Become a Home Based Travel Agent

A closer look at the Heart of England
By Paull Tickner

A couple of weeks ago and to great critical acclaim from US buyers and UK suppliers alike, I staged the first ever Special Interest Britain conference in the Cotswolds and Shakespeare Country.  Thanks to the extremely positive attitude of everyone concerned and Joanie Ogg's great presentation for my UK colleagues on the world of Home Based travel agents, not only did the five-night Product Experience Programme work well, but it also drove to the surface a number of new ideas based on the Heart of England.  Here are a few of them for you to think about.

Using two different trails, THE ROMANTIC ROAD introduces an on and off the beaten track meander through picturesque river valleys, bustling market towns and sleepy villages of honey-colored stone houses each complete with their own manor house, ancient parish church and traditional pubs offering value for money meals and real ale served at the correct temperature!  The routes are easy to follow and they trace the lives and times of many artists, writers and craftspeople who drew their inspiration from this iconic corner of England.

One of them was William Morris and the role he played in the Cotswolds Arts and Crafts Movement (cotswolds.info/... /arts-crafts-movement.shtml) This theme provides the foundations for a 4-5 night itinerary that takes a rather different look at must-see places like Chipping Campden, Broadway, Painswick, Cirencester and Stroud.  A good starting point is the Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum which is home to a nationally important collection of the Arts and Crafts Movement.  Returning to London, on the way, make sure you visit Kelmscott Manor, William Morris' unspoilt and unaltered summer home.

Talking of master craftsmen and women, the city of Stoke on Trent (home to Wedgwood, Spode, Portmeirion and Royal Doulton) has come up with an excellent 'SHOP AND SHIP' long weekend that also includes a number of hands-on opportunities.  With the stronger dollar, shopping trips like this are once again on the agenda.  Access is easy thanks to a number of direct flights into Manchester.

If you live in the north-eastern States and have clients who are regular theatre goers, Continental's non-stop service between Newark and Birmingham gives you the chance to develop a 'SHAKESPEARE UP CLOSE' long weekend programme to Shakespeare Country.  Places associated with The Bard can completely fill the Friday to Sunday period leaving Monday for the backstage theatre tour, pre performance supper and evening at The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford upon Avon.  Building work on the new theatre will be completed by the early part of 2011.

Theatre lovers may also be arts lovers and this long weekend can be extended to include special visits to some of the area's world class art galleries like Compton Verney (www.comptonverney.org.uk), The Barber Institute of Fine Arts (www.barber.org.uk/index.html) and The New Art Gallery at Walsall (www.thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk)  The Sculpture Trail and the fine art collections at Ragley Hall (www.ragleyhall.com) make a notable addition to a tour that will catch the eye of many an art gallery looking for an imaginative fund raiser. 

Stratford upon Avon and the Regency town of Cheltenham also make an excellent hub for a travel less, see more COTSWOLD GARDEN TOUR.  In this neck of the woods, you'll find internationally renowned and award-winning gardens like Hidcote Manor, Kiftsgate Court, Sudeley castle and the unique Rococo Garden at Painswick, to name but four!  You'll also find a large number of much smaller properties, which open when at their best, for charity as part of the National Garden Scheme (www.ngs.org.uk).  Blending the big and spectacular with some of these less well known hidden treasures will give you a saleable garden tour to be very proud of.

As Joanie will tell you, if the UK is on your agenda as a destination for small, generally upscale group tours, our Special Interest Britain conferences are exactly what you're looking for.  They are EDUCATIONAL, Inspirational and in addition to the hard work involved a great deal of fun.  My lasting impression of the last trip is of a lot of notes being taken wherever we went, and a great deal of laughter.

For details of the 2010 programme please email me at pjtickner@yahoo.co.uk