National Press Coverage for Colchester
National Press Coverage for Colchester
Colchester's attractions as a visitor destination hit the national headlines in The Independent newspaper's city break Travel Supplement over the weekend (16th September) under the title 'Timeless Wonder'.The 2 page feature on the town focused on how a place 'repositions' itself in the eyes of visitors. Top travel journalist, Frank Partridge, visited the town in July and wrote of his experience and perception of the area from a visitor perspective.
Commenting on the feature, Councillor Kevin Bentley, the Council's Portfolio Holder for Culture & Public Relations said: "The Independent has some 250,000 readers so this feature will make a significant contribution to enhancing the image and reputation of Colchester nationally. The project is the result of a long term partnership with the East of England Tourist Board as part of the regional 'Let's Go' tourism campaign, one of a number of promotional activities which Colchester undertakes both at home and overseas'.
The piece strikes a good balance between the town's historic treasures and its wide range of contemporary offerings, including Firstsite, the Viewfinder cycle trail which was developed last year with local artist Michael Goody, the Lemon Tree restaurant and The Oyster Bar in the High Street.
The Colchester tourism team took an advert in the supplement so that interested readers could respond instantly either to the Visitor Services team at the VisitColchester Information Centre or to the town's award-winning official tourism website: VisitColchester.com
The supplement is the first step in a campaign to increase the amount of national and international media coverage of the area as a visitor destination and is a significant contributor to the Council's ambition to be a prestigious regional centre.
July also saw Colchester being featured as 'Destination of the Month' in VisitBritain's on-line media centre, much favoured as a source and inspiration by travel journalists around the world.