The Mole loves Wales

Great excitement in Llandovery Wales and all over the UK – Channel 9 arrives– plus The Mole’s tips for agents. 

There is great excitement in a small but thriving town in the heart of Wales as it prepares for being chosen to represent Wales on a weeklong feature for Australian C9’s Today Show. 

The Today production team is jetting into the UK and will broadcast the main programme from London from October 24 to 28, with quirky weather and travel segments being filmed at different regions and Llandovery, packed with unique cultural elements, will represent Wales on the 25th. 

The six-strong production team, including weatherman Steve Jacobs, will also be visiting Edinburgh, Liverpool and Bath and tourism chiefs hope locals will support the event by being available for filming. 

The programme will be filmed from 9pm to midnight UK time, transmitting to Australians at the usual time of 6 to 9am, Carmarthenshire Council’s tourism development officer Lisa Bancroft said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for Carmarthenshire to show off its best assets to friends on the other side of the world.  “We at the county council are delighted that the programme makers have chosen Llandovery to represent Wales”.  “We have a county of beauty, majesty, intrigue and adventure and all of these elements are captured in Llandovery”. 

“Of course we hope this programme will encourage an influx of Australian visitors to our country.” 

Final preparations are being made by the county council’s tourism team and the people of Llandovery to coordinate the visit and Steve Jacobs will set off from Liverpool along the rural roads through Mid Wales taking in the breath-taking scenery of the Brecon Beacons down to Llandovery. 

Town crier Joe Beard will be interviewed, Llandovery Male Voice Choir has been selected to perform and the photogenic market square filmed. Myths and legends will be featured with a visit to the heritage centre along with the town’s historical Drover’s Routes. 

The sculpture of Llewellyn ap Rhys will be transmitted to the other side of the world telling the story of how he was hung drawn and quartered by Edward I as an example of Welsh subjugation by the English. 

Town mayor Councillor Ivor Jackson said: “The film crew will spend 24 hours in Llandovery and we have to make sure we cram as much into that time as possible for Australian’s to get a real taste of Welsh life in Llandovery. 

“I urge people of the town to get involved and show them what we’re all about.”

 The Mole’s tips for travel agents:  

§         If you have client’s going or considering going to the UK, why not call them up and suggest they watch the Today Show between 24 and 28 October?    

§         What about being even more proactive and running some UK promotions or a Great British breakfast in your agency that week, with the Today Show running in the agency – get them in and sell more!!   

§         Call all the Britain wholesalers and make sure you have their brochures and programme information. 

§         Contact your local paper, radio station and C9 station and tell them that you are the local specialist on Britain and they will run a news piece on you pushing yout Britain and Today Show promotion. 

§         Record the Today Show every day so that you can show the relevant bits and pieces to cleints. 

§         Contact Visit Britain in Sydney for guidance and additional  information.   

§         By doing all this you can sell more ground arrangements and programmes in and to the UK and get your clients to travel further, spend more and book the additional stays before they leave, making you more money!!

 Report by The Mole