Warwickshire descended on the country’s capital and brought historical figures to life to showcase top tourist attractions and the great public transport links.
Knights, Princesses, Shakespearean characters and even a chauffeur all dressed the part for two days of shouting about the county in London.
Representatives from Warwick Castle, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, British Motor Museum, RSC, Strat>forward, Shakespeare's Schoolroom & Guildhall and Shakespeare’s England took up residence in London Marylebone station promoting the region to travellers hosted by Chiltern Railways as part of its Board Member support for Shakespeare’s England.
Chiltern Railway’s connections from London Marylebone to Warwick Town Station within walking distance of Warwick Castle, Leamington Spa and the recently increased direct service to Stratford-upon-Avon bring tourists directly from the capital to Warwickshire in an hour and a half.
The businesses came together to promote Warwickshire as a top tourist destination by rail, for visitors travelling out of the capital.
Helen Peters, CEO of Shakespeare’s England, the Destination Management Organisation for South Warwickshire, who work to promote the region both nationally and internationally, expressed her excitement at bringing Warwickshire’s top attractions to London.
She said: “It was a really successful two days for us - we were able to promote Shakespeare’s England as a destination to visit for both domestic travellers and international tourists visiting London.
“One of our priorities in terms of promoting the region is encouraging visitors to travel outside of London and explore all the other attractions and areas that the UK has to offer.
“Warwickshire is less than a two-hour journey from London, so it’s easy for tourists to enjoy for either on a day trip or an overnight stay and it’s also the perfect destination for UK residents looking to visit this historic county.
“Shakespeare’s legacy continues to be one of the primary draws for visitors to Stratford-upon-Avon, but we’re working to promote all the other exciting attractions outside of that with two impressive castles in Warwick and Kenilworth, the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, the MAD Museum and so many more top attractions, hotels and restaurants.
“We know how many visitors take the train from London to shop at Bicester Village and with Royal Leamington Spa, only 20 minutes further up the line, with its eclectic mix of independent retailers selling unique and interesting wares, it is the perfect add on for your retail therapy.
“Last year there were more than 10 million tourist trips to the area, bringing in £45 million a month to the local economy and we’re hoping that with a busy peak season this summer, these figures will continue to rise.”
David Heathfield, Head of Corporate Affairs at Chiltern Railways said: “We were delighted to welcome historical characters to Marylebone station. We’re proud of the service we provide to our Warwickshire stations with our industry leading performance and satisfaction levels.
“With the recently increased number of services between London and Stratford-upon-Avon, we hope people will be inspired to visit the region and experience all it has to offer.”