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VISITWILTSHIRE LAUNCHES GROUP TRAVEL BROCHURE

Group travel to Wiltshire has just become easier thanks to a new brochure from VisitWiltshire. The pocket sized 24 page booklet contains detailed information to help coach and tour operators and group travel organisers arrange everything from accommodation and dining to attractions and events. There is even a selection of suggested itineraries.

Attractions

Home to some of the UK's most historic and exciting places of interest Wiltshire has plenty to offer groups. Attractions include the famous stone circles at Stonehenge and Avebury plus Stourhead, Wilton House and other stately homes. There are also many unusual museums such as The Rifles and STEAM and family friendly attractions like Longleat.

The guide details the key attractions suitable for groups with helpful information such as recommended duration of visit, coach parking facilities, group rates and websites for obtaining full details on each attraction.

Places to stay

Finding a hotel suitable for groups, both in terms of size, parking and location can be tricky.

The accommodation page lists a choice of hotels in the key cities of Salisbury and Swindon, plus a few other places around the county. Capacity for groups ranges from 30 to a massive 218 at the Swindon Marriott. And with groups of 20 or more, most hotels will supply complimentary accommodation for the driver.

Refreshment stops for groups

Wiltshire is known for its excellent local cuisine including specialities such as cured ham and sausages.

The county has an abundance of restaurants suitable for groups and the new brochure lists a selection of places that can accommodate at least 40 people, many offering service throughout the day including morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. All either have on-site parking or are within easy reach of a coach park. Furthermore many are conveniently located close to the attractions. Good examples of this are Sarum College Refectory in Salisbury which is located within Cathedral Close, while Swindon Designer Outlet has many restaurants and is ideal for visitors to STEAM and the Outlet Centre.

2009 events

Although Wiltshire has plenty of attractions to keep groups entertained there is no better way of seeing what this fantastic county can offer than visiting during one of many yearly events.

Events range from walks and those focusing on the outdoors to numerous music festivals and those that celebrate the best of Wiltshire from the arts and culture to food and drink.


Amongst the range of events in 2009 are:

Salisbury International Arts Festival
Taking place between May 22nd and June 6, 2009 in Salisbury, the event celebrates the best in world arts, music and dance, inviting performers from around the globe. The themes for 2009 are India, water and devotion. For further information including details of performers visit www.salisburyfestival.co.uk

Marlborough International Jazz Festival
Between July 10 - 12th, the quaint market town of Marlborough becomes a mini New Orleans as it plays host to the annual jazz festival. For a full listing of acts visit www.marlboroughjazz.co.uk

Salisbury Food & Drink Festival
The festival celebrates all the best culinary skills from Wiltshire with exhibitors displaying a range of wares including meats, cheeses, chutneys, ice creams and wines. For further information visit www.salisburyfestival.co.uk.

A full calendar of up-coming events is available on www.visitwiltshire.co.uk.


Suggested itineraries

Group travel planners requiring inspiration for tours will find the suggested itineraries useful. Each itinerary has a specific focus such as world heritage sites, film tourism or spectacular gardens. For example:

The 'Pride and Prejudice' Tour

This suggested one day itinerary begins at Stourhead where groups will enjoy a half-day tour including spending time in the beautiful gardens made famous by a scene between Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice.

In the afternoon the tour takes in Wilton House, home of the Earl of Pembroke which doubled as Pemberley in the movie.

A Tale of Two Cities?

Taking in the two main urban settlements of Wiltshire, this two day tour begins in Swindon with a morning journey on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway.

The afternoon is equally relaxing with a tour of the beautiful Lydiard House and Park.

Day two takes the group south to the cathedral city of Salisbury where in the morning Cathedral Close is where the action takes place with a guided tour of Salisbury Cathedral followed by entry into another attraction of choice, such as Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum, The Rifles Museum and Mompesson House.

The afternoon is free for exploration of the city.

The guide also includes a map of Wiltshire, details of the newest attractions, out of season activities for those visiting in the autumn and winter and even details of free activities in Wiltshire.

For a free copy of the VisitWiltshire Groups' Guide 2009 visit www.visitwiltshire.co.uk or call 0845 602 7343.

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For media information (including images and a copy of the brochure) please contact Samantha Marsh at Infinity Public Relations on 020 8640 4031 or 07711 265666. Alternatively email samantha@infinitypublicrelations.co.uk