See Wiltshire from the air

AERIAL film capturing the beauty of the English county of Wiltshire has been launched on www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/videos, giving visitors bird’s eye views of the breathtaking countryside and iconic attractions including Stonehenge and Avebury.

The film is titled ‘What view did you wake up to this morning?’ and is the first of a three-part series.

Fiona Errington, marketing manager at VisitWiltshire says: ‘This footage will encourage more domestic and international visitors to come and see the magnificent Wiltshire countryside and iconic landmarks and views we have. We are working closely with VisitBritain, VisitEngland, and VisitWiltshire partners to ensure this is shared online and via social media channels.’

Other landmarks and heritage sites seen in the film include Salisbury Cathedral, Malmesbury Abbey, Old Sarum, the White Horses, Silbury Hill, West Kennet Long Barrow, The Ridgeway, and the Kennet & Avon Canal,

To see the films, go to www.visitwiltshire.co.uk/videos

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Record year for Wiltshire tourism

HEADLINE figures in a report on the economic impact of Wiltshire’s visitor economy show that 2014 was a record year for tourism in the county. 

The report – by The South West Research Company – shows that in 2014 the number of visitors, value of tourism spend, and tourism’s economic impact reached record levels

Peter Wragg, VisitWiltshire’s Chairman and Swindon & Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership Board member, says: ‘This report is hugely encouraging and gives further evidence of how important tourism is to our overall economy. Since 2011 Swindon and Wiltshire’s total tourism business turnover and gross value added has increased by 30%. Wiltshire’s visitor economy is worth £1.5 billion per annum and supports more than 28,000 jobs.”

At #VisitWiltshire, CEO David Andrews added: ‘We are particularly pleased to see such strong growth in overnight stays, which are up 5%. Growth across the county reached a record 19.9 million visitors in 2014, and there is evidence that we’re extending the visitor season.’

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/60179301@N00/14028276830">DSC_0183</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">(license)

Saints and Sinners in Wiltshire

THE Churches Conservation Trust – the national charity protecting historic churches at risk – has partnered with #VisitWiltshire to launch a heritage trail featuring four of its Wiltshire churches with four of the county’s best pubs and hotels.

The trust’s 21 churches in Wiltshire are open as free heritage attractions, many of which represent almost 1,000 years of English history and together attract more than 38,000 visitors a year.

As part of a drive to boost the number of visitors to these historic buildings, the charity and VisitWiltshire have matched four of its most idyllic countryside churches with four outstanding lunch venues to make a day out or short break for locals and tourists.

Katrina Hurford, national marketing manager at The Churches Conservation Trust, explains: ‘Our churches have a lot to offer in the way of nourishment for the eyes, ears, and soul, but nothing in the way of more practical nourishment! With these new partnerships, each pairing provides opportunities to explore the Wiltshire countryside by foot, bike, or car, to discover hidden gems offering irreplaceable examples of architecture, archaeology, and art, and to enjoy some of the finest produce Wiltshire has to offer, expertly presented.’

The four churches featured are: All Saints’ in Alton Priors; St. Leonard’s in Sutton Veny; St. Mary’s in Old Dilton; and St. John the Baptist in Inglesham. They are partnered with The Red Lion Freehouse in Pewsey, The Beckford Arms in Fonthill Gifford, The Three Daggers in Edington, and Stanton House Hotel in Stanton Fitzwarren.

To download the trail, go to www.visitchurches.org.uk/saintsandsinnerswiltshire

Go Holiday news : www.govillasandcottages.co.uk

All your holiday needs: IN PRINT - ON-LINE - DiGiMAG - SMARTPHONE -TABLET - BLOG - TWITTER - G+ - FACEBOOK

Picture Credit: "All Saints Alton Priors" by Kevin Farmer. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons,