Visit Bristol Press Update - March 2021

Outlet: Condé Nast Traveller UK

Reach: 1.41 million

Headline: UK city breaks: the best to take in 2021

Date: 2/3/2021

Link: UK city breaks: the 10 best to take in 2020 | CN Traveller

Mentions: Visit Bristol was in touch with writer Annabel Herrick with Bristol news and updates, and the city was featured as the top city to visit for a city break in Condé Nast Traveller. The article includes The Wave, Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin, Artist Residence, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Root, Vegetable Diva, Bar 44, Woky Ko, The Coconut Tree, Koocha Mezze Bar, Bristol Old Vic, Harbour Festival, Love Saves the Day, Being Brunel, Bristol Craft Beer Festival.

Outlet: Bristol Post

Reach: 3 million monthly visits

Headline: International Women’s Day: 87 most influential women in Bristol

Date: 8/3/21

Link: https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/international-womens-day-87-most-5040926

Mentions: Journalist Estel Farell Roig got in touch with Visit Bristol press team to ask for contributions from Destination Bristol CEO Kathryn Davis and Digital Marketing Manager Shonette Laffy to be part of their list of inspirational women, to mark International Women’s Day.

Outlet: Luxury London

Reach: 167k monthly visits

Headline: The Best UK City Breaks Guide

Date: 25/2/21

Link: https://luxurylondon.co.uk/travel/uk/the-best-uk-city-breaks-guide-york-bath-manchester-bristol

Mentions: SS Great Britain, Bristol Zoo Gardens, We the Curious, St Nicholas Market, Gloucester Road, Harbourside, Bristol Harbour Hotel and The Ox.

Outlet: Condé Nast Traveler (US)

Reach: 2.9 million monthly visits

Headline: A peek at Thornbury Castle, the only Tudor castle you can stay in

Date: 3/3/21

Link: Thornbury Castle, the Only Tudor Castle That's Also a Luxury Hotel, Is Reopening | Condé Nast Traveler (cntraveler.com)

Mentions: After Visit Bristol sent out a press release at the end of December ‘20 listing new accommodation and updates in Bristol, freelance journalist Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey responded interested in pitching a story on Thornbury Castle Hotel to Condé Nast Traveler (US), which resulted in this in-depth feature about the renovations there, and also mentions 6 o’Clock Gin.

Outlet: Travel Awaits

Reach: 4.85 million monthly visits

Headline: 9 fantastic castle hotels in Europe

Date: 13/2/21

Link: 9 Fantastic Castle Hotels In Europe - TravelAwaits

Mentions: Another piece from Ulrike’s pitching, this article in Travel Awaits includes Thornbury Castle Hotel.

Other coverage 

Bristol was (once again) named one of the best places to live, by The Times this year, thanks to the city’s buzz, harbourside and family-friendly areas. Bristol and Bath were mentioned in an article in Condé Nast Traveller, which lists the top UK destinations for weekend breaks. The two cities were also featured in this list of most progressive UK cities. The Bristol Bus Boycott plaque and the Bay Horse Pub were included in this interesting round-up of sites that shaped British Civil rights in The Guardian. St Nicholas Market was mentioned in this list of top UK markets in Condé Nast Traveller. And finally, another piece form Condé Nast Traveller outlined filming locations for Netflix’s new thriller The One, which included Christmas Steps, Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel and Stokes Croft, and in another feature (in print) in the same publication was a feature on vegetarian restaurants which included Root and The Ethicurean in Bristol.

Press releases 

The Easter press release was sent out in March, which highlighted The Parking Lot social, Ashton Gate movie screenings, Bowood House and Gardens, Old Down Country Park, Sudeley Castle and Gardens, Redgrave Theatre, Cooking It, Lyra: Bristol Poetry Festival, Treasure Hunt Bristol, Where the Wall street art app and Easter treats from The Coconut Tree alongside other Bristol restaurants offering delivery.

Press trips and enquiries (where coverage is forthcoming) 

Grazia is producing a staycation special for Bristol and Visit Bristol gave many suggestions for this piece, due out later this year. Visit England got in touch with their callout for content for Easter, which the team responded to with relevant events for Bristol for them to include in their promotions. Visit Bristol press team arranged an informal press trip for a local freelancer who is writing a piece on Brunel’s Bristol and is due to see SS Great Britain, Clifton Suspension Bridge and Underfall Yard.

News and networking

Jon Chamberlain, Marketing Manager from Visit Bristol, presented at a US Connections virtual press trip to 14 travel writers and outlined why visitors from US and North America would enjoy a trip to Bristol. Visit Bristol’s What’s On 2021 release was also included in a Great West Way press event, which was attended by over 130 media from 16 countries.