News Archive
Stars support film
By Christina Eccles
A SHORT film has been created by the Northwest Regional Development Agency to encourage people to visit the North West of England.
It features a host of talent from the region including Maxine Peake of Shameless, writer and broadcaster Howard Jacobsen, actors John Thomson and Craig Cash and a number of cameos including Johnny Vegas and Badly Drawn Boy.
The film was shown at The Beautiful North event – a celebration of the region’s culture which took place in London’s Manchester Square.
NWDA director of marketing Peter Mearns said: “The Northwest is one of the most artistic and culturally dynamic regions in Europe and the short film commissioned by the NWDA will help showcase just how much the region has to offer.
“It is a major coup for the Northwest that we were able to engage so many talented performers in creating this film; it is real evidence of the passion and belief in the creative talent which exists in the region.
“This campaign aims to position the Northwest as a leading location for arts and culture and raise awareness of the wealth of leading venues, exhibitions and world class cultural events the region is home to.”
The launch event was designed to showcase the best of what the region has to offer to London-based artists, performers, curators, journalists and critics and encourage them to come and experience first hand the Northwest’s cultural offering.
It also features a preview performance from the Manchester International Festival, an insight into this year’s Turner Prize shortlist, showing for the first time outside London at Tate Liverpool and highlighting Liverpool’s coming year as European Capital of Culture.
The promotional film will be shown in art-house cinemas across London and the South East and is timed to coincide with key cultural events taking place across the Northwest.
By Christina Eccles
A SHORT film has been created by the Northwest Regional Development Agency to encourage people to visit the North West of England.
It features a host of talent from the region including Maxine Peake of Shameless, writer and broadcaster Howard Jacobsen, actors John Thomson and Craig Cash and a number of cameos including Johnny Vegas and Badly Drawn Boy.
The film was shown at The Beautiful North event – a celebration of the region’s culture which took place in London’s Manchester Square.
NWDA director of marketing Peter Mearns said: “The Northwest is one of the most artistic and culturally dynamic regions in Europe and the short film commissioned by the NWDA will help showcase just how much the region has to offer.
“It is a major coup for the Northwest that we were able to engage so many talented performers in creating this film; it is real evidence of the passion and belief in the creative talent which exists in the region.
“This campaign aims to position the Northwest as a leading location for arts and culture and raise awareness of the wealth of leading venues, exhibitions and world class cultural events the region is home to.”
The launch event was designed to showcase the best of what the region has to offer to London-based artists, performers, curators, journalists and critics and encourage them to come and experience first hand the Northwest’s cultural offering.
It also features a preview performance from the Manchester International Festival, an insight into this year’s Turner Prize shortlist, showing for the first time outside London at Tate Liverpool and highlighting Liverpool’s coming year as European Capital of Culture.
The promotional film will be shown in art-house cinemas across London and the South East and is timed to coincide with key cultural events taking place across the Northwest.
UK gears up for an Indian summer
By Nicola Lambert
BRITAIN is gearing up for an Indian summer with the launch of a new Bollywood Britain map and website.
The campaign encourages Indian visitors to follow in the footsteps of their favourite stars and experience the destinations featured in con-temporary and classic Bollywood films.
VisitBritain will distribute 30,000 maps in India to take advantage of the 25 per cent increase in visits last year, which now means that Indians make more visits to the UK than the Japanese.
Tom Wright, chief executive of VisitBritain, said: “Britain has become the popular choice for the world’s biggest movie industry and VisitBritain has led the way since 1996 in capitalising on this ‘screen magic’.
“Some 23million Indians go to see a film every day and you only have to look at the figures to see that more and more of them are being inspired to visit Britain. Britain’s popularity as a Bollywood backdrop can only help us raise our profile among this growing audience and Bollywood Britain will show them all they can enjoy while they are here.”
Statistics show that 40 per cent of potential visitors are “very likely” to visit places from films or TV. The map highlights the best areas for shopping, food and drink, sport and British culture.
Thirty Bollywood films feature on the map profiling locations in London, Bath, Blackpool, Lancaster and Preston, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, the Lake District, Oxford, Weymouth and throughout Scotland and Wales. Film-makers have also used iconic attractions such as Blenheim Palace, Cliveden House, Longleat House, Cheshire’s Nunsmere Hall, Stowe Gardens in Buckinghamshire, Waddeston Manor and Shropshire’s Walcot Hall. One area which has had booming ‘Bolly-wood’ success is Wales which has seen visits from India increase by 175 per cent with visitors spending £10m – double the 2005 figures.
By Nicola Lambert
BRITAIN is gearing up for an Indian summer with the launch of a new Bollywood Britain map and website.
The campaign encourages Indian visitors to follow in the footsteps of their favourite stars and experience the destinations featured in con-temporary and classic Bollywood films.
