WE WISH OUR READERS A HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND A REWARDING NEW YEAR
The future’s bright for tourism – oh, yes, it is

THAT’S the thrust of turn-of-the-year messages from the pundits who pronounce on holiday, leisure and hospitality matters. ‘Look behind you’, the cry goes up.

Preferring to look ahead, we’re optimistic at DFHRM and stick to what we said in info@ a year ago – and also in the last issue of 2008: Shepway is better placed than most destinations to weather the consequences of the recession. Reasons for confidence in the Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh product have been chronicled many times in this bulletin; indeed, they drive all our activities to attract visitor business.

As for 2010, there’s no denying that, across the district, visitor-dependent enterprises of every size and kind have had a difficult year, but its good news that many claim that it has been better than they expected. In general, Shepway tourism-related businesses seem to be in good heart and ready to tackle whatever ups and downs are on the way.

Clearly, 2011 is going to be tough. There are huge challenges ahead not only for commercial businesses which cater for holidaymakers and leisure seekers but also for destination marketing organisations which are in the government’s firing line for reform, streamlining and localisation. Tourism Minister John Penrose is due to report and recommend on these matters pretty soon. No crystal ball is needed to forecast that changes are likely to impact at all levels.

He told MPs representing seaside constituencies a few days ago that tourism provided a ‘superb opportunity’ for the rapid economic growth of their towns and they were lucky to have a Prime Minister so enthusiastic about prospects. Politics aside, the implication is welcome; information and outcomes are awaited.

Meanwhile, our New Year resolution is to attract more visitors to Folkestone, Hythe and Romney Marsh from more places more often by every affordable means. Marketing tools are well sharpened.
For now, in the spirit of our upbeat headline, festive season greetings from the DFHRM management team.

Cheers! Back in January.
Chris Kirkham, manager, Discover Folkestone, Hythe & Romney Marsh

Latest facts and figures
INFORMATION requests handled by the DFHRM office in November totalled 780: 561 by telephone; 219 by e-mail and post. While these figures were slightly lower than in the corresponding month of 2009, website traffic amounted to 553,623 hits (64,437 visitors); up from 369,020 hits (16,316 visitors) a year ago.
December figures are likely to show a similar trend, with the majority of requests for information coming from the UK, of course, but with significant numbers from overseas including long haul markets.

Tools of the trade
FOLLOWING its launch to UK and international tour operators at last month’s World Travel Market (info@, November), the 2011 edition of the DFHRM holiday and leisure planner is now in process of distribution. Over the next few months, 50,000 copies will be distributed via tourist information centres and selected outlets in main sources of UK and overseas visitors, in response to information requests and at tourism events.

At events specifically targeted to the coach and tour operator and group travel markets, it will be accompanied by an updated edition of the Shepway travel trade pack and the new Channel Region travel trade guide, published (in English) by DFHRM and Communauté d’Agglomération du Boulonnais. On behalf of Hythe Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, we will also be distributing copies of the Hythe Visitor Guide.
As for cyber space communications, there will be further development of www.discoverfolkestone.co.uk as well as the use of Facebook and Twitter, recent additions our to marketing armoury.
News in brief

Folkestone Town Centre Management, which organises the successful Folkestone Multi-Cultural Festival and Christmas lights and entertainment programme, plans to stage more events next year.
Holiday Inn Express, Cheriton Parc, has rejoined DFHRM.

Royal Military Canal bridleway between West Hythe Dam and Aldergate Bridge has been re-surfaced to improve amenities for walkers, cyclists and horse-riders.

Visit Kent has added an image of kite surfers at Greatstone to the selection of photographs to be used in a three-year Kent Contemporary poster campaign at London railway and underground stations. and is looking for pictures of tourism businesses for use in posters promoting British Tourism Week. Deadline for entries is January 12. For details, click on to infobtwphotocomp@gmail.com

Romney Marsh Countryside Project, set up in 1996 to help care for the special wildlife and beauty of the Romney Marsh and Dungeness, has been renamed Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership to emphasise that it is part of a network of Kent rural conservation organisations.

British Resorts and Destinations Association is to merge with Destination Performance UK to become British Destinations. Due to launch on April 1, the enlarged organisation aims to provide ‘an articulate voice in national tourism policy and strategy formulation’. Members include Shepway District Council.
Last but not least . . .

