Swap the busy tubes of London for the peaceful tubes on Gower, Visit Swansea Bay

MILLIONS of tube travellers in London will soon be encouraged to take a break from the Big Smoke and visit Swansea Bay.

Swansea Council has arranged for eye-catching posters of Swansea Bay to be put on London Underground tubes from the start of the New Year.

The posters show an image of a surfer off the Gower coast and encourage London Underground users to ride a different kind of tube for a change.

A thousand of the posters will be placed on tube trains throughout January in the build-up to the Arsenal and Chelsea games against the Swans at the Liberty Stadium in the Barclays Premier League.

Promotional shots of Three Cliffs Bay are also being strategically placed at London Paddington's Underground Station as the Swans prepare for home clashes against Queen's Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur before the end of December.

All four of the Swans next home games in the Premier League are against London-based opposition. This is why Swansea Council has put together a new infographic that will target supporters and famous fans of clubs like Spurs and the media local to each team.

It's based on the theme of a chocolate selection box that millions of people across the UK will receive as gifts over the Christmas and New Year period. Some of the chocolates represent things people can do in the Swansea Bay area such as walking off the festive excess at one of Gower's award-winning beaches or heading to Mumbles to bag a designer bargain.

Anyone who clicks on the infographic will then be redirected to the official http://www.visitswanseabay.com destination website.

A dedicated fans corner with key information about Swansea Bay has also been made available on the site for Premier League supporters to peruse.

Cllr Graham Thomas, Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Recreation and Tourism, said: "We're working on a number of imaginative marketing campaigns to make the most of the opportunities Premier League status brings.

"The next four home games for the Swans at the Liberty Stadium come against London teams and this is why we're promoting Swansea Bay as a destination in places like the tube trains and the Paddington Underground Station that millions of people use every day.

"London and the South East are important visitor markets for Wales, so it's important to build on the awareness the Swans have created.

"We're also staying on top of social media as a way of promoting Swansea Bay to millions of other people and feedback shows our campaigns are generating a lot of interest in the area. Our Facebook campaigns have led to more 5,000 click-throughs to the destination website since the Premier League season kicked-off in August.

"I'd urge Swansea people to again give a traditionally warm 'Croeso' welcome to fans of the London-based teams who will all be playing at the Liberty Stadium before the end of January."

Have a look at http://www.visitswanseabay.com for more information.

Swansea coastline part of world's best region to visit

The Lonely Planet recently put Coastal Wales ahead of parts of Central America, Italy and India in a top ten of places to visit next year.

Walking in Oxwich Bay, Gower

The All Wales Coast Path, which includes a 55-mile stretch around Swansea Bay and Gower, will be the first coast path in the world to run the entire length of a nation and is set to be officially opened in May 2012.

Swansea Council is continuing its work to complete the Coast Path from Mumbles in the South to Crofty in the north via Three Cliffs Bay, Port Eynon, Rhossili and Llanmadoc.

The Council is working with a wide range of partners to complete the path and is currently working on improvements to the path between Caswell and Limeslade.

Tourism chiefs in the city are confident the creation of the continuous path will encourage even more visitors to Swansea.

Steve Hopkins, Tourism Manager in Swansea Council, said: "Once the new sections of path are open we can showcase our beautiful coastline to both seasoned ramblers who will walk the entire path and walkers out for a Sunday stroll.

"Walking is already one of our most popular activities with visitors and the opening of the All Wales Coast Path will raise the profile of walking in this area even further. It will enhance Swansea Bay's reputation as a walking destination."

Tony McGetrick, Chairman of Tourism Swansea Bay, said: "A lot of the work to develop and create this path has been ongoing for a number of years and when it's finished I think we'll be well-placed to offer a fantastic attraction to people around the world.

"We've got a really diverse offering of attractions in Swansea which makes us quite unique.

"And local businesses such as accommodation providers are now developing and offering packages to visitors that can really make their stay much more worthwhile. By next year I think we will be able to offer something quite superb."

The All Wales Coastal Path is funded by Swansea Council, EU Convergence funding and the Welsh Government.

Partners helping Swansea Council in developing the path in Swansea include the National Trust, the Countryside Council for Wales, the Wildlife Trust, the Gower Society and Swansea Ramblers.

Cllr Gareth Sullivan, Swansea Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration and Planning, said: "A lot of work has been completed with our Countryside Access Team who have been working with a variety of partners to improve and create sections of path.

"Some of the pathway will travel along private land and this has been achieved with support from private landowners."

Another great review for Gower Surf School at Caswell Beach, Swansea

Another great review for Gower Surf School at Caswell Beach, Swansea

“We had an amazing time, couldn't have asked for a better surf experience!”

