GUEST houses, pubs, photographers, a bus operator, a snack bar and a fancy dress firm were among a variety of businesses attending a tourism enterprise supper in St Asaph Cathedral. Organised by the Cantata tourism initiative, the event explained how businesses could better harness Denbighshire’s wealth of heritage, historical and cultural connections to give tourists a better experience. Marketing specialist Angharad Wynne explained that modern-day tourists wanted to learn more from local people about the area they visited. The better their tourism experience, the more likely they were to recommend the county as a destination to family and friends, and to return for more visits, she said. Singer, storyteller and comedian Ruth Moore Williams, from Llangollen, then took guests on a whistle-stop humorous verbal history of the county’s towns, using anecdotes and lesser-known facts about famous people, myths and legends, that locals could pass on to tourists. The event also hosted the launch of Cantata’s latest tourism guide for businesses entitled Denbighshire: words, food, music. The booklet contains information to supplement knowledge businesses already use to show customers what a unique place Denbighshire is. Sections include an introduction to the Welsh language, food, music and uniquely Welsh instruments. The booklet complements the Cantata publication: A View of Denbighshire, a 50- page visitor guide, launched in 2007. Cantata project officer Peter McDermott said: "The event went very, very well. Cantata helps businesses improve customer satisfaction and hence profit, by offering tourists a better customer experience than they might get elsewhere. Councillor Gwyneth Kensler, lead member for promoting Denbighshire, added: "The new guide is very interesting. It looks very smart and is easy to use. "It points us towards information that a traveller might want to find out about a small town. "I have never been to an event like this. It was a very successful evening, impressing upon everyone in the tourism business and who lives in Wales to appreciate our culture, our heritage and everything else we have, and sell them to visitors, whether they come from across the border in England or countries around the world. These are what bring visitors here." The £2m Cantata initiative is being run by Denbighshire County Council and funded by INTERREG IIIB on behalf of the EU. Denbighshire is the only county in the UK to take part. | 
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