WESTON’S Grand Pier has been praised for its innovative work promoting coach tourism within the town.
The attraction has won a Coach Tourism Award in the innovation category in recognition of a new initiative.
The pier’s tourism campaign involved creating an electronic video brochure to encourage coach tour operators and day-trippers to visit Weston.
The pier’s general manager Paul Charalambous said: “We’re delighted to have won this National Coach Tourism Award, which recognises the significant work and investment that has gone into encouraging tourists and coach operators to come back to Weston.”
The competition was judged by Coach Monthly magazine and its editor Stuart Render said: “The judges noted the good use of technology, the fact that this is believed to be the first time a video brochure has been used in the coach tourism industry, and the fact that the initiative has brought a significant increase in the number of group bookings.
“The judges commented that the team at the pier had clearly identified what needed to be done to attract coach operators and groups, and had used technology in an innovative way.”
The pier was also a finalist in the coach-friendly visitor attraction but lost out to Woburn Abbey and Gardens in Bedfordshire.
Fellow Weston-based company Bakers Dolphin was also a finalist in the coach tourism innovation class and the holiday programme category.
Burnham was acknowledged as a popular tourist spot in the awards when the town was named as a finalist for best coach-friendly destination and Les Barber and Ian Jefferies, of Project Coach in Burnham, were finalists for coach tourism professional of the year.
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