Virtual Road trip to Help Group Visits.
10/23/2020
Bridgend County Offers Alternative Tour Planning Tool.
01.10.20
Tour operators, group travel organisers and the UK travel trade are to be invited along on a virtual road trip in Bridgend County, Southern Wales.
Tour operators, group travel organisers and the UK
travel trade are to be invited along on a virtual road trip in Bridgend County,
Southern Wales.
Because of the challenges posed by COVID-19, the Destination
Management Team there are offering tour planners an alternative to visiting the
area in person – they’ve produced a helpful film with the help of Eastwood Media
and group travel specialist company Steve Reed Tourism. The ‘Bridgend County Virtual
Group Travel Fam’ follows a carefully selected and enjoyable itinerary featuring
Porthcawl and surrounding coast and countryside of Bridgend County.
Produced with the needs of the coach and tour sectors
in mind, the film follows Steve around the highways and byways of this
attractive and often undiscovered part of the UK. Numerous attractions, group
venues, hotels and scenic sites are included.
The filming schedule took in a variety of group
attractions including Ewenny Pottery; Parc Slip Nature Reserve; Rest Bay
Watersports Centre; Porthcawl Grand Pavilion; Porthcawl Museum; Finnegans Fish
and Chip Restaurant and Pyle Garden Village.
Hotels were also featured and these included the Best
Western Heronston Hotel in Bridgend; the Seabank Hotel in Porthcawl and the
Great House Hotel and Restaurant in the village of Laleston.
Well known Southern Wales coach and tour operator
Cresta Coaches were included in the filming with a drone following the coach as
it drove along Porthcawl’s stunning seafront.
Alice Brown is the Destination Management
Officer of Bridgend County Borough Council:
‘The tourism industry is facing unpreceded challenges
at the moment and this promotional film aims to support our partners to prepare
to welcome groups back to the area when circumstances allow. We know that the
groups market plan well in advance and will be planning for 2021 and beyond
already. Steve Reed Tourism are very well known amongst the country’s tour
planners and it’s good to have Steve taking the metaphorical wheel on this film!”
Says Alice.
‘Filmed to depict the range of options for groups in
Bridgend County, the film includes a whole series of practical suggestions and possibilities
for groups coming into the area – some of the sites are well established and
others not so well known. So it gives tour planners the heads up of where to
go, what to do and where to stay overnight and dine.’
The film includes face to face interviews with some of
the attraction and hotel partners around Bridgend County.
‘The Roadtrip is definitely a great alternative to the
idea of having people descend on an area and taking in a showcase event,’
explains Steve Reed.
‘It will certainly help to put the beautiful seaside
resort of Porthcawl and indeed Bridgend County onto the travel trade map. The destination
and local partners deserve to see their names in lights.’
Tour Planners around the UK will be sent a link for
the Bridgend County Virtual Group Travel Fam in the coming weeks. Anyone who
requires more information about booking a group in the area should contact
Alice Brown on alice.brown@bridgend.gov.uk
or 01656 815 332.
Ends.