 

My husband and I surfed with GSD at Caswell Bay 12.11.11, the day after our wedding, and it was so amazing!! A sunny warm day (even in November!) and warm water. 

We did the Half & Half Surf All Day lesson for £40 each, which was the best price we found for similar lessons with other companies. The instructor was really nice, knowledgeable, and fun. The wetsuits and boards were in great condition and we were provided with everything we needed, all included. He did a great job showing us the ropes and guiding us as we practiced. We were both able to get up and surfing by lunch time! We surfed from 11am-4pm and by the end of the day we felt very comfortable and excited to come back and try it again. Bring something warm to put over your wetsuit if you plan to eat lunch out on the patio (wetsuits are not allowed in the cafe). Overall, an amazing experience and looking forward to taking more lessons!

• Visited November 2011

Book online for surfing or txt last minute 077 395 361 22

Why Not Give The LC this Christmas!

Why Not Give The LC this Christmas!

Christmas has been coming for weeks already and for those of you who are still struggling to find the perfect gift the LC Swansea has the answer. We have presents for everyone!

Why not treat your loved ones to a day out at the LC. You can mix and match to create the perfect present, from boardrider sessions to climbing experiencesand from family waterpark visits to time in the play area you can decide exactly what you want to give! Not only will they receive a great day out but they will make memories that will last a lifetime.

iZone gift packages are the perfect present for those difficult teens. The package includes 3 month’s membership for the interactive gym for 11-15 year olds plus some LC goodies. Our membership team would be happy to help you purchase this great gift that encourages young people to be active in a truly unique way.

If you are in need of the perfect luxurious gift for someone special the Spa@LC holds the solution. The Spa@LC has a beautiful range of Elemis gifts for men and women. This award winning brand adds a touch of elegance to any gift. Call into the Spa now to see what we have to offer.

Here at the LC we have made it really easy to buy these gifts, just pop in and speak to our reception team or give us a call on 01792 466500, we can take a credit or debit payment over the phone and post them out to you ready for Christmas (Elemis gifts available by collection only).

Christmas Gift Ideas for surfers and Learn to Surf Vouchers

Christmas Gift Ideas for surfers and Learn to Surf Vouchers

Give the gift of surfing to someone special this Christmas, no going to the shops simply click on  surfing gift vouchers link, you will have a several different options to choose from dependant on how much you would like to spend.

The vouchers last for one year from date of purchase and all surfing equipment is included!

Swansea's popular attraction celebrates reaching 1.5M visits just days before its sixth birthday

The latest news from 'VisitSwanseaBay'

Swansea's popular attraction celebrates reaching 1.5M visits just days before its sixth birthday

National Waterfront Museum

The Museum achieved the milestone figure on Thursday 6 October, with ten days to go before its official birthday this Monday, 17 October.

As the figures suggest, the Museum is welcoming on average 250,000 visits each year from across Swansea, Wales, Britain and beyond and is most certainly continuing to make its mark on the cultural map.

Since opening in 2005, it has positioned itself as a catalyst for a new-era of museums with its interactive, hands-on technology and has become renowned for its imaginative events and exhibitions, innovative collections as well as award-winning education programmes.

It offers visitors to the city the opportunity to explore the exciting human stories about innovation and industry in Wales, now, over the past 300 years and beyond.  There are 100 audio visual exhibits including 36 state of the art interactive displays and some very large and now technologically obsolete objects from across Wales including the world's first steam locomotive, a brick press and one of the very few surviving coal wagons.

Speaking about the news, Head of Museum Steph Mastoris said: "This is another absolutely fantastic result for us and proves once again that we are meeting the needs and expectations of our visitors.

"The events, exhibitions and educational activities have clearly had a major impact, attracting new audiences and repeat visits.  It is also encouraging to see so many people, including university students, using the space for final year degree shows and community events.

"Congratulations must go to the whole team for their exceptional creativity, hard work and determination which has helped us continually move from strength to strength.

"The quality of the whole visitor experience has brought people back time and time again and we look forward to welcoming millions more to the National Waterfront Museum over the forthcoming years."

Following this great news is a fun-packed winter season with events to keep the whole family entertained.  Highlights include special guest and World Cup rugby referee Nigel Owens who, on Sunday 6 November, will recount amusing incidents from rugby matches, foreign trips and his off-field career as an entertainer.  Then on Sunday 4 December, popular weatherman Derek Brockway will be popping in to give visitors an insight into the interchangeable Welsh weather and on Sunday 11 December, the Museum will receive a visit from Santa and real-life reindeers. 

For more details visits www.museumwales.ac.uk

Christmas is coming, why not buy a surfing voucher for the special person in your family

Click here for more infomation on > Surfing Vouchers