winning musicalThe Lion King is now in its 16thtriumphant year at London’s LyceumTheatre.

Brilliantly reimagined for the stageby Julie Taymor, The Lion King is setagainst the majesty of the SerengetiPlains to the evocative rhythms ofAfrica.

This spectacular productionexplodes with glorious colours,stunning effects and enchantingmusic to tell the timeless story ofSimba and his epic journey to fulfilhis destiny as King of thePridelands.

A true global phenomenon, thedazzle of The Lion King defies allexpectation and classification.

Julie Taymor, one of the world’smost innovative directors, brought avast array of disciplines to The LionKing, including extensive experiencestaging epic theatre and operaproductions, exploring classic mythsthrough ritualised puppetry, mask,and movement.

The Lion King was the first musical

she directed in the commercialtheatre, and Taymor made Broadwayhistory by becoming the first womanto win the Tony Award® for ‘bestdirector of a musical’.

This internationally-celebratedstage adaptation of Disney’s belovedanimated film premiered onBroadway in 1997 and has nowbeen seen by over 75 million peopleacross six continents.

Nine productions are runningconcurrently around the globe: Inaddition to the record-breakingproduction in London, The Lion Kingcan currently be seen in New York,Hamburg, Madrid, Tokyo, Brisbane,Basel and on tours of North Americaand Japan.

Future productions are set to openin Mexico City and Shanghai DisneyResort.

Tickets are available at a groupdiscount on selected performancesfor groups of 12 or more, and startat £29.50.

For further information visitwww.thelionking.co.uk

16 triumphant yearsfor The Lion King atthe Lyceum Theatre

NEW hit British musical SunnyAfternoon was the best performingshow at the recent Olivier Awards,winning four trophies.

The production won best newmusical, John Dagleish won bestactor in a musical, George Maguirewon best supporting actor in a

musical and Ray Davies of The Kinkswon for outstanding achievement inmusic. The show, which is currentlybooking until October 24 at theHarold Pinter Theatre in London,features some of The Kinks’ bestloved songs including You Really GotMe, Waterloo Sunset and Lola.

Kinks musical wins four Oliviers

Jersey Boys, the internationally acclaimed hit musical, tells theremarkable rise to stardom of one of the most successful bands inpop music history. Discover how four New Jersey boys from thewrong side of the tracks invented their own unique sound, wereinducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and sold 100 millionrecords worldwide. With spectacular performances of all their hits,Jersey Boys is the electrifying true life story of Frankie Valli and theFour Seasons; the mob, the heartaches, the triumphs and themusic. This sensational production features many of the bands’worldwide hits, including: Beggin’, Can’t take my eyes off you, Walklike a man and many more. Jersey Boys, winner of 57 major awardsworldwide, including the Olivier Award for best new musical, hasnow been seen by over 20 million people worldwide!

WestEnd LIVE returnsto Trafalgar SquareTHIS year’s West End LIVE withMasterCard is returning to the iconicsetting of Trafalgar Square on June20 and 21.

The free musical extravaganza,showcasing the best of the WestEnd, is now the largest event of itstype in the world and attractscrowds of more than 500,000people over the course of theweekend.

Organised by Westminster CityCouncil in partnership with theSociety of London Theatre, this

year’s celebration is set to deliveranother star-studded, packedweekend of free entertainment fromsome of the West End’s biggestshows.

Confirmed performances for 2015include West End favourites BillyElliot The Musical, Charlie And TheChocolate Factory, Jersey Boys,Mamma Mia!, Matilda The Musicaland Wicked.

They are joined by new musicalsBeautiful – The Carole King Musicaland Sunny Afternoon.

Magic show Impossible is set to thrill audiences in London's WestEnd this summer at the Noël Coward Theatre. The show will featurethe very best magicians and tricksters from around the world,fusing dazzling grand stage illusions, up-close-and-personal magic,cutting-edge technological tricks and death-defying escapology in afast-paced, breathtaking spectacular. The line-up includes modern-day Houdini, daredevil and TV escapologist Jonathan Goodwin;mind-blowing mind-reader Chris Cox; psychological tricksterKatherine Mills; boundary breaking magician Ben Hart and spell-binding digital marvel Jamie Allan, with more acts still to beannounced.

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Two historic North East venues have joined forces to offer visitorsto the region a royal welcome. Lumley Castle Hotel, at Chester-le-Street, County Durham, has teamed up with the Bowes Museum, atnearby Barnard Castle, to create a mini-break designed toshowcase the region’s social and cultural heritage. Lumley Castle’sBowes Museum break will combine a two night stay at the four starhotel – which has offered shelter to kings and princes in the courseof its 600 year history – with tickets to the award-winning museum,which has royal links of its own. A magnificent French-stylechâteau, it was created in the late 19th century by John andJoséphine Bowes; ancestors of Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who becameHM Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

VisitAberdeen winsawards in Scotlandand … ChinaBy Christina Eccles

VisitAberdeen has scooped two majorawards, recognising its performancein promoting the region both at homeand abroad.

