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Over the past few months, I’ve written a great deal about some of the English regions you may be familiar with; but this week, I’m sharpening the focus on a destination you may not have come across before.
Welcome to the ancient county of Dorset, a less well-known area of stunning countryside and coastal scenery that can be traced back to the time of the dinosaurs and the Jurassic period. It has inspired great writers like Thomas Hardy and, among many other must-see attractions, is also home to no fewer than four former winners of the prestigious Historic Houses/Christies Garden Of The Year Award.
Located just to the west of Southampton, creative tour planners can bookend a few nights here with a couple in the cathedral city of Salisbury and two more in Winchester, the capital of England in Anglo-Saxon times.
Read on, check out the three videos and begin to experience what the region has to offer. You’ll be very pleasantly surprised.
I know that during November and December, thoughts turn to either staying closer to home or heading for sunnier climes. Given the pent-up demand for UK-bound travel among many of your anglophile clients, use some of these ideas to start conversations about spending a few days in the UK, either side of Thanksgiving.
Several of them might be tempted sampling their favourite single malts among other aficionados at the Malt Whisky Festival in northeast Scotland, while others (like me) will be attracted to the baroque tones at the Mozartfest in the Georgian city of Bath. Others will like the of combining great stately homes and castles imaginatively dressed for the festive season with gluhwein, bratwurst, and mince pies at Christmas Markets in historic settings. Families will certainly enjoy taking a spin in some pretty spectacular locations in and around London.
Look closely. Think carefully. Opportunities to sell these brilliant ideas have been missed in the past. Don’t let them happen in the future. With so much to choose from, let’s fine-tune your choice, add a few more bells and whistles, and gift wrap it for your customers. Read the rest of this entry »
I know that during November and December, thoughts turn to either staying closer to home or heading for sunnier climes. Given the pent-up demand for UK-bound travel among many of your anglophile clients, use some of these ideas to start conversations about spending a few days in the UK, either side of Thanksgiving.
Several of them might be tempted sampling their favourite single malts among other aficionados at the Malt Whisky Festival in northeast Scotland, while others (like me) will be attracted to the baroque tones at the Mozartfest in the Georgian city of Bath. Others will like the of combining great stately homes and castles imaginatively dressed for the festive season with gluhwein, bratwurst, and mince pies at Christmas Markets in historic settings. Families will certainly enjoy taking a spin in some pretty spectacular locations in and around London.
Look closely. Think carefully. Opportunities to sell these brilliant ideas have been missed in the past. Don’t let them happen in the future. With so much to choose from, let’s fine-tune your choice, add a few more bells and whistles, and gift wrap it for your customers. Read the rest of this entry »
In case you missed last Friday’s announcement, from Monday 2nd August, fully vaccinated Americans can travel to the UK. Having been in the long, dark Covid tunnel for nearly 18 months, it’s hard to believe good news when it appears; but it’s true, and we’re slowly but surely emerging into a new landscape. There are still rules and regulations that have to be adhered to but, as far as Product GB is concerned, while the pandemic has stalled UK-bound travel, it hasn’t destroyed our historic sites, cathedrals, great castles and stately homes, literary shrines, pubs and tea rooms—or prevented Mother Nature from producing our great gardens!
To celebrate this significant step forward, here are five bright ideas that will help you to immediately profit from some of the pent-up demand especially among your anglophile clients. They include the late September Chelsea Flower Show, in October the spectacular Japan Festival at Kew Gardens Read the rest of this entry »
If the UK is on your radar for 2022, cast your imagination towards the warm summer months of June and July for some bright ideas in the sleepy, honey-coloured limestone villages and sheep-clad hillsides of the Cotswolds, followed by a few days in London. Oxford is the gateway city to this lovely corner of England, and it takes just over one hour to get there from London Heathrow. These ideas also work well before, or after, cruising in or out of Southampton, Dover or Harwich.