A TOAST to the many people, shops, businesses, community and charity organisations, event and entertainment organisers who have made such great efforts to make Folkestone, Hythe and the villages of the Romney Marsh and rural areas extra-enjoyable this festive season. They have worked wonders to cheer us all up. Thank you.

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Hello Terlingham Wine Lovers!

We are delighted that our wines have become so popular, and that is because of you!  If you visited us this year, thank you.  If you bought our wines, thank you.  If you passed our details on to anyone, thank you.

We were intending to be open at weekends in December but what with the very cold weather and our neighbours new building project we are not going to open again until Easter.  Instead we will be offering a free local delivery service for purchases of 6 bottles or more or a courier will deliver if you are not local for a small charge.  The wines have sold exceedingly well,  the only wine left in any quantity being Saxon Shore, one of the whites from 2009.  We do still have a few bottles of White Cliffs, Bacchus, Riley Rose, Caesar’s Camp and the Terlingham Sparkling but you will need to order soon by email to avoid disappointment.  Please put WINE ORDER in the subject box of your email.  Descriptions and prices of the wines can be found on the website, www.terlinghamvineyard.co.uk.  Mixed cases can be bought.

In addition to the wines we are also offering gift vouchers.  These can be redeemed between Easter and the end of September 2011 for a vineyard tour and tasting - £5, a Ploughman’s Lunch inc two drinks - £10 and, of course, the wines.  Vouchers will be printed to demand so please advise the amount you would like the voucher for when you order and the name of the person it is for.  Please note that next year we will be open to the public 12-4pm Sat, Sun and Bank Holidays and Ploughman’s Lunches will be available, no need to book.  Visits at any other time can be arranged for groups but booking will be necessary.

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Penny & Steve Riley

Terlingham Vineyard

Terlingham Lane

Gibraltar Lane

Hawkinge

Folkestone

Kent

CT18 7AE

www.terlinghamvineyard.co.uk

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There is widespread snow across the county concentrated more in some areas. The actions being taken by KHS this morning are as follows:

Sevenoaks – a snow emergency has been called and primary and secondary routes are being cleared. District labour will be used to clear town centre areas. In other parts of west Kent there is approximately 1-2 cm of snow on the ground but this is not at present causing too many difficulties and traffic is moving. The North Downs has been identified as being a little worse and KHS staff will monitor the situation and call a localised emergency if needed and thereby engage farmers, work with district colleagues and deliver jumbo bags to parishes.

The east of the county is experiencing some difficulties on roads and Ringway crews are dealing with these areas. No snow emergency has been called in the east.

Maidstone is clear with no reported problems.

KHS are continuing to work with farmers and district colleagues who will be on hand clearing some of our town centre pavements.

Salt bags are being delivered to parishes today and currently there is salting taking place on secondary routes. Primary routes are being patrolled and salted as necessary.

KHS continue to maintain plenty of salt supplies.

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The five most threatened bumblebees in England have made an unprecedented comeback this year thanks to environmental work by farmers and smallholders.

Five threatened species, which include England’s rarest bumblebee the shrill carder bee, have all increased their geographic range in this area after decades of decline. They are now spreading across Kent and into East Sussex and the shrill carder have been seen in areas where it has not been recorded for 25 years.

environment Minister Richard Benyon said: “Bumblebees play a vital role in helping to produce our food by pollinating crops. The decline in the number of bees is a concern for the long-term future of farming, so it is great to hear that the creation of these wildlife habitats has resulted in increased numbers of so many species of rare bumblebees. These results show the benefit of agri-environment schemes and the role farmers play in protecting and improving our wildlife.”

The increases are the result of environmental work by farmers and other land managers around the coastal wildlife haven of Dungeness and Romney Marsh. Around 50 farms in the area are part of a project launched in January last year being run by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Hymettus, Natural England and RSPB to restore the habitat of the short-haired bumblebee in advance of its re-introduction from New Zealand.

Dr Nikki Gammans, who leads the project, said: “We embarked on this project so that we could create the right conditions to bring the short-haired bumblebee back to the UK – but an added benefit is that it has provided a real boost to these five threatened species.

