Masterpiece for Herriot Country

All Creatures Great and Small series three has enjoyed phenomenal viewing figures in the USA

Hi there,

Series three of All Creatures Great and Small has completed its seven episode run across 54 states in the USA, in Canada, The Netherlands and Germany. We can all thank Masterpiece for their continuing promotion of the series to their loyal audiences. Recently received viewing figures show Netherlands at 135%, USA 112% above the UK figures with Canada 95%, Germany 61% and Australia 45%. Top viewing episode was 10million in the USA. 

Our push to market to these top inbound markets is bang on time with the series and we are now seeing more enquiries coming through from inbound operators after our attendance at World Travel Market, Britain and Ireland Market Place, Excursions in London and CTA's Travel Workshop in Belfast. (See more below)

Thank you, and please, feel free to call me on 07967 032623 Best wishes, John Gallery, chairman, Herriot Country Tourism. E: johngallery@herriotcountry.co.uk

Herriot/Hambleton Tourism Forum - Steering Group 

L-R: Emma Hudson, DiscoverHambleton; Craig Nattrass, Rydale DC; Marcia McLuckie, Richmond Business & Tourism Association; Clare Allen, Georgian Theatre Royal Richmond; Linda Furniss, The Stripey Badger Bookshop and Grassington Chamber; Richard Smith, Classic Lodges Hotels; Michael Ibbotson, The Durham Ox Crayke; Cllr Mark Robson, Leader, Hambleton DC; Caroline Bell, Shepherd's Purse Cheese; John Gallery, Chairman, Herriot Country Tourism Group; Ian Ashton, MD, World of James Herriot; Jessica Barker, Thief Hole Cottages and Events; Hayley Cooke, Monk Park Farm; Colin Badgery, Thirsk Birds of Prey Centre.

Discover Hambleton Tourism Forum and Herriot Country Tourism Group held its inaugural steering group meeting on Wednesday 1st February 2023 when plans were discussed to align the group in readiness for the new VisitEngland destination management and marketing organisation structure and the new North Yorkshire Council. 

An enthusiastic group of business owners representing all sectors of tourism attended and, will now take these plans forward working with colleagues in the local authority and VisitEngland to deliver the right tourism marketing and management for North Yorkshire.

A new strategic plan is in preparation to take advantage of the demand for All Creatures Great and Small in North Yorkshire and to be ready for future opportunities to bring more high value domestic and international visitors to North Yorkshire. The next meeting of the steering group is on Wednesday 8th March at Solberge Hall Hotel near Northallerton.

To get involved please contact either Emma Hudson E: Emma.Hudson@hambleton.gov.uk  or call me on 07967 032623 Email: johngallery@herriotcountry.co.uk 

Show & Tell at Kiplin Hall on Thursday 9th March 2023

Kiplin Hall & Gardens is a very active Herriot Country Tourism Group member and wishes to help to foster a greater spirit of partnership working with visitor attractions in Richmond, Northallerton, Thirsk and Herriot Country destinations in the surrounding area. 

James Etherington, Director, Kiplin Hall & Gardens is inviting you to promote your venue at a Tourism Show and Tell to be held at Kiplin Hall & Gardens on Thursday 9th March 2023! With all that's happening for Herriot Country it's more important than ever that we shout about what we do to local promoters early in the season. Open to accommodation providers, tourist information centres, community VIPs, press, and social media influencers.

Key local attractions are being invited to have a promotional stall at the event. There is no charge to take part. You simply need to provide a representative to attend the event, armed with marketing materials, manning your table and talking to guests.    

We hope you can join us at the Show and Tell to shout about all that we have to offer to visitors to the Herriot Country.  Please contact Samantha Jennings via marketing@kiplinhall.co.uk 

Thank you to Rosie and Jim - Herriot Originals 

Jim Wight and Rosie Page with Nicholas Ralph (James Herriot) and Rachel Shenton (Helen Herriot) 

Herriot Country wouldn't exist if it were not for Alf Wight's desire to share his stories of his life as a vet in North Yorkshire using his pseudonym James Herriot. When he penned his first book, 'It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet', Alf's son Jim and daughter Rosie were there. They were there for the original BBC TV series in the 1980's and 1990's. They are still here now and have been instrumental in bringing All Creatures Great and Small back to our screens on Channel 5 and around the world. So much happens behind the scenes before anything appears in public and we should thank them for their work with Playground and Channel 5.

Thank you Jim and Rosie...

Herriot Country Tourism Group at UKInbound's Britain and Ireland Market Place, Excursions Travel Show Twickenham London and Coach Tourism Association Workshop Belfast

Top: Ian Ashton and John Gallery at Britain and Ireland Market Place London; Bottom Left: John Gallery at CTA Workshop Belfast Bottom Right: Ian Ashton and John Gallery at Excursions Travel Show Twickenham London

Working hard at travel and tourism workshops and trade shows is proving a sure way to get in front of the right decision-makers. These three major events over a two-week period in late January and early February have been hard work but already have begun to bear fruit. The operators we met are keen to include All Creatures Great and Small in their tour programmes for 2024 and beyond and we have been handling follow up enquiries for  itineraries in Herriot Country and requests for press visits.

The team from Ashley and Newey Group Travel Operator (pictured below) even visited the World of James Herriot in the week after the CTA Workshop to follow up on our discussions and to see for themselves the World of James Herriot and Herriot Country first hand.

Ashley and Newey's team visit the World of James Herriot and try out some of the interactive exhibits.

International PR

Our international travel correspondent Paull Ticker of CustomGB has been beavering away getting us coverage with travel and tourism agents and influencers in North America. Here's a snapshot of one of Paull's pieces in Britain Insider which is circulated to over 26,000 travel agents. 

Profit From Series 3 of “All Creatures Great and Small”: If along with many of your anglophile clients you are following this feel-good TV series set in the ruggedly beautiful Yorkshire Dales in the run up to World War II, use the last two of the seven episodes to generate interest in an On Location tour for six to eight clients for later this year (see image above). Topped and tailed with some time in London and the great Viking city of York, and subject to their busy schedules, it might also be possible to meet Rosie Page or Jim White, the daughter and son of Alf White OBE (James Herriot) during your time there. Ask me for a conversation-starting itinerary for captive fans who have been glued to their TV sets for the past five weeks. Filming for Series 4 begins in March/April, which makes this a good long-term prospect.

Paull nags me for news every month so please keep your news coming through...

Make it a Date: Wednesday 24th May 2023 - Herriot Country and Tourism Society Yorkshire Joint Tourism Conference

There's a lot of change happening in tourism and a range of strategic alliances lining up at present. We want to share this with a wide audience and so planning is underway for a Tourism Conference on Wednesday 24th May 2023. A line-up of key-note speakers and topics will be announced shortly so please put this important date in your diary when colleagues from the Tourism Society will join us in this joint conference for the Tourism Industry in North Yorkshire. 

In our next edition:

• Screen Tourism Workshop
• British Travel and Tourism Show NEC Birmingham
• All Creatures Great and Small Series Four
• Tourism Conference - 24th May 2023

Our commercial, local and tourism industry partners are an integral part of Herriot Country's annual activities. Our thanks to: Confederation of Passenger Transport, Coach Tourism Association, Channel 5 TV, Daisy Beck Productions, (The Yorkshire Vet), Grand Central Railway, Grassington Chamber of Trade, Hambleton District Council, Northallerton BID, Original Richmond Business & Tourism Association, Playground Productions (All Creatures Great and Small), Richmondshire District Council, UK Inbound, VisitThirsk and Yorkshire's Great Houses Castles & Gardens for their continuing support. (Apologies to anyone we missed!)