The organisation won a marketingaward from the China OutboundTourism Research Institute for itsChinese language website, socialmedia presence and attendance attrade fairs both in person and via itspartner CBN.

The destination marketingorganisation also won the accoladeof The Most Effective Stand ForDoing Business at VisitScotland’srecent Expo.

VisitAberdeen’s chief executiveSteve Harris said: “We launched aChinese version of our websiteearlier this year in a bid to attract ashare of the $128b China spendsevery year on overseas leisure andbusiness tourism.

“We wanted to be ahead of thecurve on targeting this highlylucrative market. The Chinese arethe biggest overseas spenders in theworld, spending on average 50 percent more than Americans whenthey are on vacation. With a totalpopulation of 1.357b, only 10m ofChina’s residents can speak English.

“With forecasts suggesting 500mChinese people will travel overseasin the next 15 years, we believe thatit is critical to promote the city as aleisure and business destination to

the Chinese in their native language. Receiving this award when we’ve

only been working on this project forsuch a relatively short space of timeis especially pleasing.”

The Visit Aberdeen andAberdeenshire Pavilion, which wascreated in partnership withAberdeenshire Council, hosted over525 prearranged business meetingswith buyers from across the UK andabroad at VisitScotland Expo.

The stand was made up of severallocal partners including Ardoe HouseHotel, Banffshire Coast TourismPartnership, Visit Royal Deeside,Thistle Hotels and Secret Malts ofAberdeenshire.

Steve added: “Expo gave us acollective opportunity to createpersonal relationships with genuinebuyers and decision makers, manyof whom had a low level ofknowledge of our area prior to Expo.

“Personal interaction and thechance to convey the passion of ourpartners for the beautiful area welive in leads to long lasting businessconnections, leading to positivebusiness outcomes for all.

“The on stand meetings were justthe start, we now need to follow upon these leads to bring more groupsof travellers to Visit Aberdeen andAberdeenshire. Picking up this awardshows we’re leading the way inmaximising the businessopportunities these types of tradeshows bring for the area.”

Hotel and hall jointo launch a luxurydriving experienceTHE Feversham Arms Hotel andVerbena Spa in Helmsley andSeaham Hall near Durham havejoined forces to provide guests witha luxury four-day driving experiencegetaway.

Guests can start their break ateither hotel, where they will bewelcomed by half a bottle ofchampagne.

They will enjoy two nights at theirfirst hotel, where a three-coursemeal and breakfast is included onboth days.

They will then be provided with apicnic to set them on their way forthe second half of the journey,where they get to spend another twonights at the other hotel.

General manager at TheFeversham Arms Hotel, CharlesMerchie, said: “We are situated insome of the most beautiful sceneryin England. Yet more often than notpeople don’t get to see this as theycome and visit for a short break,and head straight back.

“The drive up to Durham, throughthe Yorkshire Moors is simplystunning, and something everycouple should experience. Throughthis offering we’re hoping toencourage guests to stay that extrabit longer, and enjoy the beautifulcountryside that we have to offer.”

The package also includes ticketsto two local attractions, CastleHoward and The Beamish Museum.

Sculpture Park enjoysrecord-breaking yearYORKSHIRE Sculpture Parkwelcomed a record number ofvisitors last year, according tofigures, attracting over 400,000people.

Based in Wakefield, WestYorkshire, YSP presents work bysome of the world’s mostextraordinary artists, set in 500acres of historic parkland and fiveindoor galleries.

Chief executive at Welcome toYorkshire Gary Verity said: “The team

at YSP have worked tirelessly foryears to create a visitor attractionthat not only wows people, butregularly changes – which in turnencourages people to visit again.

“The number of visitors they’re nowseeing combined with the world-class talent which exhibit thereshows that they’re a major player onthe world stage. It’s also a reflectionof the strong position Yorkshiretourism now sees itself in – a globaldestination.”

More than 400,000 people visited Yorkshire Sculpture Park in 2014.

HOLIDAYING on the Isle of Man hasbecome easier with the addition ofthree more direct flight routes fromLondon Stansted, Blackpool andBristol.

Flybe now runs three return flightsa day from London Stansted, whileCitywing has reinstated double dailyflights between the Island andBlackpool.

Four return flights per week arenow also available from Bristol,focusing on the weekend traveller byoffering flights on Thursday, Friday,Sunday and Monday.

British Airways has also increasedthe number of flights between theIsle of Man and London City, offeringthree return flights daily.

Head of tourism at the Isle of ManDepartment of EconomicDevelopment Angela Byrne said:“We’re always looking to add routesto our roster and are delighted toannounce the addition of flightsfrom Bristol, Blackpool and LondonStansted this summer, making iteasier than ever to fly to the Isle ofMan from anywhere in the BritishIsles.”

Isle of Man adds flight routes

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