The British Tourism & Travel Show (BTTS) Domestic Tourism Industry Snapshot Survey was completed before and during last month's event at the NEC by more than 80 leading travel and tour operators, DMOs, visitor attractions, destinations and hotels. Its findings...

According to independent research conducted by multi-award winning cruise agency, Cruise 118, cruising is now a popular choice for solo travelers, as well as groups and families, across all age groups. In particular, cruisers in their 30s are booking travel to exotic...

The National Wallace Monument has re-opened its doors to visitors following a complete refurbishment of the exhibition galleries within the famous landmark, which this year celebrates its 150th anniversary. The work to totally transform each of the three floors within...

The Churnet Valley Railway in Staffordshire has a great group experience on offer thanks to its Staffordshire Cream Tea service, which gives customers a slice of the Moorland Dining Train action. The dedicated dining carriage 'Diana' is tastefully decorated and takes...

Music, flowers, food and drink feature in Greatdays' new 2020 Group Travel Guide… The comprehensive guide gives details of more than 100 UK tours and nearly 100 continental European holidays and Christmas market short breaks: • In the UK, ‘Kent Grape and Grain’ offers...

The Tourism Society has announced that its annual Symposium entitled, ‘Disruption and The Tourism Challenge’, will take place at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens Conference Centre on 23 and 24 September 2019. Tourism professionals will have an unprecedented chance to...

Beamish Museum’s Emily Hope is celebrating after being named the national VisitEngland Tourism Superstar. Emily, who works at the museum’s entrance, is thrilled to have won the public vote to claim the prestigious title. She was among 10 finalists from across the...

The Tourism Society is seeking a new Chief Executive following the end of the incumbent, Cheryl McCain’s, contract term. Board Director, Mike Bugsgang, will act as interim Chief Executive while a replacement is sought. Ms McCain is leaving to pursue consultancy...

This year sees the 25th anniversary of the introduction of Southport’s famous ‘Meet and Greet’ for groups – better known as the ‘Southport Welcome’ – and Wendy Wright has been at the heart of things right from the start. As the only member of the original team, this...

The transport management company behind the CoachHire.com platform – the largest provider of managed home to school solutions in the UK – has acquired the business and assets of Momentum Hub Ltd. The acquisition means the CoachHire.com platform will provide services...

From standing room only Keynotes to dazzling entertainment up and down the aisles, the British Tourism & Travel Show (BTTS) wowed the domestic travel trade industry for 2019. The leading event for domestic tourism was buzzing with activity over the two days, with...

This weekend's Discover Lincolnshire Weekend – from Saturday 30th to Sunday 31st March – will mark the beginning of English Tourism Week, an annual celebration of the people, places and experiences that help make holidays in England so great. Visitors and residents...

Representatives from Mayflower 400 UK, Mayflower 400 Leiden, Plymouth 400, VisitBritain and the General Society of Mayflower Descendants met at the New England Historical Genealogical Society in Boston, Massachusetts last week to share their 2020 Commemoration Program...

The cream of the UK tourism industry rose to the challenge when they took part in the annual Southern Wales Group Buyer Showcase earlier this month. Organised by Southern Wales Tourism, coordinated by Steve Reed Tourism Ltd of Hampshire, and featuring some of the top...

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has been awarded coach-friendly status by the Confederation of Passenger Transport for its four gardens – RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, Hyde Hall in Essex, Rosemoor in Devon and Harlow Carr in Harrogate. The award follows...

Led by Southampton City Council, the Leisure Excursions for Cruise and Conference in Southern England project has made huge strides in a bid to boost tourism for the ports of Southampton and Plymouth. The partnership, which includes Associated British Ports,...

Connections, the global networking and event organiser for senior decision makers in the luxury travel market, has confirmed it will hold this year’s Meetings event in Valle d'Aosta Courmayeur in Italy from November 15-18, 2019. Dedicated to professionals in the...

GTOs and coach tour operators now have the chance to book tickets for one of the all-time group favourite shows, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, which is back in the West End for a strictly limited season. Following a record-breaking UK and...

The British Motor Museum has been awarded a VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Welcome Accolade – an accolade only given to a small number of venues each year as part of the Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme. VisitEngland’s Attractions Accolades, now in their fifth year,...

Tour wholesaler ICT Group Travel has published a complete guide to the Channel Islands for coach operators. The dedicated brochure, in conjunction with Condor Ferries, highlights the many benefits of a group break to this unique destination. For a start, it’s not...

