tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19814347772662874062012-05-20T14:58:54.853+01:00A blog about tourism and destinations.Davidnoreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-4347617522805780152012-04-25T14:01:00.000+01:002012-04-26T12:32:39.013+01:002012-04-26T12:32:39.013+01:00

April 23 was National Shakespeare Day. It was also St George’s Day and the United Nations’ World Book and Copyright Day, which was a natural choice to pay a worldwide tribute to writers such as Shakespeare. Last Wednesday 18 April was World Heritage Day and the city of Bath took full opportunity of that as did Historic Scotland’s ‘Shadows of Our Ancestors’ project which was streamed live

Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609274960320767118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-31898338114765902472012-03-14T16:22:00.022Z2012-03-15T11:58:32.506Z2012-03-15T11:58:32.506Z

Our national tourist boards have come in for some flak from the British media this week. What for? For a domestic marketing campaign. Some of the tourism industry has joined in to stick the boot in too. The outbound tourism industry, that is.Some journalists appear to think it unlikely that rich celebrities would ever consider holidaying in the UK. Yet their colleagues on the travel pages

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15422845583950327902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-22517529593103664012012-02-02T10:17:00.003Z2012-02-02T15:35:38.022Z2012-02-02T15:35:38.022Z

Last week we officially launched our brand new agency Blue Sail Marketing. Exciting times for us!It is not however a brand new venture. It’s crept up on us gradually. Over the last couple of years we have found ourselves being asked to deliver more and more marketing and PR activity on behalf of our clients. This has been a lovely experience for Amanda and me, as well as a number of our

Lornahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027436890518448904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-30103322428664653002012-01-16T18:12:00.010Z2012-01-16T19:46:59.199Z2012-01-16T19:46:59.199Z

"May you live in interesting times" is a Chinese curse. And that's one way of looking at our current UK destination sector, where sometimes it feels like the only certainty is change. Yet "interesting times" can also stimulate creativity, inspire different ways of working, and lead to new relationships. We mustn't waste a crisis, as Rahm Emanuel reminded us at the beginning of this one. So,

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15422845583950327902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-9847995006266907792012-01-04T19:38:00.019Z2012-01-04T21:28:29.935Z2012-01-04T21:28:29.935Z

In December Blue Sail launched Shared Story. This blog gives you some background on why we developed the process and more about what’s involved.One of the key strands of Blue Sail expertise is developing destination plans - from visioning strategies to detailed action plans. No two destinations are the same, so neither are their plans but there are two challenges that destinations tend to share:

Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609274960320767118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-7867527492044193242011-12-19T21:43:00.012Z2011-12-20T10:29:10.660Z2011-12-20T10:29:10.660Z

You don’t need me to tell you the economic news is grim. Let’s leave aside the Eurozone crisis which threatens to engulf us all. For the UK ‘when sorrows come, they come not as single spies but in battalions’. We have, in no particular order, 1. Too much government debt2. Little or no economic growth 3. Faltering tax revenues 4. A chronic balance of payments deficit And now a fifth problem is

Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379334662849100370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-999910940074555152011-11-16T17:34:00.023Z2011-11-16T23:36:13.033Z2011-11-16T23:36:13.033Z

I like the fact that a Finnish supermarket chain has introduced a Slow Checkout Lane for people who don't want to be rushed or flustered. I confess that - as a frequent business traveller - I'm the sort of impatient tutter (yes, that may well be Cockney Rhyming Slang) who's always looking for the quickest route from A to B, the express bag drop, the beat-the-queue option.But luckily there are

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15422845583950327902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-56933807539462925612011-11-10T09:21:00.003Z2011-11-11T10:55:44.721Z2011-11-11T10:55:44.721Z

There is something in all of us that responds to and remembers stories above facts and figures or claims and assertions. We work with destinations helping them to write their own story for their place - something that will bring it alive and make it memorable. So I was very struck by watching the TED talk given by Chimamanda Adichie, award-winning Nigerian born author, probably most well-known

Lornahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027436890518448904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-62972473578153648432011-10-27T16:31:00.020+01:002011-10-27T17:54:56.486+01:002011-10-27T17:54:56.486+01:00

