Citizens' Rail project update

Nick (back row, 4th from right)

Nick Davies from UCLan's Institute of Travel and Tourism was in Germany last week for the latest Citizens' Rail partner meeting.

Group members travelled to Aachen to visit a number of interesting sites, including Alsdorf Annapark station which has an innovative level crossing and roundabout. Located in a former coal mining district, the project has won an architectural award.

Next stop was the newly created St Joris station, followed by a visit to a Euregiobahn construction site deep in the woods. The site poses challenges, as the new track has to pass through a nature reserve and go under another railway line.

The group moved onto Stolberg station, the headquarters of EVS who are the private local rail infrastructure company for the Euregiobahn network. As well as receiving an informative presentation and behind-the-scenes tour from EVS, sessions were held to update partners on the latest progress in the Citizens' Rail project, including the successful visit of Lancashire school children to Aachen and Parkstad Limburg, and a workshop to continue the development of the Practitioner Toolkit.

The destination on the final day was Eilendorf station, where Citizens' Rail partners are planning major improvements working alongside the local community.

The Best Souks in Oman: A Cultural Experience

Souks and Souvenirs - One of the most beautiful attractions of Oman.


Oman is home to numerous souks. These traditional marketplaces have been an integral part of local life for centuries. Every place has its distinctive flavour and every city has a market that relates its stories, embraces its history and accompanies its evolution.



Both Khanjar daggers and frankincense are prized local

The Golf Courses Article of Your Dreams

www.ghalavalley.com


Which would be your favourite course to play golf in Oman?



Although relatively new to the Sultanate of Oman, Muscat now has three 18-hole golf courses within easy reach of each other, with more expected to be launch in the near future. For those wanting to learn the game, each course also has an Academy staffed by qualified golf instructors who will be happy to guide

The Rich Cultural Heritage of Muscat

The
country’s rich cultural heritage is well preserved in Muscat's many museums, including:



The Oman Museum, which covers
5,000 years of local history, with displays on shipbuilding, Islam and
fort architecture
Bait
Al Zubair located
within a traditional Omani house, giving insight into Omani lifestyle and
traditions
The Natural
History Museum,
with

Lancashire Tourism Awards 2014

UCLan Tourism recently took part in the prestigious Lancashire Tourism Awards held at Blackpool's famous Tower Ballroom.

Over 600 colleagues from the tourism industry were in attendance at the event, which was hosted by esteemed journalist and broadcaster John Sergeant.

Dr Adrian Ibbetson from UCLan's School of Sport, Tourism and The Outdoors presented Lancaster House with the Large Hotel 2014 award, whilst Northcote, Langho, received the Small Hotel accolade from Division Leader Jane Shaw.

UCLan were one of the evening's headline sponsors of the Awards, which saw 20 of the region's finest tourism businesses and a Tourism Superstar recognised for excellence in their field. Most of the Lancashire winners now have the opportunity to go on to represent the county in the national Visit England Awards for Excellence 2015.

Ruth Connor, Chief Executive of Marketing Lancashire, said: "The Awards are all about our Lancashire tourism businesses and ambassadors, who are simply the best in terms of quality, diversity, endurance and sheer tenacity in creating products, services and experiences that customers come back for time and time again."

Jane Shaw added: "It was a wonderful evening once again and a great opportunity for our Division to network with a range of people from across the Tourism Industry. We're proud to be associated with the Lancashire Tourism Awards and can't wait for next year’s event."

Institute completes research studies

The Institute of Transport of Tourism (ITT) has recently completed two extensive research studies.

Dr Richard Weston (left) and Nick Davies (below) have produced a practitioner manual for the European-funded project 'Greenways Product'. The eighteen-month, international collaborative project was aimed to promote active tourism on European Greenways by marketing tour packages.

As part of the project ITT undertook an extensive review of research on the evaluation and monitoring of walking and cycling resources, which have underpinned the manual for practitioners who evaluate the economic, environmental and social impacts of greenways.

The research will supplement academic papers and Dr Weston hopes to present the findings at next years' 'VeloCity' conference, the international conference for cycling professionals.

To view the manual please click here.

ITT research into European Passenger Rights and Tourism Policy carried out for the European parliament has also been released.

In conjunction with Eurac Research Centre, Bolzano, ITT undertook the study (the first of its kind), to explore the effects of European legislation on Passenger Rights and Tourism Policy.

The research is available here.

Introduction To Oman

 A Unique Culture and Stunning Landscapes


The
second largest country on the Arabian Peninsula (the same size as Germany), Oman boasts a unique culture and
stunning landscapes. Its vast array of natural attractions range from rugged
mountain ranges to ochre deserts. Divers, hikers and history buffs all relish the
pristine local waters, untouched coastline and labyrinthine souks. The
country’s