December Explore North Somerset
On Wednesday 6th December, Explore North Somerset held its latest event at The Grand Pier.
At the event, Super Culture gave a fantastic review of some of Weston-super-Mare’s most iconic events such as Whirligig, Glow, and the Literary Festival as well as exciting plans for next year. The full presentation on the update from Super Culture can be found here.
John Turner from Visit Somerset, Dan Mills from Visit West, and Jane Murch from Visit Weston-super-Mare presented key updates on tapping in to their extensive support programmes and resources to better promote North Somerset events through their networks and Angela Hicks from the hive gave a detailed overview of upcoming business related events. Full details on how to submit your own events can be found here:
To wrap things up, Suzanna Aaron from The Grand Pier outlined the exciting events planned for 2024, their enchanting Christmas Line-up. as well as offering attendees with the opportunity experience the Pier’s excellent selection of attractions first-hand!
Hosted by North Somerset Council, Explore North Somerset is a series of networking and familiarisation events that take place across the county to showcase the distinct offer that North Somerset presents to visitors and provide a space for Visitor Economy businesses to connect, develop and grow.
The next event is set to take place on 20th March at Puxton Park, so please do keep an eye out for further information and invites!
If you have any questions about the event, please contact business@n-somerset.gov.uk and use the link below if you would like to be added to the newsletter.
Latest News from The Grand Pier
Christmas 2023 at The Grand Pier
If you’re looking for some world class events to make the most of the festive period, then The Grand Pier has got you covered!
Wonderland Christmas Ball Mixed Party Night
Journey through the magical gates of The Grand Pier and be drawn into the imaginative spectacle of Wonderland and enjoy friendly encounters with some eccentric characters such as the Red Queen and of course, the Mad Hatter.
Viva Las Christmas! Mixed Party Night
Step into Las Vegas this Christmas Season at The Grand Pier and join us for a night filled with glitz, glamour, drinks and food!
Come on a journey through the Pier’s enchanted toy shop trail, where your little ones will be part of a mixed group of children that will be greeted by our mischievous and magical elves. The elves will lead them through a wonderland of toys and decorations, preparing them for the excitement that awaits!
With headlining gigs at top venues such as London’s ‘Borderline’ and Liverpool’s ‘Cavern Club’ under their belts, Lipinski are the South West’s most sought-after band!
Planning your own event? The Grand Pier caters to all with a great selection of room options and specifications. Be sure to check out their event FAQ below.
Latest News from Noah's Ark Zoo Farm
Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm spread festive cheer with Over 70s go free
In December, Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm is embracing our local community with a line-up of engaging, family-friendly, and eco-conscious events. As a highlight, they are reintroducing their offer that guests over 70 can enjoy free Zoo admission from December 1st to 31st!
For the fourth consecutive year, the Zoo is inviting over 70’s to visit between 1st and 31st December, with the aim to support older people at what can be a lonely time of year.
Noah’s Ark is encouraging visitors to reach out to older relatives, friends or neighbours and to bring them along to visit the Zoo together. Christmas is a time of joy and light for many but can be a lonely time, especially for older members of the community.
The Zoo’s initiative was inspired by the Age UK campaign to help make Christmas a little brighter for a lonely older person. According to the charity almost 1.5 million people feel lonelier at Christmas than at any other time of year.
Larry Bush, Managing Director at the Zoo, shares, “At Noah’s Ark, we deeply value and embrace every member of our community and we are always looking for ways we can extend our welcome even further. Our hope is that this offer encourages those who might not typically visit us to share in the festive warmth, creating cherished moments with loved ones.”
Bush continued, “We’re eagerly anticipating the opportunity to extend our warm holiday welcome to everyone, ensuring this season is filled with togetherness and joy for all.”
Latest New from The Mendip Activity Centre
Mendip Activity Centre win Gold Award at Tourism Awards
Learn to Ski wins Gold and festive Twilight Tobogganing wins Silver
On Thursday 30th November 2023, Mendip Activity Centre won three awards at the 2023 Bristol, Bath & Somerset Tourism Awards. Hundreds of top tourism and attraction businesses across the west country attended a formal dinner and award ceremony in Bristol.
Mendip’s Learn to Ski experience won the Gold Experience of the Year. Record numbers of skiers learnt to ski on the only ski and snowboard slope in Somerset during the 2022 to 2023 skiing season. Twilight Tobogganing, Mendip Activity Centre’s festive family event, won Silver in the Tourism Event of the Year. Twilight Tobogganing, which started in 2016, has grown from strength to strength over the years and is now a key Christmas event for many local families . The evening was topped off with Mendip being awarded Silver Large Visitor Attraction Award alongside the SS Great Britain.
“These are top accolades to receive,” said Richard Eddins, Co-Owner at Mendip Activity Centre. “I’d like to thank our amazing staff team whose hard work has resulted in these awards. We are all thrilled to be recognised alongside other nationally renowned businesses in the region.”
The awards were hosted by ITV News West Country’s Ben McGrail. Ben said “It was a real honour to be part of such a celebration of the amazing tourism industry in Bristol, Bath and Somerset. We have so much to offer across the region and the night really showed off just how hard people work to make that possible. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees!”
On the back of these awards, Mendip Activity Centre are looking forward to a busy winter season. Twilight Tobogganing is close to being selling out over the festive season whilst skiing and snowboarding is beginning to book up. Twilight Tobogganing, Skiing and other activities can be booked online via the link below.
Latest News from Visit Somerset
About Visit Somerset
Visit Somerset is dedicated to promoting North Somerset as a holiday destination for visitors from the UK and around the world, offering key information on how to get to Somerset, where to stay, what to do in Somerset, and how to get around once you’re here.
Visit Somerset has been working hard in collaboration with North Somerset Council and now features regional sub platforms from its main Visit Somerset platform for; Weston-super-Mare, Clevedon, Nailsea and Portishead. Since their creation, they have gained huge authority in Google’s organic rankings. If you reside or own a business in any of these four towns, it’s simple to upload all your event information by filling in the following application form HERE Visit Somerset will then authorise the details and your event will appear automatically!
If you’d like to find out more about Visit Somerset, please visit them directly via Visit Somerset or check out their latest update below.
Latest from Visit West
About Visit West
Visit West is the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for the West of England, representing the four unitary authorities, North Somerset, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, and South Gloucestershire, businesses within these areas, and members beyond working to maximise the potential of the visitor economy in the region.
Visit West Business Support
The Visit West Business Support service shares resources for businesses, information on the regional tourism economy and some of the ways we are working to support the region. They works closely with local, regional, national, and international stakeholders, including local councils, Business Improvement Districts (BIDs), VisitBritain, Visit England, the travel media and travel trade.
Together with the South West Tourism Research Company, they collect and share research and insights on the current state of the visitor economy, find their latest Research here along with an overview of the regional visitor economy.
If you’d like to find out more about Visit West, please visit them directly via Visit West or check out their latest update below.
Latest from Visit Weston-super-Mare
About Visit Weston-super-Mare
Visit Weston-super-Mare is the official destination website for the original British seaside resort of Weston-super-Mare that provides detailed information on the town’s attractions, accommodation options, and events.
If you’d like to find out more about Visit Weston-super-Mare, please visit them directly via Visit Weston-super-Mare or check out their latest update below.
Latest News from North Somerset Council Economy Team
Update to the Visitor Economy Action Plan
North Somerset Council has put together an update to their Visitor Economy Action Plan. Please use the following link to read the full report.