New hotel to host National Forest tourism event

Tourism businesses from across the area will get together at the new Radisson Blu Hotel, East Midlands Airport, on Tuesday 10 January 2012 to hear the latest news including plans to drive more visitors to the destination and to England during 2012.

The new 2012 National Forest & Beyond Visitor Guides will be available at the event, which year-on-year attract more people to the area. These are bursting with ideas on places to take the family, brilliant attractions, and where to enjoy the woodlands and countryside. They also highlight local food of the area and overnight accommodation.

VisitEngland's Chief Executive, James Berresford, will outline its domestic tourism campaign to promote the country in this special year with the 2012 Olympics and Jubilee celebrations. A new local accommodation inspection scheme will be unveiled at the event and Richard Beldon, Managing Director of Let's Go Local, will explain how businesses can generate more customers using networking as a powerful marketing tool.

The four-star Radisson Blu has used both the Forest and aviation as its central themes and has been built with a number of environmentally friendly features, as part of the chain's drive for sustainability and responsible tourism. Boasting an Energy Performance Certification rating of 2, the hotel is the most efficient in Rezidor's European portfolio of over 400 hotels. Designed to the highest green credentials, its carbon neutral build supports East Midlands Airport's goal for ground operations to be carbon neutral by 2012.

Daniel Keane, the hotel's General Manager, said: ‘The hotel has embraced environmental efficiencies and new technologies in its build and operation. The tri-generation combined heat and power plant is powered by recycled cooking oil, whilst the 62,500 litre underground storage surface water tank means the hotel can use grey water recycling for its toilets.'

Penny Wilkinson, Tourism Officer at the National Forest Company, said: ‘This annual event is not just to launch the 2012 campaign, but also to get the local tourism industry together and showcase brilliant new venues such as the Radisson Blu Hotel. It is a great forum to share ideas, forge links and work together to promote this very special place, The National Forest.'

The Visitor Guides are produced by the National Forest & Beyond Partnership, which comprises the National Forest Company, East Staffordshire Borough Council, North West Leicestershire District Council and South Derbyshire District Council, to promote the tourism economy in the Forest and surrounding areas.

The event will run from 10am until 12:30pm, with a tour of the hotel from 12 noon.