Don’t forget our Tourism Development website.

We have launched a new workshop facilitation service providing bespoke workshops for clients.

Richard has launched Research Jobs a service where you can post research related vacancies.   It’s in beta but come and say hello and post a research job for FREE!

The latest videos from our sister company’s latest operation in South Wales – the Supertubing Experience.

The Supertubing experience is managed by Planning Solutions Limited.

An interview with Fotopedia’s founder Jean-Marie Hullot.

Prime Minister David Cameron has delivered a speech in central London on the challenges and opportunities that tourism presents. Read the speech here.

Planning Solutions Consulting has launched a new service – come and say hello at Activity Plan.

Something a little bit different.  The National Trust has introduced ‘outdoor living rooms’ at a number of their properties.

According to a report in Travel Mole, the tourism industry is facing a social media revolution. The Social Travel Report has found that almost 70% of consumers surveyed use the internet to book holidays, with only 23% by phone and 8% in travel agents. Many people looking to go away trust the reviews by complete strangers more than the travel industry itself and see it as an extension of worth-of-mouth recommendations.

We have just launched our new microsite Tourism Consultant.

The Bowland Tourism and Environment Fund is a visitor payback scheme within the Forest of Bowland. The scheme aims to encourage tourism businesses, visitors, local communities and groups to work together to care for the Forest of Bowland. The Bowland Tourism and Environment Fund raises funds from visitor donations and payback schemes.

The Tourism Society are mentioned in today’s Daily Telegraph where Lord Thurso is interviewed.

Have a look at the trends in environmental jobs.

Shire Horses to return to the National Brewery Centre
In readiness for the 1st May 2010 opening of the new National Brewery Centre, Burton upon Trent, staff are busily preparing to welcome back the much-missed Shire horses to the Horninglow Road site.

The iconic breed is well-known for its work in the brewing industry and Planning Solutions Ltd, the company behind the new National Brewery Centre, has secured two young local Shire horses that will be at the site during weekends, school and bank holidays.

The first, a two year old gelding, born in Ramsor, near Ashbourne, is called Major and currently stands at 16.3 hands high (a hand is around 4 inches).

The younger of the pair is yearling colt, born in Sutton on the Hill and currently stands at around 15.2 hands high. The National Brewery Centre is launching a competition to name him and the lucky winner will receive a Family Annual Ticket for the centre.

John Lowther, chief executive of Planning Solutions Ltd, said: “We appreciate how upset people were when the previous Shire horses left here when the Coors Visitor Centre and Museum closed in 2008.”

“They are an absolutely integral part of the history of brewing and will have been a very familiar sight throughout the UK delivering beer.

“We are absolutely delighted to be bringing Shires back to the stables here at the centre. We have used a local company, Dream Ponies Ltd, to provide them and the two directors Lucy and Rachel and have worked really hard to find us the pair. They help us out at our nearby Conkers visitor centre in the National Forest and we’ve been very pleased with the work that they have done for us.

“In addition to the horses, we have appointed a championship-winning, local Shire horse expert, Andrew Whetton, from Denstone, who will be our head horseman here at the National Brewery Centre. His background and experience with the breed are world-class and he has grown up working with Shires.”

Andrew comes from a long-line of Shire breeders and upon leaving school worked with horses at a Blackburn-based brewery, looking after them, delivering beer and successfully entering Shire horse shows throughout the UK.

Andrew commented: “I came to, what was then, the Bass Museum whilst I was still at school for my work experience and always imagined myself working at the Horninglow Road stables.  After the centre closed in 2008, I never thought it would happen.”

“Shires are in my blood and a large part of my life has been dedicated to these magnificent creatures.

“I’m really happy to be working at the new centre and showing visitors just how great these horses are.”

Lucy Quy, Dream Ponies Ltd, added: ”Rachel and I are delighted to be working with the National Brewery Centre in providing their horses.”

“The two new Shires will reach full maturity at around the age of five and will weigh an impressive one ton in weight and stand at around 18 hands high.

“As they are still young, they won’t be driving the drays just yet, this will happen after they reach three years old.”

To enter the naming competition, entrants will simply need to email their suggestion of a name for the yearling colt, along with their name and contact details to: shires@nationalbrewerycentre.co.uk

The competition closes at midnight on the 31st March 2010 and the winner will be contacted shortly afterwards.

The new National Brewery Centre will be open by the 1st May 2010 and further details can be found at the website www.nationalbrewerycentre.co.uk

We have just launched our new Demographics Service.

If you need help preparing a CV click here.

Our new blog on Research Methods is live!