A recent press release confirming the restaging of the popular York Mystery Plays (every 4 years) started me thinking about how this medieval form of street theatre could become the star attraction in a customised tour for a couple of clients, two-four friends travelling together, or a small group from a local church.
In addition to attending a Mystery Play performance, there’s a Vikings to Georgians journey-through-time walking tour, a cathedral celebrating its 1350th anniversary; a 12th century Cistercian Abbey; a Georgian water garden complete with ornamental lakes, avenues, temples and cascades; a treasure-filled Baroque castle; and, for light relief, a fascinating collection of period rooms ALL in miniature!
I know you’re extremely busy, but this novel approach to a 3-4 night York-based programme could generate a profitable outcome.
Last Tuesday was supposed to be Covid Liberation Day here in the UK but, instead, our Government lost its nerve and sentenced us to another month of lockdown. Predictably, it went down like a lead balloon! To cheer myself up, and thanks to a press release from Kew Gardens, this week’s article will take you to their fantastic and uplifting Orchid Festival which fills the month of February 2022. With low airfares and off-season hotel rates, this will appeal to green-fingered clients and GB-starved clients alike.
I’ve also included something on Cornwall’s Gardens, stunning in March/April, which—with a dash of Doc Martin, Poldark, and Arthurian myths and legends—create a winning combination. I’ve also added some tempting ideas for a tour based on Tulip Festivals in the southeast of England.
Read on, and let’s exchange some emails about your UK plans for next year. Read the rest of this entry »
I would hazard a guess that, throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, your anglophile customers have been watching endless episodes of Downton Abbey, Inspector Morse, Doc Martin, Keeping Up Appearances, Poldark, Midsomer Murders, Grantchester, and The Vicar of Dibley to name just a few of the British TV series appearing on PBS. Bridgerton is the new kid on the block, and you can read and see more in the story below after Downton Abbey.
You will know who these people are and instead of leaving them to imagine what the great castles, stately homes, gardens, market towns, villages and countryside really look like; talk to them about their favourites and let me help you put together a UK tour that matches their interests, time frame and budget.
Catch the vision and talk to them about converting TV fiction into touchable reality in the English countryside. Read the rest of this entry »
Many of your anglophile clients will have read about the new RHS Bridgewater Garden in their gardening magazines. I’ve put together a short stack of touring ideas which show how a visit can be included in a number of different itineraries in the north of England and North Wales with an extension to Ireland.
Using iconic names like the Beatles, Beatrix Potter, James Herriot (as recently enjoyed on PBS) Harry Potter and Dracula, this stunning new garden could give you the key that unlocks some profitable new perspectives on your old friend Britain.
The recent Scotland Reconnect trade show has given me a great opportunity to take a closer look at a destination I know well and, over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be introducing you to/reminding you about a wide variety of wonderful Scottish travel experiences you can offer your customers.
In the last few months, in anticipation of transatlantic flights offering scheduled services in the summer, I’ve been highlighting some of the festivals and events which all your anglophile clients will warmly welcome. In August they include The International Beatles Week, Liverpool; Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, Buxton and Harrogate; Edinburgh Tattoo and Fringe; Edinburgh Book Festival; various Highland Games in Scotland; plus your client’s favourite malt whiskey distilleries! Read the rest of this entry »
Today, we come towards the end of a week of profound sorrow as we mourn the death of His Royal Highness Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh, and a week of great joy as we celebrate the continuing success of our vaccine roll out programme with pubs and restaurants now open for outdoor service—for the first time in months. This positive step also keeps us on track as we count down to Monday 17th May, when all pubs, restaurants, hotels and B&Bs will be allowed to re-open! That will be a real red-letter day. Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re looking for the ultimate travel-less, see-more UK destination, look no further than the Cotswolds. An area with Stratford upon Avon to the north, Bath to the southwest, and accessed through Oxford with a one-hour drive from London Heathrow; it’s the perfect place to park your jetlag for a few days, putting you in great shape for early starts and late finishes when you get to London.
