Squatters in our Brochure Holders

At LDS Tourism Services we have a name for the unauthorised leaflets that appear in our display units from time to time. As a clue, the ornithologists among you will no doubt be aware of a certain feathered critter known for laying its eggs in the nests of other birds - frequently evicting the host’s clutch and live young in the process. Yes, you’ve guessed, these freeloading flyers are known to us as ‘cuckoos’!

Over the years we've evicted our fair share of ‘cuckoos’. In fact, signs on our stands inform potential squatters: “Unauthorised Material Will Be Removed”. Nevertheless, there are inevitably a handful of distributors who think we won’t spot a leaflet or two promoting their clients among all the others. They couldn’t be more wrong!

Whilst extremely annoying, this has never been of serious concern – until now. We have suddenly noticed (what could only be described as) flocks of ‘cuckoos’ appearing in our holders; to such an extent that we have been impelled to contact various businesses to let them know their leaflets will never reach the public. It would be unfair to highlight individual names because we are quite sure this problem is down to one or two unscrupulous distribution companies rather than the attractions themselves. However, it’s a great pity to see so much promotional print go to waste and it benefits nobody in the long-run.

So, the moral behind this story is beware unprincipled businesses passing themselves off as reputable distribution firms. If they offer to display your leaflets in hundreds of stands throughout the region (perhaps for half the price), then they are probably cuckoos in doves' clothing.

Cruising Llangollen Canal

Over the bank holiday weekend I was fortunate enough to enjoy a lovely day out on a canal boat. We hired the Dydd Un for the day from Llangollen Wharf as a birthday present for my Father-in-law.

We started out bright and early driving over to Llangollen and the weather could not have been any better. It was fairly quiet when we arrived ready to collect the boat but by the time we were on our way it was becoming much busier. As we were waiting for other members of our party to arrive we were able to explore the boat. Heading down the stairs there was an indoor room with a little kitchen area and a small toilet. From there you head out to an open area with seating down the side of the barge, perfect for spotting the wildlife as you gently pass by.

The route suggested is approx 10 miles heading down towards the Trevor Basin, over the Pontsyclle Aquaduct and back again. On our way we moored near the Telford Inn for a delicious lunch in the sun.

It was a perfect family day out and I would recommend it to anyone. We soon got to grips with the steering and there are plenty of helpful people to lend a hand for when we went a little off course. The views in the part of North Wales are stunning and they were made even better by the gorgeous weather.

Forward Planning Pays Off For Leaflet Marketing Company

As the country basks in glorious sunshine, there is every indication that camping and caravanning holidays are enjoying an amazing resurgence. Indeed, according to a recent holiday poll of over 2,000 people, thirty percent of Brits are staying in cheaper accommodation such as a tent or caravan to save money this year.

Regular readers of this blog will know that we predicted such a trend over twelve months ago. We were also correct in thinking that the strength of the euro would increase awareness of what the UK has to offer. Consequently, we were able to plan ahead and target caravan sites, B&B’s, marinas and a range of self-catering establishments with our various leaflet campaigns. We have every confidence that our forward thinking will result in clients benefitting from the predicted 20% rise in British holidays taken this summer – not to mention the shift towards leisure travellers who prefer weekend breaks.

We have a number of exciting and innovative new plans in the pipeline, which we hope to implement over the coming months in order to take full advantage of the transformation within the tourist industry caused by the recession (not least the decline in business and corporate travellers). All will be revealed in the very near future.

New leaflets and brochures continue to arrive at the Border Distribution Centre on an almost daily basis. Hot off the press are: Word of Mouth: People & Places in Wales (Issue 19), Chester Mini Guide, BugWorld Experience, Cumbria Culture Guide and many others.

If you would like further information about our services, please feel free to drop us a line or ring up for a chat on 01244 671859.

The Importance of Keeping it Local

Although small firms employ over fifty-eight per cent of the private sector workforce and contribute more than 50% of the UK turnover, the expansion of large national and international companies into every corner of British industry is heavily responsible for the demise of local trade.

“Expansion” has become a scary word to local traders, especially when names such as Tesco are mentioned in the same breath. Yet, it is a fact that our economy is driven by small businesses and the case for keeping small retailers and businesses in our local communities is overwhelming.

Leaflet distribution firms within the tourism and leisure sectors are no less prey to large ‘out of town’ companies moving in and attempting to put them out of business. There have been instances over the last few years where the ‘big boys’ have come into an area and proceeded to drastically undercut local firms. Inevitably, once the 'small fry' has been removed, prices increase dramatically, and by the time tourism operators realise that service isn’t quite what it used to be, there is no longer a credible alternative.

So, why is it so important to use local companies to distribute and display promotional literature? Well, aside from obvious reasons such as their in-depth and long-standing knowledge of an area and its people, there is the fact that smaller firms usually have a personal interest in the survival of other businesses in their neighbourhoods – indeed, their proprietors and employees frequently have family members and friends whose livelihoods depend on the continued success of nearby attractions, leisure facilities, hotels, pubs and restaurants. Remove the local element and you are left with a bunch of fat-cat business people with little or no interest in a particular town or region - except, of course, when it comes to lining their own pockets.

If you are concerned about the demise of local firms, it may interest you to learn that the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is actively campaigning to stem the tide of business closures and defend the choice and diversity customers deserve. It was inspired by FSB members and its message is now being delivered in local communities across the country. You can sign their Keep Trade Local petition right here.

