VisitBristol.co.uk

Saturday, 09 Nov, 2002 0

Review by Adrian Mann, owner of Adrian Mann Design, providing independent reviews and analysis of travel web sites in the UK.

VisitBristol.co.uk is the official site for the City of Bristol and the surrounding area. Bristol is in the running for “European Capital of Culture 2008”, and was recently named the UK’s Best City in the 2002 Group Leisure Awards. This site is also the first UK city site to have an on-line accommodation booking system.

Overall
The site has a fresh, modern design, with clear text, instantly identifiable links, and strong use of colour. It’s easy to see what to do, and all the important areas of the site are readily accessible from the home page, which loads in under 5 seconds using a 56kb modem. The site is also available in French, German and Spanish.
The site was tested on a variety of platforms and browsers, and functioned well throughout, with no missing images or broken links.

Content
The main links are divided into 3 sections – Explore, Search and Trade. ‘Explore’ includes the Guide Book and News sections, while ‘Search’ allows the user to look for accommodation, restaurants, events and so on. The ‘Trade’ section contains links to other sites concerned with conferences, and for travel trade professionals.
The Guide Book is the obvious place to start, and this is divided into sections that include the usual maps and links to other sites, but also pages on what makes Bristol and its surroundings worth visiting – the history of innovation and invention, the style and scene in Bristol and it’s status as a ‘media’ city, and also pages on the coast, countryside and natural history aspects of the area. The pages aren’t packed with information, but do provide a good range of links to other appropriate sites. The maps are good though, and range from Bristol’s links with the UK and Europe, to a small-scale city centre map.
The ‘Search’ section contains all the functional elements of the site. ‘Accommodation’ is basically a search and booking engine, and allows the user to search for places to stay based on a range of criteria, including type, budget, facilities and distance from the city centre. Unfortunately, despite trying the widest possible searches, I was informed that ‘no establishments qualify’. It’s possible that this was a temporary problem, but I would recommend that a facility such as this be thoroughly checked and tested before it’s launched.
However, the rest of the search pages function, and whether you’re searching for a helicopter museum, a Christmas packing workshop, a good spot for a picnic or a yoga class, most categories will have something of interest. Results contain a brief description and contact details, and a link to their web site if they have one. A general search for restaurants, for instance, will produce a list of establishments, but if you already know the name, that can be searched for too. All in all, it’s a comprehensive and useful section of the site, and is easy to use and makes for a fascinating view of what’s going on in Bristol.
The ‘Latest News’ page has links to recent articles on events, launches and developments in the area, while ‘Special Breaks’ features news of offers and deals for accommodation and short breaks from a variety of hotels and organisations.

Summary
This is a good example of how to provide a web site for a city or destination. It’s full of useful and practical information, and has copious links to other sites of interest without being overburdened with advertising or sponsorship. It’s well designed, fast, easy to navigate, and doesn’t require the latest cutting-edge technology to make it work. Good use is made of tabs at the top of the pages, which provide a visual indication of where you are in the site, and aid navigation.
I’ve spent some time in Bristol, and I found the site reflected the diverse and positive nature of the city and it’s surroundings very well. It’s a pity the accommodation search didn’t work, but I’m sure this is a temporary situation and will be rectified soon. The only other thing that is lacking is a selection of in-depth articles or features on the City, but as a portal to start researching a trip to Bristol, this is an excellent site.