Virtual Fam Visit to Promote Group Visits to Southern Wales.
4/20/2021
Southern Wales continues its drive to attract visitors but this time using socially distanced methods of targeting coach and tour operators.
For the last seven years Southern Wales
Tourism, has coordinated regular sales missions, fact-finding visits and ‘meet
the buyer’ workshops in an on-going effort to support the many tourism
businesses that depend upon group visits.
Past events have included the likes of Tredegar
House, The Royal Mint Experience and Cardiff Castle, along with hotels such as the
Parkway Hotel & Spa and the Heronston Hotel & Spa. Local coach companies and Wales
Official Tour Guides have also featured.
It’s not been possible to run the events this
year so instead the team are going virtual. Working with UK group travel
specialist company Steve Reed Tourism Ltd, filmmaker James Button, Blue Badge
Guide Steve Griffin and Mainline Coaches, a short film illustrating the unique
selling points and practicalities of bringing groups into Southern Wales is
underway and will be launched at a ‘meet the buyer webinar’ scheduled for July.
This virtual visit will be useful in helping
tour planners arrange their South Wales tours without having to visit in
person. Many of the iconic sites, attractions and hotels, of the area will be
featured in the film including practical details such as coach parking;
passenger drop off and pick up; distances between sites; suitability of venues
for groups and things to see and do when visiting. We will also be highlighting
upcoming and new products for the region including the new adventure
experience, Zip World Tower.
‘Each
year we have arranged special events in Southern Wales so that tour buyers can
see for themselves what we have to offer; this has resulted in numerous group
bookings bringing spending visitors into the area.’
‘Now we
have the opportunity to showcase our destinations and venues virtually to
support the industry and aid recovery. The virtual familiarisation trip
highlights many new experiences whilst
revisiting much loved group venues like the Royal Mint Experience and the
National Museums and it will be packed with useful pointers, helpful
contacts and information for the all-important buyers. We recognise the value of the group sector to hotels and attractions
across Southern Wales so we want to inform and inspire tour planners to ensure
the region continues to feature on as many itineraries as possible.’ Nicola Edwards,
Chair of Southern Wales Tourism
Ends.
Photos Steve Reed and Steve Griffin filming at Raglan Castle (Courtesy
of Cadw)
Contact: visit@southernwales.comwww.southernwales.com