Bridgend County Offers Alternative Tour Planning Tool.
4/7/2021
Virtual Road trip to Help Group Visits.
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 useful 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.
The film can be watched on the Visit Bridgend group
Travel page www.visitbridgend.co.uk/group-travel
or You Tube channel https://youtu.be/iUyThFodwjw
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; Finnegan’s 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 unprecedented
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 are now being sent a link
for the Bridgend County Virtual Group Travel Fam. Anyone who requires more
information about booking a group in the area can find further inspiration on
Visit Bridgend www.visitbridgend.co.uk/group-travel or contact Alice Brown on alice.brown@bridgend.gov.uk
or 01656 815 332 .
Please
see attached photographs of the filming.
Ends.