“I believe that we really need an all encompassing domestic tourism show in the UK and, British Tourism & Travel Show fills that role admirably. It is the only place where you can explore all that the UK & Ireland has to offer in one place. The atmosphere is great and we can really do business here.”
Hudson’s Heritage is returning to the British Tourism & Travel Show with another lively panel discussion, taking place in the Keynote Theatre on Thursday 23 March at 2.13pm. Here Sarah Greenwood (publisher of Hudson’s Historic Houses & Gardens) tells us more about heritage travel, and what to expect in the panel session at the show…
At last year’s show you called ‘heritage one of the most important interests for every Briton’ – why do you think this is?
Firstly, we are an old country, our heritage – historic buildings and the evidence of our past – is all around us and it is one of the things that gives Britain a really strong sense of identity. We can see that we are engaged with it, not just by the sheer number of heritage places there are to visit, at Hudson’s we list nearly 1,500 country wide, but also by the evidence that last year nearly 75% of people in this country visited an historic building.
So more people are spending their weekends visiting heritage places than are going to football matches, of course, its our most important interest, in fact Dan Snow describes it as “our national pastime”.
Are there any new trends in heritage travel that we need to watch?
The way that visitors engage with historic places has really changed in the last few years. Visitors are eager for experiences, for something a bit different and for something they can feel they have discovered for themselves. The sheer variety that Britain’s heritage offers really plays into this trend. We have just presented our Hudson’s Heritage Awards for 2017, which celebrate great visitor experiences and the 10 categories really reflect this change. We award the best places to eat, for example, because today you may be as likely to go somewhere for a great cup of coffee, as for the Canalettos; and the cup of coffee tastes a lot better in extraordinary surroundings. Best Family Day Out reflects the need for families of all shapes and sizes to find experiences they can share together and again, a great heritage visit has something for everyone, old, young and in between. And don’t forget the dog!
Do you expect ‘film/TV inspired holidays’ to play a larger role in domestic tourism in years to come?
I do. This is another way that new audiences are engaging with historic places. It is also often a younger trend, easy access digital media means that films and box sets are available to everyone, everywhere, anytime.
We can offer you the chance of being part of a film by being at the place where it happened. Why wouldn’t you want to propose in the Temple of Apollo at Stourhead where Darcy proposed to Elizabeth in Joe Wright’s Pride and Prejudice?
What can visitors expect to take away from Hudson’s panel discussion?
That you can look at heritage places in a different way, film for example is a way to engage a younger audiences that aren’t as interested in history. But don’t forget that successful film and TV shows have a very long life. Doune Castle in Scotland still regularly thrills to the sound of two coconuts knocking together in honour of Monty Python & the Holy Grail, which was filmed there over 30 years ago and we’ve just had the 35th anniversary of the filming of ITV’s version of Brideshead Revisited, a groundbreaking series that anyone who was at home in 1981 will remember clearly.
Titled ‘Get in the frame!’ – Sarah Greenwood (publisher of Hudson’s Historic Houses & Gardens) is hosting the session alongside a panel of top tourism and heritage professionals including: Harvey Edgington, National Trust Location Unit (Wolf Hall), Heather Carter, Blenheim Palace (The BFG), Jacqueline Baird, NT Castle Ward, Northern Ireland (Game of Thrones), Caroline Lowsley-Williams, Chavenage (Poldark), and Daniel Watkins, Alnwick Castle (Harry Potter and Downton Abbey).
British Tourism and Travel Show will return to the NEC Birmingham on the 22-23 March 2017. For more information and to register for a free ticket, please visit www.tourismshow.co.uk (direct link: https://registration.n200.com/survey/3merbygtnzi4j)