December 4 2007
North East England, and NewcastleGateshead in particular, could become a hot destination for high spending Japanese visitors. The owner of one of Japan's biggest independent travel agencies, Worldbridge Inc. based in Tokyo, visited the region on Thursday and Friday (29th & 30th November) as part of a research tour of Britain. The agency tailors tours for affluent and discerning Japanese travellers and is looking for new destinations.
Initial contact between the cities was made in June when Peter Candler, co-owner of Jesmond Dene House, Newcastle's newest boutique hotel, visited Tokyo as part of a tour to promote the north east. Until now, Worldbridge has focussed on the traditional UK hotspots of London, the Cotswolds, the Lake District and Edinburgh. But the agency is keen to offer clients a wider choice. "The north east clearly has plenty of historical interest," says Mr Candler. "But it now also has a diverse cultural offering - galleries, museums, concert halls, theatres, gardens - that makes it a very attractive destination for travellers looking for something a little different."
Mr Tochigi, managing director of Worldbridge, and his colleague Mr Oyama, spent their two days visiting Alnwick Garden, Hadrian's Wall and Durham Cathedral as well as the unique attractions of NewcastleGateshead - the Georgian sweep of Grey Street, the Quayside's spectacular architecture (luckily the Gateshead Millennium Bridge had a scheduled ‘tilt' on Friday morning) including the Sage Gateshead and BALTIC, and the regenerated Ouseburn and Seven Stories centre for children's books.
Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said ‘We are delighted to welcome Mr Tochigi and Mr Oyama to NewcastleGateshead and the wider region and hope it will result in many more visits from Japan. They are just some of the growing list of international guests who have visited us in recent months and indicate our growing reputation around the world as a first-class destination'.
Appropriately, the two men stayed at Jesmond Dene House overlooking Jesmond Dene. The hotel, as well as the region, has strong links with Japan, begun in the 19th century with trade between Lord Armstrong's Tyneside-based engineering business and the Japanese armed forces. Armstrong's partner, Sir Andrew Noble, bought Jesmond Dene House in 1871, creating the fine Arts and Crafts building of today and using it to entertain high-ranking Japanese visitors.
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For further information and photographs, please contact:
Nicky Sherman, marketing manager, Jesmond Dene House
0191 212 3000, nsherman@jesmonddenehouse.co.uk.
http://www.jesmonddenehouse.co.uk/
