Partner Article

Tyne and Wear tours take on new twist

TWO of the North East’s pop cultural icons will be giving guided tours with a twist, as they show visitors to Tyne and Wear a warm welcome.

Ray Laidlaw, best known for drumming in Geordie folk band Lindisfarne, and Chris Phipps, former producer on the 1980’s cult pop music programme, The Tube, have teamed up with East Coast Tours to create Tyne Idols.

The new venture is said to be a tourism visitor experience showcasing a different side to the region’s heritage and history.

This week they teamed up with Tourism Tyne and Wear to take part, alongside colleagues from East Coast Tours, in a Welcome to Tyne and Wear workshop.

Paul Szomoru, Business Relationship Manager for Tourism Tyne and Wear said; “The training is aimed at developing a tourism workforce that collaborate and are well equipped to advise visitors on the best places to stay, play and relax no matter what their budget or interests.

“It’s exciting that two of the region’s such high profile personalities have signed up to the programme and we’re thrilled to welcome them to take part alongside their East Coast Tours’ colleagues.”

Following the successful summer season of guided music, TV and film heritage tours of Tyneside, Tyne Idols will once again be pulling the grand old Routemaster out of hibernation for some winter tours.

Ray Laidlaw said; “Tyne Idols is a great addition to the many fantastic things that visitors to the North East can experience.

“We’re keen to make sure that every Tyne Idols tour is memorable, and Welcome to Tyne and Wear is a great way of ensuring that we, as tour guides, are equipped with the knowledge and skills to ensure that the visitor experience is second to none.”

The Tyne Idols workshop comes just days after Tourism Tyne and Wear welcomed the Malta Tourism Authority for a workshop as part of a visit organised by VisitEngland, the national tourism organisation tasked with developing the visitor economy in England.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .