April 2019 / media highlights

Consumer news and features

International

Outlet: Riviera Buzz Reach: 65,000 Headline: Blackbeard, Brunel and Date: 12/04/2019 Journalist Natja Igney took a flight from Nice to visit Bristol and Bath in a two-part post for Riviera Buzz - the ‘definitive guide to all things French Riviera’ (including travel from the region). Natja’s lengthy coverage focused on Bristol’s history (from John Cabot to Blackbeard and Brunel) and culture, majoring on museums and the arts. She describes Bristol Museum and Art Gallery as ‘unmissable’ and the as ‘a micro cosmos of all things Bristolian, presented in a joyful, exuberant way’. , St Georges, Brooks Guesthouse, St Nicks Market and the Florist are also mentioned. The article is linked to a part one on Natja’s visit to Bath.

Outlet: Toronto Sun Reach: 7.3 million Headline: Absorb art on walkabouts in Manchester and Bristol Date: 23/04/2019 As part of a Visit Britain trip last July, Toronto Sun journalist Ian Robertson wrote a piece that’s just been published this month outlining Bristol’s street art, mentioning Banksy and Upfest.

Outlet: Condé Nast Traveller Spain [print] Reach: 74,000 Headline: You Have to Go to Bristol Date: April 2019 The city seems to have made an impression on Spain-based freelance journalist Paul Richards who spent four days in Bristol last year, while researching a meaty piece for the Spanish edition of Conde Nast Traveller. ‘Bristol has been able to surpass Manchester, Brighton and Glasgow to become the fashionable English city,’ he writes. The article (in print only) recommends Number 38, the Harbour Hotel and the Hotel du Vin as the places to stay, name checks The Lido, Casamia and Box E as good places to eat, and mentions the Where the Wall street art tour, the Ethicurean, WokyKo, , the Milk Thistle and the Lion Bar at Avon Gorge by Hotel du Vin.

Outlet: Top Viajes Spain Reach: Unknown Headline: Bristol: beautiful, feisty and fun Date: April 2019 Visit Britain in Spain collaborated with us in March on a trip for two national journalists. The first piece from that trip was published in April in Top Viajes. Over the 16-page feature, many of Bristol’s highlights were featured including Where the Wall street art tour, Aerospace Bristol, Wild Beer, Marriott Royal Hotel, Glassboat Brasserie, The Ivy Clifton Brasserie, The Florist and Bristol Cathedral.

National

Outlet: Condé Nast Traveller Reach: 1.15 million Headline: Bristol Restaurants: 13 of the best Date: April 2019 With input from the press team at Destination Bristol, Condé Nast Traveller UK published a feature of the 13 best restaurants in Bristol, picking out Harts Bakery, Wilson’s, Poco Tapas Bar, Casamia, Better Food, The Ethicurean, Sky Kong Kong, Pinkmans, Albatross, Koocha, Pickle at Underfall Yard, Sunday Supra and River Cottage Kitchen.

Outlet: Condé Nast Traveller UK Reach: 1.15 million Headline: City breaks UK – the 10 best in 2019 Date: April 2019 In another piece by Condé Nast Traveller UK, Bristol topped the list of the 10 best city breaks in the UK. This follows numerous press releases from Destination Bristol, highlighting what’s new this year, and the feature includes The Wave, Avon Gorge Hotel by Hotel du Vin, Root restaurant, Koocha, Woky Ko: Kauto, Bar 44 and Coconut Tree.

Outlet: Condé Nast Traveller UK Reach: 1.15 million Headline: The Best Bars, Clubs and Live Music in Bristol Date: April 2019 In Condé Nast Traveller UK’s most recent piece about Bristol, they focus on the city’s thriving music and nightlife scene and mentioned Milk Thistle, Small Bar, Grain Barge, The Kensington Arms, Thekla, Mr Wolf’s, St Pauls Carnival, The Fleece, The Louisiana and The Plough Inn.

Outlet: Mirror [print] Reach: 567k Headline: Top Draw Date: 20/4/2019 Travel journalist Fiona Whitty came to Bristol with her son in February for a weekend, arranged by Destination Bristol. In the two double-page spreads that followed the trip, Fiona included her time at Bristol Marriott Royal Hotel, Wapping Wharf, Where The Wall, Woky Ko, Bristol Cider Shop, Pieminister, SS Great Britain and 1766 Bar and Kitchen at Bristol Old Vic.

Outlet: Daily Star Reach: 322k Headline: Top Draw Date: 20/4/2019 The above feature in the Daily Mirror was syndicated in the Daily Star.

Outlet: Daily Telegraph Reach: 363k Headline: The best restaurants in Bristol, from chef’s table to curried goat Date: 18/4/2019 With Destination Bristol’s help, freelance journalist Simon Horsford compiled a guide to some of Bristol’s best restaurants. The presence of four Michelin-starred restaurants is a sign of the city's increasing impact on the British food scene,’ he wrote. ‘But the city’s cultural diversity, strong belief in sustainable ethics (locally sourced food is a given) and the locals’ passionate support of independent businesses has also been the driving force for something quite special.’ His list included Casamia, Box E and Root (both at Wapping Wharf) and the new 1766 Bar and Kitchen at the Old Vic Theatre.

Local

Outlet: Circus Reach: Unknown Headline: The Wild South West Date: 30/4/2019 Following press releases and meetings with the editor of recently-launched Circus journal, this piece was published which mentions the forthcoming opening of Bear Wood at the Wild Place Project.

Trade

Outlet: Mice and Tourism Around the World Reach: Subscribers Headline: All aboard for meetings on the SS Great Britain Date: 5/4/2019 On page 9 of the April edition of Mice and Tourism Around the World, there’s a spotlight feature is on SS Great Britain and its conference facilities. The Meet Bristol team together with the press team at Destination Bristol regularly reach out to M&IT publications with information on the different venues that offer interesting meeting spaces for conferences and events.

Outlet: UK Inbound Reach: Membership newsletter Headline: Bristol Launches New ‘Experiences’ Campaign Date: 05/04/2019 The ‘voice of inbound tourism’ picked up on a press release sent out as part of the launch of Visit Bristol’s new Experiences web pages. The post outlined some of the highlights of what’s on offer: ‘Visitors can peer behind secret doors, learn to cook, drive a steam train, practice yoga, spray their own street art, mix a cocktail or spend the night with Gelada baboon.’

Other coverage Bristol was featured in a full-page feature in the Homes section of Sunday Times, for the 100 best places to live in the UK. Southville was named 2nd best place to live in the South West by Sunday Times (also covered by Bristol Post). My Weekly published a feature called Quays to the City and featured SS Great Britain, M Shed, Wapping Wharf, SUP Bristol, Watershed, and Harbour Festival. Bristol was named most artistic city in the UK, covered by Bristol 24/7. The Guardian wrote about he closure of the legendary Bristol pub, . Euronews listed Bristol as one of the best vegan destinations to visit this summer. Masa + Mezcal - the latest restaurant opening by the Bristol based team Season + Taste – received a positive review in Olive Magazine. In a feature on the top places to visit this summer, Clyde Bank Post wrote: ‘We can all agree that there is never a bad time to visit Bristol, and this summer is no exception.’

Press trips and enquiries (where coverage is forthcoming) A writer from Woman & Home spent a weekend in Bristol to research a feature for the weekly magazine’s regular Feel Good Food pages. On a trip co-hosted by Visit Britain, a writer and a photographer from Italy’s fashion magazine Tu Style visited the city focusing on street art and street fashion. Sarah Barrell, associate editor of National Geographic Traveller visited Bristol to research content for the magazine’s 4-page ‘Neighbourhoods’ section (concentrating on Stokes Croft, Clifton and the Harbourside). The article will come out in the autumn of 2019. US journalist Denise Mattia included a visit to Bristol at the start of a tour of the Great West Way; Denise is writing for up- market consumer magazine New York Lifestyles and travel-trade title Jax Fax. A film crew from China Central TV/Reuters came to Bristol to film St Nicholas Market, Brooks Guesthouse, Harbourside and interview a Bristol hot air balloon pilot as well as Destination Bristol’s marketing manager Jon Chamberlain on tourism in the city.

Press releases In April, Destination Bristol media team sent out a press release on behalf of the City Centre BID about the Calmer Llama Trail that took place over Easter holidays.

News and networking Destination Bristol celebrated its 20 year anniversary in April with a get together for staff (old and new) and associates at Hotel du Vin City Centre.