Is it possible to find one word that captures the essence of a destination? It's tough, but delegates at this month's Tourism Management Institute Annual Convention had a jolly good try! Inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert's bestseller Eat Pray Love (see Lorna's 29 August post below), we decided to test out the #OneWord idea when we ran an interactive session to open the conference for TMI. We wanted

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15422845583950327902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-51904574474689714362011-10-18T09:46:00.005+01:002011-10-18T16:47:22.676+01:002011-10-18T16:47:22.676+01:00

Over the last few weeks I’ve been lucky enough to visit several museums in the UK and in mainland Europe. One of the things that struck me is how different institutions are responding to the opportunities of traditional and new technology to tell their stories and help visitors to explore further and dig deeper.Interpretation is minimal at the Astrup-Fearnley Museum of Modern Art, a private

Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609274960320767118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-6799833347792877022011-10-12T12:28:00.011+01:002011-10-14T12:12:31.312+01:002011-10-14T12:12:31.312+01:00

I’ve just been on a walking weekend in Cumbria with a group of friends. We’ve done this once a year for at least a decade, always finding a small hotel or inn as a base, whether in North Wales or Derbyshire or the Lakes or the Forest of Bowland. This year we were in Kirkby Lonsdale, staying at the Sun Inn, (www.sun-inn.info) which I highly recommend as a brilliant mix of ancient building and

Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379334662849100370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-26545814596824082322011-08-29T15:54:00.006+01:002011-08-30T12:16:36.955+01:002011-08-30T12:16:36.955+01:00

As destination marketers we are always looking for ways to capture the essence of the place so I was particularly struck recently on reading American author Elizabeth Gilbert's book Eat, Pray, Love (made into a film a year or so back with Julia Roberts). Elizabeth takes herself off to Rome after a divorce and depression to luxuriate in learning Italian and eating fabulous food. One day she is

Lornahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027436890518448904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-30168600258285551472011-08-22T11:16:00.013+01:002011-08-22T11:36:35.263+01:002011-08-22T11:36:35.263+01:00

... that’s the title of a commission for this year’s Folkestone Triennial. Artists Strange Cargo have created a collection of over 200 memories, descriptions, statements and anecdotes from local people, and strung them together into a delightful “people’s guidebook” to the Kent resort. The printed guide is a high-quality production (each double-page spread features an entry plus a photograph)

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15422845583950327902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-31093185232089687672011-08-07T21:55:00.007+01:002011-08-08T09:58:49.732+01:002011-08-08T09:58:49.732+01:00

I recently visited Bristol to take part in my first award assessment with the Academy of Urbanism. The visit was to the magnificent Georgian Queen’s Square which has been restored with the help of Heritage Lottery funding. It is one of three spaces shortlisted for The Academy’s Great Places Award 2012.As the judging isn’t yet complete, I can’t comment on the specifics of that but can share my

Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609274960320767118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-84900843694999068232011-07-31T17:04:00.022+01:002011-07-31T21:28:40.187+01:002011-07-31T21:28:40.187+01:00

Our sector's excellent daily online news service TravelMole has announced its 2011 Web Awards. The list of winners is well worth having a look at, for best-practice examples, inspiration and ideas.Take John Heald - winner of the TravelMole Travel Blog Award. John (pictured) is Cruise Director onboard a Carnival ship: he writes a daily blogpost, runs a Facebook page, and makes/stars in very short

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15422845583950327902noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-16301691374575102852011-07-15T15:42:00.006+01:002011-07-15T18:55:37.782+01:002011-07-15T18:55:37.782+01:00

VisitEngland has just announced trials of QR (Quick Recognition) codes in 5 English towns. QR codes are similar to bar codes and are readable by smartphones and take one directly to online text, audio and video about specific locations. In Bologna this week I saw for myself how they can bring richer, more dynamic information to visitors. A traditional plaque on a building has been brought

Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379334662849100370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-30297726736476651982011-07-08T16:22:00.003+01:002011-07-08T16:44:02.276+01:002011-07-08T16:44:02.276+01:00

