Stratford family business celebrates 10 years of touring the Cotswolds
A BOUNCE-back in the number of tourists visiting the Cotswolds is boosting business for an Alcester-based guided tour company.
Go Cotswolds, which celebrated its 10th anniversary on 11th July, recently expanded its fleet of tour minibuses from two to four.
The team, which took more visitors on tours during May this year, than during the first two years after launching, has put the struggles of Covid behind it.
Tapping into funding has also helped, including a £4,500 grant from Warwickshire County Council’s adapt and diversify scheme which it used to upgrade marketing material, including professional photography and videos.
It won almost £2,500 funding from Rural England’s prosperity fund, and benefitted from business coaching via Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s project Warwickshire programme which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Lisa Benjamin, director of Go Cotswolds, said: “The pandemic killed travel but there’s been a massive bounce-back and we are benefitting from that.”
The past 12-18 months have been particularly busy for the company and whereas they would typically put out one bus a day, this has now jumped to three.
Ms Benjamin added: “We’ve established a good reputation and people are looking for trustworthy tour companies.”
Another major element of the firm’s success are excellent ratings on TripAdvisor.
It’s the online travel guide’s top-rated ‘things to do’ in Stratford and has also just scooped its eighth Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice award, catapulting it into the top 10 per cent listings.
Being featured and praised in an American guidebook, written by travel expert Rick Steves, has also generated more bookings from US customers.
The family-run company saw steady growth for eight years but has recently ramped-up by doubling the number of tours to four, upping its head count from four to seven tour guides, and adding two more admin staff to the team.
The most popular tour is ‘Cotswolds in a Day’ which includes visits to the so-called ‘honey-pot’ villages of Bourton-on-the-Water and Bibury.
For those keen to escape the crowds, ‘Hidden Gems’ takes in the likes of Chipping Campden, while another tour explores Bath and Stonehenge.
Overseas tourists often want to go to a specific spot they’ve seen pictured on Instagram or in a guidebook.
Some bring Instagram sticks and even changes of clothes to take selfies in different outfits, although Ms Benjamin says this is not something the company focuses on or actively encourages.
“Some places are heavily touristed and we don’t want to be part of the problem,” she explained.
Two-fifths of Go Cotswolds customers come from the US or Canada, followed by Australia, India and South Asia.
The tours are also popular with international students studying in places such as Stratford or Oxford, who take a train to Moreton or Stratford to be picked up by the tour bus.
To mark a decade of trading, Go Cotswolds has teamed up with the Arden Hotel in Stratford to run a competition.
The winner will be treated to a one-night stay at the hotel including bed, breakfast, dinner and a glass of fizz plus two tickets for a Go Cotswolds tour.
The company is also launching a Cotswold tour package deal with the hotel.
Customer service is crucial to the company’s success, as Ms Bejamin explained.
She said: “We could drive around in a bus and not say a word because the Cotswolds are so beautiful but reviews posted of us almost always mention our guides, often by name, and talk about how they’re so friendly, kind and welcoming.
“We’ve chosen them because they have those qualities and are also calm and confident, not brash and overbearing. We all love what we do and take real pride in the local area.”
