Have a Play in London

A hill of Mr Beans, made famous by comedian Rowan Atkinson and dressed in trademark tweed jacket while each clutching the iconic ‘Teddy’ bear, travelled on the Underground, went for a ride on the Coca Cola London Eye and took selfies with passers-by in Trafalgar Square.

The Beans were out on the streets to celebrate the launch of a brand new mobile game called #PlayLondon with Mr Bean, which helps visitors discover the city’s tourist highlights and forms part of a new drive to attract more UK and international visitors to the capital.

VisitLondon.com, Endemol Shine Group and Pointvoucher have worked together to develop the free to play mobile game which sees an animated #MrBean visit #London attractions. By spending time playing the game, players will be able to pick up vouchers which they can then cash in for discounts when they holiday in London, and also find great offers on locations around the city.

Download “Play London with Mr Bean” for free! For more information visit www.play.london

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Green light for Stonehenge improvements

ENGLISH HERITAGE has been given the go-ahead for improvements at #Stonehenge, Wiltshire, which will bring benefits for tour operators and tour groups arriving by coach. 

The improvements refine and build on the successes of the temporary expansion of the coach park, which has been in place for a year, and will provide a longer term solution to better accommodate the 1.3 million from across the globe who visit the World Heritage site annually, 60% of whom arrive by coach.

Improvements centre on a new coach park which will provide a more efficient welcome for groups, ease parking congestion, and minimize queues with dedicated ticketing, toilet, and shuttle facilities.

Kate Davies, Stonehenge’s general manager says: ‘We are delighted that Wiltshire Council has approved our plans, which are aimed at providing a sustainable permanent solution to give a world class experience for all our visitors, while retaining the integrity of this amazing ancient monument.

‘Once in place, the improvements will allow us to give a better service to operators, tour guides, and group members and to ease the pressure points on the site, which will benefit all visitors. We have no plans to increase visitor numbers to Stonehenge, but rather to get the right balance by meeting the existing demand from visitors around the world in a more efficient and safe way so that they enjoy their time at this World Heritage site to the full.’

Improvement works will be phased to minimize the impact on visitors. English Heritage expects that some of the improvements should be in place ahead of summer 2017.

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India launches app to clean up tourism sites

#INDIA has launched an app which the government hopes will improve the cleanliness of its tourist destinations. 

The Swachh Parayatan mobile app will allow the public to lodge complaints about rubbish at tourist sites across the country. Initially, 25 monuments protected by Archaeological Survey of India have been included in the app, but this will be- scaled up to include more sites in future.

The app enables people to take photographs of the trash and upload them to the app, along with their comments. The app sends a text message to the person responsible for the site, who will arrange to have to rubbish cleared. A confirmation will be then sent to the complainant by SMS.

The app is already available for Android devices, and will soon be rolled out for Apple and Microsoft smartphones.

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Culture vultures flock to NSW

WITH #Sydney playing host to major exhibitions, theatre, and festivals, Destination NSW has confirmed that #culturaltourism is on the rise with the state attracting almost 6.5 million overnight cultural visitors in the year ending March 2015, up by 5.6% on the previous year. 

During the year ending March 2015, #NewSouthWales welcomed 4.5 million domestic and almost two million international travellers who attended a theatre performance or concert, visited a museum, art gallery or festival, a historical or heritage building, site or monument.

Internationally, the five strongest markets for cultural visitors travelling to Sydney are China, UK, USA, Korea, and New Zealand.

Upcoming highlights of Sydney and NSW's calendar for culture-vultures include the 2015-16 Sydney International Art Series … Masterpieces of Western art from the National Galleries of Scotland presented at the Art Gallery of New South Wales (October 24-February 8) which includes works by Botticelli, Leonardo, Titian, Rubens, Velázquez, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Turner, Monet, Degas, Gauguin, and Cézanne.

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/53484592@N05/11610016754">IMG_1335</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

India cleans up to attract more tourists

#INDIA has launched a nationwide campaign aimed at improving the cleanliness and hygiene of its tourism sites. The ‘Campaign Clean India’, which is being driven by the Ministry of Tourism, aims to ‘sensitize all sections of society on the importance of cleanliness and hygiene in public places, particularly monuments and tourist destinations’.

As part of the campaign, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between Archaeological Survey of India, the Oil & Natural Gas Corporation and the Ministry of Tourism for undertaking a programme of clean-up work at the #TajMahal.

The ministry said the campaign is a voluntary scheme, with no government funds being used. But it will provide financial support for infrastructure development, including hygiene facilities such as rubbish bins and sewerage.

Improving the cleanliness of India is part of a broader government initiative aimed at attracting more tourists to the country. The government has also embarked on a programme to improve the safety of tourists, especially female travellers.

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Picture Credit: A litter-strewn landscape in Kolkata (photo by Hung Chung Chih)india.jpg,, http://www.flickr.com/photos/31175208@N03/5694974614">Julian Balboa the Sequel...</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license), http://www.flickr.com/photos/80355976@N06/19150840322">IMG_0955</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Devon days out

BUCKFAST ABBEY is the only English medieval monastery to have been restored and used again for its original purpose.

Founded in 1018 during the reign of King Canute (or Cnut if you prefer the Anglo-Saxon), the abbey offers 1,000 years of history. 

After the dissolution of the monasteries in 1539, it fell into ruin until 1882, when a small group of French Benedictine monks began a 30-year re-building job … without the benefit of helmets and handrails.

Visitors will see the abbey church, and get the opportunity to enjoy three gardens (lavender, sensory, and physic) and shop: the bookshop is one of the largest religious and spiritual bookstores in south-west England, and the gift shop sells ceramics, biscuits, preserves, and Buckfast Tonic wine. 

The industrious monks there also run a restaurant … and bee-keeping courses. There are no entry or parking charges. www.buckfast.org.uk


A BIG attraction on the Devon coast in Torquay is Kents Cavern, one of Europe’s most important Stone Age cave sites. 

The complex is a protected national monument and a major visitor centre for the UNESCO-endorsed English Riviera Global Geo-park.

The caves – with rocks said to be 400 million years-old, and stalactite and stalagmite formations – are open every day for guided tours which end in an underground exhibition chamber. 

Access for wheelchair users is restricted.

Outside, there is a Stone Age woodland trail, indoor kids-archaeological dig area, and hands-on cave art areas. www.kents-cavern.co.uk

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Picture Credit: buckfast.org.uk and kents-cavern.co.uk