The UK SoundMap was launched last summer to identify how our acoustic landscape has altered. It is a partnership project between the British Library and the Noise Futures Network. The project asked the public to capture everyday sounds using widely available mobile technology. The crowd-sourcing phase is now complete and the recordings are being studied by experts.What I found interesting is that

Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609274960320767118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-6163061440831340602011-06-22T23:22:00.005+01:002011-06-22T23:31:59.324+01:002011-06-22T23:31:59.324+01:00

Cliff Richard got up and sang to the Centre Court the first time I went to Wimbledon. Good for him I reckoned, since no-one else seemed to have thought about how to look after thousands of people on a rainy day. They still can’t control the weather, obviously, but they have made giant strides in presentation and customer care to judge from my trip to the (sunny) home of lawn tennis this week

Grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16379334662849100370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-65500279033571655202011-05-29T20:17:00.008+01:002011-05-30T16:41:45.953+01:002011-05-30T16:41:45.953+01:00

The late May Bank Holiday is when the annual Chester Folk Festival happens but if you are imagining the sound of strumming guitars to the backdrop of Roman heritage you’d be wrong. The festival takes place about nine miles from Chester in the village of Kelsall. The festival is centred on the village green with four venues for performances and workshops. The beer tent features beer from two local

Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609274960320767118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-77553561591746354482011-05-13T17:42:00.008+01:002011-05-13T18:02:28.221+01:002011-05-13T18:02:28.221+01:00

At this time of year, I say “Chelsea” and you think …OK, I know some of you will be thinking football. But for many, it’ll be the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Traditionally the start of “the Season”, Chelsea has the sort of brand awareness and values that make people plan their trip months ahead – and then use their intention-to-go as a status symbol. You could call it the “book, buy and boast”

Amandahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15422845583950327902noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-62675675363136534492011-04-12T09:01:00.012+01:002011-04-12T22:23:35.514+01:002011-04-12T22:23:35.514+01:00

Apologies for the jargon in the title. I’ve come across quite a lot of debate recently about Tourism Improvement Districts (TIDs) which made me wonder how do US TIDs differ from Tourism Business Improvement Districts (TBIDs) under discussion in the UK? TIDs are seen as a valuable funding source for destination marketing to replace declining state funds. They are well-established in California and

Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609274960320767118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-1210919061088493922011-04-06T14:12:00.005+01:002011-04-06T14:32:03.694+01:002011-04-06T14:32:03.694+01:00

We've recently completed a piece of work for NewcastleGateshead Initiative helping them review their marketing strategy. The project involved a series of workshops with staff and members getting under the skin of the place and exploring how it should be positioned. This included considering what people who are entirely unfamiliar with the place might think of it and associate with it - people,

Lornahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027436890518448904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-13906821656081839132011-03-15T10:08:00.002Z2011-03-15T10:19:16.990Z2011-03-15T10:19:16.990Z

The romance of train travel is not hugely evident to those of us who spend a lot of time on trains, nor is it the first choice for most when considering international travel (other than maybe Eurostar). And yet Seat 61 manages to do this.The Seat 61 website was set up and run by career railway man Mark Smith who felt that it had to be easier to find our way among the timetables to make trains a

Lornahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07027436890518448904noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-1449924640859541062011-02-27T12:39:00.007Z2011-02-27T13:23:00.576Z2011-02-27T13:23:00.576Z

Blue Sail has just launched Within Warwickshire a new microsite promoting the best of rural Warwickshire to visitors. It is one of 18 projects we are working on in the County to deliver the Warwickshire RDPE Welcome to the Countryside programme on behalf of local and regional partners.Before any technical or creative discussions took place about the microsite, we needed to be clear about target

Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609274960320767118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1981434777266287406.post-80258949284896530162011-02-02T16:55:00.005Z2011-02-02T17:03:00.426Z2011-02-02T17:03:00.426Z

Voluntourism (I dislike the word almost as much as staycation) is about travelling abroad and taking part in a volunteer project. I was reading recently that ‘bite-sized’ volunteer holidays are growing in popularity. Voluntourism was once the preserve of students in their gap year but is increasingly attracting people of all ages. What these people all share is a desire to do something for the

Michelehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17609274960320767118noreply@blogger.com1