VisitBritain will distribute 30,000 maps in India to take advantage of the 25 per cent increase in visits last year, which now means that Indians make more visits to the UK than the Japanese.
Tom Wright, chief executive of VisitBritain, said: “Britain has become the popular choice for the world’s biggest movie industry and VisitBritain has led the way since 1996 in capitalising on this ‘screen magic’.
“Some 23million Indians go to see a film every day and you only have to look at the figures to see that more and more of them are being inspired to visit Britain. Britain’s popularity as a Bollywood backdrop can only help us raise our profile among this growing audience and Bollywood Britain will show them all they can enjoy while they are here.”
Statistics show that 40 per cent of potential visitors are “very likely” to visit places from films or TV. The map highlights the best areas for shopping, food and drink, sport and British culture.
Thirty Bollywood films feature on the map profiling locations in London, Bath, Blackpool, Lancaster and Preston, Herefordshire, Hertfordshire, the Lake District, Oxford, Weymouth and throughout Scotland and Wales. Film-makers have also used iconic attractions such as Blenheim Palace, Cliveden House, Longleat House, Cheshire’s Nunsmere Hall, Stowe Gardens in Buckinghamshire, Waddeston Manor and Shropshire’s Walcot Hall. One area which has had booming ‘Bolly-wood’ success is Wales which has seen visits from India increase by 175 per cent with visitors spending £10m – double the 2005 figures.
Nessie voted top Highland icon
NESSIE has been voted the ultimate Highlands and Islands icon by visitors to the Highland 2007 website.
Worldwide nominations came after an initial competition in Scottish Provincial Press titles and the top six most popular icons were then put forward to an online poll.
Chair of Highland 2007 Alison Magee said: “We are delighted by the response we received for the online vote.
“It’s great to see so many people from all over the world visiting the Highland 2007 website and finding out more about what is happening as part of the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture.
"Nessie is a deserved winner of the title as she is a recognised icon throughout the world and always draws visitors to the Highlands in their hunt for the elusive creature.”
Other nominations included Flora Macdonald and Rob Roy Macgregor
NESSIE has been voted the ultimate Highlands and Islands icon by visitors to the Highland 2007 website.
Worldwide nominations came after an initial competition in Scottish Provincial Press titles and the top six most popular icons were then put forward to an online poll.
Chair of Highland 2007 Alison Magee said: “We are delighted by the response we received for the online vote.
“It’s great to see so many people from all over the world visiting the Highland 2007 website and finding out more about what is happening as part of the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture.
"Nessie is a deserved winner of the title as she is a recognised icon throughout the world and always draws visitors to the Highlands in their hunt for the elusive creature.”
Other nominations included Flora Macdonald and Rob Roy Macgregor
Scotland goes interactive
INTERACTIVE TV advertising is being used to attract visitors to Scotland for the first time.
VisitScotland’s new campaign means that satellite viewers across the UK will be able to go interactive during the adverts and find out more about Scottish events and festivals.
The adverts will run on over 80 satellite channels including Sky, Sky Movies, Sky Sports, UK Gold and ITV2, reaching an audience of around 7 million people.
The fast paced advert features live footage from a range of events around Scotland including the Dundee Flower and Food Festival, the British Superbike Championships and the Perth Festival of the Arts.
Alan Graham, VisitScotland Fife Area Director, said: “Tourism is one of the most competitive markets in the world, with Scotland competing for visitors with over 200 other countries.
“To ensure that we seize every opportunity to entice people to visit we need to try new things and embrace new technology, like this interactive TV campaign.”
The new interactive adverts will also give viewers the chance to request an e-brochure through their TV which contains more information about events and accommodation available.
The campaign follows recent research conducted by VisitScotland which found that around 40 per cent of UK visitors are inspired to book a trip to coincide with an event or festival.
INTERACTIVE TV advertising is being used to attract visitors to Scotland for the first time.
VisitScotland’s new campaign means that satellite viewers across the UK will be able to go interactive during the adverts and find out more about Scottish events and festivals.
The adverts will run on over 80 satellite channels including Sky, Sky Movies, Sky Sports, UK Gold and ITV2, reaching an audience of around 7 million people.
The fast paced advert features live footage from a range of events around Scotland including the Dundee Flower and Food Festival, the British Superbike Championships and the Perth Festival of the Arts.
Alan Graham, VisitScotland Fife Area Director, said: “Tourism is one of the most competitive markets in the world, with Scotland competing for visitors with over 200 other countries.
“To ensure that we seize every opportunity to entice people to visit we need to try new things and embrace new technology, like this interactive TV campaign.”
The new interactive adverts will also give viewers the chance to request an e-brochure through their TV which contains more information about events and accommodation available.
