Growth summit: Rough Guide publishes A4 touring route and Swindon to get funky new visitor app

Travel guidebook publisher Rough Guide has launched a guide to the Great West Way – a ‘destination’ route through Wiltshire designed to rival America’s famous Route 66.

The 125-mile rail, road and canal route between London and Bristol was launched back in November by destination organisation Visit Wiltshire.

David Andrews told delegates at the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Economic Partnership Growth Summit last week that the initiative was garnering attention both at home and abroad, with German tourists particularly keen on the idea of a ‘British Route 66, or the Wild Atlantic Way’.

“Visit England acknowledge that all the best tourism sites outside London are along the Great West Way,” he said.

The route – a third of which is in Wiltshire – encourages ‘curious visitors’ to explore the attractions along the A4 corridor, the London-to-Bristol rail line to the north, and the Kennet and Avon Canal to the south.

Tourism is an important and growing part of the local economy, said David, employing 29,000 people in Swindon and Wiltshire either directly or indirectly. Around 40 percent of jobs in the industry are held by the under-30s, he added.

The route has also been shortlisted for a global award. The Great West Way is a finalist in the Place Brand category of the City Nation Place Awards, going head-to-head with marketing campaigns for Bermuda, Finland, and Copenhagen. The winner will be revealed in London on November 7.

Not to be outdone, Swindon is getting a trendy digital guide from Spanish-based publisher Coolmapp.

The firm has already produced platforms for Amsterdam and Barcelona.

Kris Talikowski of ambassador programme Switch on to Swindon told delegates that the new app would be launching before the end of the year, with a promise to “highlight the funky hipster hotspots and great eateries, activities and places to rest after.”

You can read a digital version of The Rough Guide to the Great West Way at https://www.greatwestway.co.uk/plan-your-way/the-rough-guide-to-the-great-west-way

CoolmappSwindon will be launching soon. Details at https://www.coolmappswindon.com