With swathes of yellow daffodils and the forsythia bursting into flower, the long-awaited spring is finally here and with it, there’s an encouraging upward trend in travel advisor inquiries for later in the year and for 2022, in anticipation that planes will once again be crisscrossing the Atlantic.
To encourage you to take part in this Britain-bound renaissance, I’ve put together some updates on festivals taking place in September. They include the annual Jane Austen Festival in Bath, with some tips on costume hire; and the International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, where a link to last year’s Virtual event is a very useful marketing tool.
Finally, if your clients are into china and porcelain, they’ll thank you for helping them to attend the British Ceramics Biennial in the World Capital of Ceramics, aka Stoke on Trent.
With the effectiveness of our vaccination programme bringing a release from lockdown ever nearer, it’s not unreasonable to think of September as a very good month for UK-bound travel. By then, your garden-loving customers won’t have been to our shores for around 18 months, and my top story reveals that no fewer than 6 world-class flower shows and festivals can help you to profitably turn that to your advantage!
This week’s focus sharpens on the cathedral city of Winchester, just 30 minutes north of Southampton and 1 hour from London Heathrow. It ticks all the boxes for a 2 to 3-night pre- or post-cruise extension. I’ve also highlighted how Royal Windsor’s proximity to London Heathrow works well for the first 2 nights of any UK tour or Dover, Harwich or Southampton departing cruise.
Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Tourism South East recently staged an excellent virtual version of their hugely popular Excursions trade show. Being a great believer in hub and spoke tours, two destinations have caught my eye; one in the English countryside and the other at the seaside. The first is the Kent town of Maidstone, which is home to a collection of internationally renowned hotel brands that provide the highest quality accommodation. The second is the seaside city of Brighton, where the 5-star Grand Hotel and many seafront 4-star properties tick all the right boxes for the high-end traveller. Let’s take a closer look at why they make a very good base for a pre-London, or pre-cruise, 3-4 night stay.
To celebrate my 100th article for Travel Research Online, and in the hope that planes start crisscrossing the Atlantic in the summer, here are seven magnificent tour ideas that will resonate strongly with anglophile clients who’ve been deprived of a UK tour – for far too long. Use the videos and websites to whip up interest and then, between us, let’s encourage them to play their part in the renaissance of GB-bound travel. Read the rest of this entry »
Your guess is as good as mine as to when scheduled transatlantic flights will lift off once again but, in the hope that normal service resumes in the spring/early summer, here are six bright ideas that will resonate well with dozens of your anglophile customers. They are, in addition to Goodwood’s Festival of Speed, Alice’s Day in Oxford and the Open Golf Championships at Royal St George’s in Kent.
I don’t know about you but after the Christmas festivities and New Year celebrations, January and even February are often dull and drab months that have to be endured. Let me lift your spirits with a collection of festivals and events that can be used as the cornerstone for a UK tour that can be customised to meet your customer’s interests, time frame and budget. To enable them to travel less and therefore see more, they are based in the Cotswolds and in the colourful seaside city of Brighton. Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re a frequent reader of my Agent’s Perspectives, you’ll know that I’m a great believer in creating itineraries that enable your clients to travel less and see more. This week, I’m introducing a five-night, on-location masterpiece centred on Bath and Oxford with three nights in London at the end. It includes places used in the filming of the new Netflix period drama Bridgerton, The Secret Garden, Wolf Hall, Poldark, Harry Potter, and Downton Abbey. This rich blend is further enhanced with visits to treasure-filled Blenheim Palace and an unforgettable English afternoon tea. Read on and then ask me for the itinerary which includes other must-see On Location visits. Read the rest of this entry »
With news of the long hoped for COVID-19 vaccine lifting our spirits, here are some more profit-generating ideas for those of you with April/May travel to the UK on your radar. They come to you with my warmest good wishes for a very happy Thanksgiving.