The campaign follows recent research conducted by VisitScotland which found that around 40 per cent of UK visitors are inspired to book a trip to coincide with an event or festival.
New walking tours in Belfast
A SERIES of walking tours have been set up in Belfast, which highlight the city’s literary heritage.
The Literary Walking Tours, organised by the City Council, in partnership with the Linen Hall Library and the Kitchen Bar, will run every Monday evening throughout the summer
Chair of the city’s tourism and promotion sub committee Diane Dodds said: “Belfast is the home of many literary greats and this is yet another early evening activity which both residents and visitors from further afield can enjoy.”
Chief Librarian at the Linen Hall Library, John Grey added: “As one of the key literary institutions in Belfast, the Linen Hall Library is delighted to work with Belfast City Council in helping to develop what is on offer in our city every evening.”
Places visited on the one hour tour include the Linen Hall Library, The Crown Bar, the City Hall, Kelly`s Cellars, Rosemary Street, Writer`s Square and Amelia Street.
A SERIES of walking tours have been set up in Belfast, which highlight the city’s literary heritage.
The Literary Walking Tours, organised by the City Council, in partnership with the Linen Hall Library and the Kitchen Bar, will run every Monday evening throughout the summer
Chair of the city’s tourism and promotion sub committee Diane Dodds said: “Belfast is the home of many literary greats and this is yet another early evening activity which both residents and visitors from further afield can enjoy.”
Chief Librarian at the Linen Hall Library, John Grey added: “As one of the key literary institutions in Belfast, the Linen Hall Library is delighted to work with Belfast City Council in helping to develop what is on offer in our city every evening.”
Places visited on the one hour tour include the Linen Hall Library, The Crown Bar, the City Hall, Kelly`s Cellars, Rosemary Street, Writer`s Square and Amelia Street.
Europe's fastest-growing airport
BIRMINGHAM International and Coventry Airports are two of the fastest-growing airports in Europe, according to a new report.
The annual Airport Property Market report revealed Coventry to be the fastest growing freight airport in the UK and the ninth fastest growing European passenger airport, while Birmingham International is rated the second fastest growing UK freight airport and the fifth fastest growing European freight airport.
Chris Monk of property consultants Kings Sturge - who conducted the survey - said: “Increased passenger numbers are currently being boosted by the boom in low-cost carriers which continues to be fuelled by the seemingly insatiable demand for cheap flights to holiday destinations.
“As far as the future is concerned, there is no doubt that climate change policy and regulation will have an increasing impact on aviation activity. However, it will be interesting to see whether security concerns reduce demand for air transport significantly – or whether airport operators increase their demand for space to accommodate more staff, equipment and much larger holding areas for passengers.”
Other changes could also be on the cards – especially where airport design is concerned – because of increasing demands being made on airport facilities in view of rising numbers of passengers of low-cost flights.
Chris added: “Because low-cost carriers have to drive down costs, they are famously tough when it comes to negotiating the rent of airport facilities.
“If airports continue to offer the same facilities to low-cost carriers as to all other airlines, there will be inevitably be a mismatch in terms of the cost and quality of service provision to differing airline companies. It will be intriguing to see how airport operators respond to this.”
Coventry has now entered the ’league table’ of Europe’s top ten fastest-growing passenger airports for the first time.
BIRMINGHAM International and Coventry Airports are two of the fastest-growing airports in Europe, according to a new report.
The annual Airport Property Market report revealed Coventry to be the fastest growing freight airport in the UK and the ninth fastest growing European passenger airport, while Birmingham International is rated the second fastest growing UK freight airport and the fifth fastest growing European freight airport.
Chris Monk of property consultants Kings Sturge - who conducted the survey - said: “Increased passenger numbers are currently being boosted by the boom in low-cost carriers which continues to be fuelled by the seemingly insatiable demand for cheap flights to holiday destinations.
“As far as the future is concerned, there is no doubt that climate change policy and regulation will have an increasing impact on aviation activity. However, it will be interesting to see whether security concerns reduce demand for air transport significantly – or whether airport operators increase their demand for space to accommodate more staff, equipment and much larger holding areas for passengers.”
Other changes could also be on the cards – especially where airport design is concerned – because of increasing demands being made on airport facilities in view of rising numbers of passengers of low-cost flights.
Chris added: “Because low-cost carriers have to drive down costs, they are famously tough when it comes to negotiating the rent of airport facilities.
“If airports continue to offer the same facilities to low-cost carriers as to all other airlines, there will be inevitably be a mismatch in terms of the cost and quality of service provision to differing airline companies. It will be intriguing to see how airport operators respond to this.”
Coventry has now entered the ’league table’ of Europe’s top ten fastest-growing passenger airports for the first time.