“We hoped that we would begin to see results like this for these species but we really didn’t expect to see it quite so quickly. It’s a great result, and one we’re very excited about. The south of Kent used to have more species of bumblebee than any other UK locality until the declines in the latter half of the 20th century.

“It is especially heartening news given the worrying overall declines in bee populations in the UK which could have a major impact on the pollination success of crops. Bumblebees pollinate red clover which is grazed by cattle, as well as tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, peas and a range of other fruit and vegetable crops.”

Farmers in the area are a vital part of the project and have put in place measures including pollen and nectar rich flower margins and rotational grazing through environmental stewardship schemes. This has helped create corridors of suitable habitat linking farmland and nature reserves which have allowed the bees to spread out. More than 800 hectares of habitat has been created by farmers through the project.

Larry Cooke from Moneypenny farm, East Sussex, said: “Under my farms agri-environment schemes I have recreated habitat for bumblebees including pollen and nectar strips and red clover hay meadows.

“I am really pleased to hear that rare bumblebees are spreading across our countryside. Bumblebees are vital to the pollination of many of our agricultural crops and for long term farming sustainability. Projects such as this one and Syngenta’s Operation Bumblebee project are working hard to restore habitat and it’s great to see the results” The next stage of the project is to return the short-haired bumblebee back to the UK. An expedition to New Zealand in mid November is preparing for the translocation of queens next year. The queens will be released at RSPB’s Dungeness reserve, close to the spot where they were last recorded in 1988.

Excerpt from: http://www.smallholder.co.uk/

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Kent and Medway’s tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses’ bumper summer season which really took off in sunny June continued into July, according to the latest research from Visit Kent.

Statistics collated in the Visit Kent Business Barometer reveal that overall attractions welcomed more than 426,000 visitors – three per cent more than in July last year.  The July sunshine was particularly appreciated in the county’s coastal resorts where visitor attractions saw a 15 per cent leap in visitor numbers compared with last year.

Cross-Channel carriers transported 12 per cent more passengers and cars and four per cent more coaches. Business tourism providers enjoyed a 23 per cent boost.

Meanwhile, there are indications that more visitors to the county were staying overnight with B&Bs and guest houses enjoying a 12 per cent increase in the number of guests compared with July 2009 and larger hotel occupancy was up seven per cent overall.

Sandra Matthews-Marsh, Chief Executive for Visit Kent, said: “The upward trend is continuing which is great news in this challenging economic climate.

“The vast majority of our visitors, around 80 per cent, are from the UK but thanks to the strong Euro we are currently seeing more overseas visitors particularly from France and Germany.  Furthermore, our business and leisure events programme across the county has been very strong this summer which has attracted additional visitors. Our partners have been very creative with their events programmes and product development.”

Kent and Medway are also reaping the benefit of the new marketing campaigns launched by Visit Kent and its business partners to drive traffic to the www.visitkent.co.uk website. These include Kent Contemporary’s stunning new images of the county and the user-generated interactive My Kent campaign showcasing local people, their passions for the county and the local places they love to visit.

When compared to 2009 the number of unique visits to the Visit Kent website were up 51 per cent in July with more than 216,000 visits.

“Potential visitors are finding out more about Kent and Medway online and we are converting that interest into actual visits,” added Mrs Matthews-Marsh.

Kent and Medway welcomes more than 45 million visitors each year contributing more than £2.5 billion to the local economy. Tourism supports 50,600 jobs in Kent and Medway across 3,000 small and medium sized businesses.

• Visit Kent Limited is a public/private sector partnership supported by Kent County Council, Medway Council, the district and borough councils, Tourism South East and the leading sector tourism businesses in Kent. Visit Kent champions Kent’s £2.5 billion tourism industry by targeting UK and overseas markets, improving quality and skills and growing investment in the tourism product.

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*Spirit of the Wolf*

Friday 3rd September 2010

A Native Indian Workshop, focusing on the importance of protecting and enriching the environment and understanding the spiritual connection between us and animals in the wild now facing extinction…

All day ticket includes…

Close Encounter with Wolves
Unlimited day access to Wildwood Park
Lunch & Refreshments
*Spirit of the Wolf* Workshop
…Meditation and Indian drumming with blessings from Spirit

Theresa White Buffalo Woman will be performing original Native Indian Music

Go to website to book or contact Dawn for more details…

www.spiritofthedawn.eu

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