Punting in Cambridge 2021
Goodbye 2021! This year has been eventful, to say the least! But despite Covid-19 and all the ways in which it affected us as a Cambridge independent small business, we have had a brilliant year. Stick with us and have a look at some of our 2021 highlights.
Reopening
On the 29th of March 2021, we finally reopened after lockdown 3! At first, due to restrictions, our tours were limited to private tours and single household semi-private punting tours. This came alongside enhanced cleaning, technology that had been put in place in 2020 together with our perspex screens to maintain the safety of our customers and staff.
We had introduced perspex screens when we first reopened in July 2020, to separate out each section of the boat, so each group were socially distanced and sat in their own ‘bubble’. We also had a screen between our chauffeurs and customers so everyone could be protected.
It wasn’t until June 21st 2021 that social distancing measures were removed and we were finally able to provide unrestricted punting tours. We removed all of our onboard perspex screens and groups of up to 2 were then allowed to book onto a shared punting tour so customers could pre-book the cheapest punting tickets available. By maintain certain safety measures we could fulfil all customers preferences at ease in light of the pandemic.
Virtual Punting Tour
Not only were we able to reopen for our in-person punting tours but we also produced our first virtual punting tour experience online.
Our virtual punting experience can be found on the Traditional Punting Company’s YouTube account. The virtual punting tour takes you along the scenic college backs with a brief overview of all the sights. It is a snapshot of the punting tour you will experience when you come punting with us.
It is also used for our customers to have a brief idea of what their punting tour will look like. In addition, it has turned out to be a great asset for customers looking to propose on one of our romantic tours on deciding where to ask the big question.
Free Cambridge City Guide
In the run into summer, we prepared a comprehensive city guide covering this city’s best tours, Cambridge University insights, museums & galleries, photographic viewpoints, food and drink spots, green spaces and a very extensive list of local discount codes and vouchers.
When booking one of our punting tours you will be entitled to receive a virtual Cambridge City Guide via email, on your booking confirmation, so you can easily access it whilst exploring the city.
In this guide, you will find everything you need to know to plan your time in Cambridge in advance of your visit. As well as, if you happen to only explore it once you arrive, some very quick tips and ideas to make the most of your day.
The highlight of this free City Guide is the fact that it uncovers the city’s best kept secrets, allowing you all to see Cambridge through a locals eye’s.
Summer Punting in 2021
With staycation being the buzzword this summer visitor numbers to the city were high resulting in a busy summer punting on the river. We are proud to announce that this resulted in a record breaker of a year for online bookings! By booking online with us you’ll get live availability, no queuing & the best prices available in town!
Additionally, this was also the summer where we expanded our range of picnic boxes to be enjoyed onboard our tours. Our range includes luxury afternoon tea boxes, freshly baked brunch boxes and the most delicious deli grazing boxes.
Giveaways
This year UK daily partnered with us to give away a free private punting tour. This was in honour of them reaching 7k followers on Instagram!
Shortly after that, we’ve also teamed up with Cafe Foy in Cambridge for a special summer giveaway, where the winner got to enjoy a free semi-private tour with some Pimms onboard of one of our punting tours of Cambridge.
We love partnering with content creators and small businesses to help support each other in our growth. So keep an eye out for future giveaways and discounts on punting tours in the new year!
Scavenger Hunts
This year we have produced 2 brand new scavenger hunt & activity booklets specifically aimed at children. One for Halloween and one for Christmas. This was one of the most exciting projects we’ve developed this year. And now, looking back, we couldn’t feel any prouder of the feedback we’ve received from our customers so far.
Halloween Scavenger Hunt
Our Halloween booklet includes an activity section to be completed whilst you are on the river with us (think spooky spot the difference and join the dots!) and a city centre scavenger hunt where you need to find the locations and solve the clues.
When you have completed the activity sections on the river your answers produce a code that you can take to Hardys Original Sweetshop to receive your sweet treat.
We had a great time dressing up and hunting around the city, if you missed it this year make sure to join us again next year for our spooky Halloween Punt & Hunt!
Christmas Punt and Hunt
Our Christmas Punt and Hunt also made its debut appearance this year. Available between the 1st of December and the 31st of December.
You start off your Christmas Scavenger Hunt with a punting tour, complete the activities and pay close attention to your chauffeur, as they will be giving away the answers! Once you have completed the code you can collect your prize from Hardys!
After your punting tour, there is then an Around the City section to your scavenger hunt, follow the festive trail to answer the questions and discover some of Cambridge’s hidden gems.
We are excited to see what this year’s Easter scavenger punt & hunt activity booklet will look like. Stay tuned to find out more!
Christmas Carols on the river
We were so excited to bring back our annual Christmas Carols on the river this past year, as due to Covid-19 we were unable to put on our favourite Christmas tradition in 2020.
Again we were joined by the amazing St Johns the Evangelist Church Choir who sang beautiful Christmas Carols whilst punting up and down the river.
Also, in the spirit of Christmas, 100% of the proceeds go to charity. Each year we choose a charity to donate to and this year it was Blue Smile. Blue Smile is a charity that provides support for vulnerable young children in the local Cambridgeshire area. If you wish to find out more or donate to their cause then head over to their website. This year we’ve managed to raise an impressive amount of £770 in total.
This is a once a year event so if you wish to participate next year, make sure to book your tickets in advance!
Overview of 2021
Overall this year has been positive, we have enjoyed taking so many people punting in Cambridge and showing them some of the beauty that our wonderful city has to offer. Despite the setback of Covid-19 we have managed to offer our customers new punting packages and managed to bring back some old favourites. We look forward to seeing what 2022 brings us and we hope to welcome you all back on board again soon for a unique experience in Cambridge.
Hello 2022! We are ready for you.
Posted on January 7th, 2022, by the Traditional Punting Company Editor
