The English Riviera Tourism Company has launched a marketing campaign to promote winter escapes on the English Riviera, the ultimate off-season destination.
The promotion is being driven through a new Facebook competition to win a luxury break for two in February at the award-winning Lincombe Hall Hotel in Torquay, plus a meal for two at the Palm Tree Bistro in Paignton.
The competition is entered via a custom-built competition app created by digital marketing agency e-Strategy, which encourages entrants to share it on their own page of the social media site to gain more entries. The competition is complemented by Facebook advertising and associated PR to generate interest from the English Riviera’s target audience.
The English Riviera has also introduced its Autumn and Winter Escapes website as a one stop shop for where to stay, things to do and what’s on during the colder months, with a link through to special offers and Christmas and New Year packages. The site is designed to inspire holiday makers to escape the busy summer period and enjoy a very different side to this seaside resort.
Carolyn Custerson, CEO of the English Riviera Tourism Company, said ‘’ A key objective of the Turning the Tide for Tourism strategy is to lengthen the traditional summer season and this marketing push is designed to encourage our visitors to take a short break off-peak, so that ultimately our tourism businesses will benefit from an extended season.”
There’s so much to do along the coastline, with 22 miles of walks along the South West Coast Path, beachcombing along pretty beaches and spectacular views from the towering cliffs at Berry Head National Nature Reserve.
For the evening, there are plenty of theatres offering some great productions for all ages including some superb panto, plus a choice of fine dining, family friendly eateries or bistros specializing in seafood with the freshest fish landed daily at Brixham Fish Market.
Popular attractions include the Winter Wonderland at the Babbacombe Model Village, where the famous miniature scenes are transformed into a stunning winter landscape, with picture-postcard thatched villages and life-like snowdrifts on the tiny streets. From dusk, thousands of lights twinkle and sparkle turning this wonderland into a magical world.
Agatha Christie’s holiday home at Greenway is open between Christmas and New Year together with Coleton Fishacre, another beautiful National Trust property – and it’s a wonderful time to discover the houses decked out in all their festive finery.
And this year, for the first time, the Dartmouth Steam Railway is open in November and December on Thursdays and Saturdays in the build up to its Santa Express trains and Yuletide service.
Whatever you choose, there’s something for everyone in this premier resort with its award-winning website that gives visitors hundreds of great reasons to book this autumn or winter. http://www.englishriviera.co.uk/winterescapes