If you have any comments regarding this or any other matter, please feel free to post a message here or drop us a line.

UK Tourism Boosted by Sun & Slump!

Tourism operators in North Wales and North West England can take plenty of positives from the first major British holiday of the year. Blue skies and the current economic climate combined to give many attractions an excellent kick-start to the season – with most parts of the UK enjoying long periods of fine, dry weather over the Easter break. In addition to this, domestic rail bookings over Easter were up by more than 40% year-on-year with almost 45,000 people booking advance tickets for the Bank Holiday.

According to The Caravan Club, which owns and operates 200 sites across mainland Britain, bookings for 2009 are “already up by 40%”. Its network of parks across Wales was at 90% occupancy for the Easter holidays and the club’s spokesperson, Fiona Bewers, told BBC Online that the current trend seemed to be for “new families [to take] up caravanning as a fun option”.

The results of a new study by VisitEngland were released at the Best of Britain and Ireland trade show last month. They showed that “90% of the population is cutting back on its overall spend but the importance of holidays means that they are ‘more protected’ than other areas of expenditure.” The domestic tourism body also went on to reveal that one in five people who went abroad on holiday last year would consider switching to the UK in 2009 to save money.

Also of interest was a newly published study by Key Note, which has shown that foreign activity holidays are far more likely to be affected by the recession than other types of breaks. The market intelligence provider says that it is likely some travellers will economise by taking holidays in the UK rather than abroad this year and in 2010. A poll of 1,000 consumers for the report revealed that walking - including trekking – had emerged as the most popular activity with 14% of respondents indicating that they had taken a holiday of this kind in the UK. Nine per cent said that they had been on a multi-activity holiday in the UK, compared with six per cent who had taken this type of holiday abroad.

At LDS, we are busier than ever, with new clients joining us every week. If you would like to know more about our many cost-effective and frequently exclusive services, please don’t hesitate to contact us for further details.

Brand New Cadw Hotline

We have set up a bilingual hotline in order to deal more swiftly and efficiently with requests and queries concerning Cadw literature. This 24-hour telephone line will be answered by a real person between the hours of 9am and 4pm on weekdays - an answer-phone facility will be available at all other times. We are hoping that Tourist Information Centres and other operators within the tourism industry will make full use of this service. However, please feel free to ring the number if you have any questions or comments regarding this year’s Cadw brochures.

The new Cadw Hotline number is: 07964 584957

The Only Way is Up For Tourism in North West England

It has been all hands to the deck over the past couple of days with the monthly delivery of What’s On in Chester & Cheshire to hotels, attractions and other leisure facilities in the City and surrounding area. The glossy A4 magazine is a free guide to eating, drinking, shopping and entertainment in the area – although it will be downsizing to a “chic and petite publication” next month with a “dynamic and vibrant new look”. It is also getting a bigger print run because - according to editor, Gerald A. Tattum - Chester City Council, “just can’t keep pace with the demand” for this popular life-style guide.

According to Superbreak: “Figures show that provincial UK cities and resorts are performing well with bookings through agents in January up 14% year on year…” Indeed, the operator predicts that more than 65,000 people will book short breaks through agents for the two week Easter period and fully expects more people to holiday at home this Easter as apposed to visiting euro zone countries. In addition, Easter falls later this year giving spring a chance to set in properly, which could be excellent news for companies offering short breaks “within two and a half hours drive from home”. If so, this will no doubt have a very positive knock-on effect for tourism and leisure facilities throughout Britain.

One of our longest-standing clients, Chester Zoo has recently unveiled an ambitious £225 million plan that will see it transformed into the largest conservation, animal and leisure attraction of its kind in Europe. The project – given the working title Natural Vision – will involve a £90 million first phase which will include the only domed ecosystem in the UK. Called ‘Heart of Africa’, the bio-dome will be an African rainforest-themed sanctuary for a band of Gorillas, a large troop of chimpanzees, Okapi (rare giraffe-like creatures), and a wide variety of tropical birds, amphibians, reptiles, fishes and invertebrates, moving freely among lush vegetation. The first phase – planning permission for which will be sought later this year – will also include a 90-bed hotel, a Conservation College, a key element of which is the ‘Futures’ education centre, and a revamped main entrance linking to a marina development on zoo land beside the Shropshire Union Canal. All we can say is: “Way to go, Chester Zoo!”

LDS Tourism Win Cadw Contract

We may be entering an “age of austerity” (according to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit) but life remains as hectic as ever at LDS Tourism Services. Our distributors have been out and about in the snow and ice, servicing our displays and delivering orders to Tourist Information Centres throughout the region. Indeed, new leaflets continue to arrive by the hour, keeping our staff very busy indeed.

Hayley and Diana attended the Great Days Out Fair in Bolton Arena last weekend on behalf of Cadw, the Welsh Assembly government’s historic environment service. The day was a great success with over 200 attractions and destination marketers taking part – not to mention outstanding entertainment from the cast of the West End’s smash hit musical, Mamma Mia. We will certainly recommend that Cadw exhibit at this event again next year!

Incidentally, we can now reveal that LDSTS will continue to work with Cadw, having won the contract to market their literature throughout North Wales and North West England for the next three years (at least). Some time over the next couple of weeks we will set up a bilingual Cadw Hotline for all enquiries relating to their leaflets and brochures – watch this space for further details!