Air Southwest has teamed up with South West Tourism to release a brand new list of the top ten ‘must do’ experiences when visiting the region from Cork Airport this spring.
The tourist board for the South West of England together with the region’s own low fare airline has compiled an exciting list of activities for those in search of adventure and travellers looking for something a little more sedate.
The news comes as Air Southwest starts flying from Cork to Plymouth City Airport and Newquay Cornwall Airport from 28 April. Fares start at €41 one way including taxes and charges and can be booked on-line at www.airsouthwest.com
Fans of extreme sports are well catered for in both Devon and Cornwall with coasteering and kite surfing . Coaststeering is the ultimate activity for those wanting a more exhilarating walk along the coastal path including crossing between the land and sea, exploring remote coves, abseiling and plunging into the water. Kite surfing combines windsurfing and surfing to ride across the surface of the water, at the speed of the wind with feet strapped to a surfboard.
For something a little more sedate, but perhaps just as exhilarating is exploring the countryside and coastline of Devon and Cornwall in a classic car . Proving very popular, visitors to the region can book a Jaguar, Aston Martin, MG and Austin Healey with Cornwall and Devon Classic Car Hire and motor around the two counties to celebrate an anniversary or birthday or simply for a short break. If you book a flight with Air Southwest to either Plymouth or Newquay, Cornwall and Devon Classic Car Hire can meet you at the airport with the car of your choice.
The region is also famous for fantastic locally produced food and drink and seasonal delights can be found year-round. Whether it’s one of the many food and drink festivals taking place across Devon and Cornwall or dining out at a top restaurant, visitors can be sure of something to whet their appetite. Rick Stein’s ‘The Seafood Restaurant’ in Padstow has recently undergone a £2.5 million makeover, extending the dining area by 30 extra seats, provided a new entrance, terrace and wine cellar. The kitchen is bigger too with a new fish preparation area, new grills and fryers and a very fierce wok burner for turning out the best chilli crab and stir fried mussels with black beans and ginger.
The Devon wine trail is also a ‘hit’ with visitors – among the county’s green rolling hills are lush vineyards, bursting with grapes made into award-winning whites, reds, rosés and sparkling varieties. There are nine vineyards on the trail, producing a host of different wines.
Cornwall has a reputation as the garden capital of the world and every spring, thousands flock to the county. With a mild climate, there are acres of gardens to visit as well as the Eden Project near St Austell for people to discover the world’s largest greenhouse and a huge collection of tropical plants.
Also in the top ten list of experiences – the Artemis Transat at Sutton Harbour, Plymouth, the oldest solo race in history, returns to its traditional maritime home of Plymouth to kick start the Plymouth Summer Festival on 11 May 2008.
This year will see Sutton Harbour and the Barbican completely transformed in to a bustling Race Village from Saturday 3 May. With more than a week of entertainment provided in the Race Village and the excitement of race start day on 11 May, The Artemis Transat at Sutton Harbour, Plymouth can’t be missed - www.theartemistransat.com
Wildlife is also in abundance in the South West during the spring - fly into Newquay and take an Orca Sea Safari from Falmouth. Passengers might see basking sharks, dolphins, seals and porpoises aboard the specially adapted ‘Seaquest’ boat. The team operates wildlife watching and eco-tourism trips all year round.
The South West offers some of the best views of the region from the air – in a hot air balloon . Most companies in the region offer early morning, daytime and early evening flights giving a unique, birds-eye view of the stunning peninsular and the ability to watch the world drift by.
April to June is the second most popular time for people to visit the South West and between April and September 2006; the region had the highest proportion of visits compared to all English regions*.
The South West was also the most popular English region for an overnight trip in 2006, reflecting the popularity of seaside destinations such as Devon and Cornwall as well as other strong tourism product. In 2006, the region attracted over 20 million overnight stays worth £3.7bn to the local economy.
Mike Coombes, Deputy Chief Executive for Air Southwest said: “The South West is increasingly becoming year-round destinations and Air Southwest supports this vitally important tourism sector in the region by providing air links to the South West throughout the year. Our services to both Plymouth and Newquay support the regional economy and the new routes this year will open up new inbound leisure markets, especially for short breaks”.
Malcolm Bell, Chief Executive of South West Tourism said: "There's an array of experiences to discover this spring including adventure and luxury short break ideas and with the Air Southwest announcement of new flight routes launching this can only make it easier for visitors to experience our wonderful region for themselves, ahead of the summer season."
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April 10, 2007
Notes to editors
*Source: United Kingdom Tourism Survey 2006 – A regional perspective (Visit Britain)
Air Southwest is a wholly owned subsidiary of Plymouth-based Sutton Harbour Holdings Plc, which is listed on the Alternative Investment Market. The group owns and operates Plymouth City Airport and its interests span regeneration and transport.
Air Southwest flies to the following destinations:
Newquay to: London Gatwick, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Bristol, Dublin, Cork, Newcastle, Glasgow, Chambery
Plymouth to: London Gatwick, Leeds Bradford, Manchester, Bristol, Jersey, Dublin, Cork, Newcastle, Glasgow, Chambery
London Gatwick to: Plymouth, Newquay
Leeds Bradford to: Bristol, Plymouth, Newquay
Manchester to: Bristol, Plymouth, Newquay
Bristol to: Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Jersey, Plymouth, Newquay
Jersey to: Bristol, Plymouth
Dublin to: Newquay, Plymouth
Newcastle to: Newquay, Plymouth
Glasgow to: Newquay, Plymouth
Cork to: Newquay, Plymouth
Chambery to: Newquay, Plymouth
For a full archive of Air Southwest press releases please visit: www.airsouthwest.com/news
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