TA Hotel Collection, which owns and runs six distinctive hotels and event venues across Suffolk, has rebranded under The Hotel Folk banner. The new identity focuses on the group’s planned investment in people, both its own Folk members and its guests. Independently...

Greatdays Travel Group has launched a new, exclusive Christmas event for groups – and increased the number of locations to give group travel organisers more choice. The ‘Christmas Beatles Show Party Lunch’, which is available during November and December at seven...

Join the new Travel World Association today at https://travelworldassociation.com and get exclusive rates for group organiser liability insurance from the specialists at Wrightsure Insurance Group… For more than 40 years, the Wrightsure Insurance Group has provided...

Historic Royal Palaces is to feature one of Diana, Princess of Wales's most iconic evening gowns in a new display, Designing for a Princess, at Kensington Palace. Following the hugely popular Diana: Her Fashion Story, that closed on 17 February, a new small fashion...

UK group travel specialists Steve Reed Tourism Ltd [SRT] from Hampshire has just announced an exciting new tie up geared towards Group Travel Organisers and businesses seeking to gain new group bookings from this important sector of the tourism industry. MD Steve Reed...

A pack of European wolves are settling in to their new woodland home at Longleat – making it the first time the species, which once roamed wild in the UK, has gone on public display at the Wiltshire safari park. The eight-strong pack, which consists of mum Eliska, dad...

Action by ‘honeypot’ destinations to reduce their visitor numbers was dismissed by the European Tourism Association chief at the Coach Tourism Association’s recent 2019 conference in Cambridge. ETOA CEO Tom Jenkins (pictured here) told delegates: “Cities are meant to...

‘Leisure Excursions for Cruise & Conference,’ led by Southampton City Council, welcomed around 50 delegates to attend their first Cruise Business Seminar in Southampton Harbour Hotel last week. The seminar, dedicated to bolstering the UK cruise excursion offering...

The Group Leisure & Travel Show (GLT Show) has announced that Britain’s No.1 travel expert Simon Calder is returning to this year’s exhibition. Senior travel editor of The Independent and acclaimed TV and radio broadcaster, Simon is the first celebrity speaker...

From April 20-22 2019, Arundel Castle in West Sussex will see Richard The Lionheart, King of England, prepare to embark on the Third Crusade in 1189… Visitors will witness breath-taking demonstrations of Norman weaponry, armour, combat, battle tactics, archery and...

The Stratford Literary Festival celebrates its 12th year in 2019 with a superb line-up of speakers and events. The eight-day spring festival, which launches on 28 April, will welcome some of the most celebrated literary fiction authors. Leading the way will be names...

Billy Bragg will headline the hugely popular Warwick Folk Festival, which returns for its milestone 40th spectacular year from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 July at Warwick School and the surrounding town. The family friendly festival will bring together other leading...

More than 400 years after she died, a newly discovered portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots has gone on display at Hever Castle in Kent. The extremely rare painting of the monarch – whose life story has been dramatised in the hit movie, Mary Queen of Scots, with actress...

Gearing up to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the birth of its founder William Cecil in 2020, Burghley House is planning a bumper season for 2019 – including the world’s largest gathering of Rolls Royces and a summer concert by one of the UK’s top selling R&B...

For the first time, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge has co-designed a garden for the Royal Horticultural Society at the world-famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show (21-25 May 2019), sponsored by M&G Investments. The RHS Back to Nature Garden has been designed by The Duchess...

A new initiative - called the ‘BTTS Tourism Leaders of Tomorrow’ - has been launched by the team behind the British Tourism & Travel Show to recognise and celebrate young people working in the tourism sector. Britain will have a tourism industry worth over £257...

Coach Tourism Association (CTA) conference members are to confront ULEZ and Brexit issues at the annual conference from 24-26 February 2019 at The Hallmark Hotel, Cambridge. With the start of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone only weeks away, members of the CTA will be...

Snow covered mountains, fairytale castles and Christmas markets are just some of the seasonal treats in store for operators booking winter tours for 2019/20 in the UK and Europe. Albatross Travel has put together a selection of new Winter Tour itineraries for coach...

West Midland Safari Park is kick-starting its new season with Explorers Week, a fun-filled half term event, centred around the Ice Age. From 16 February, the park is once again open daily, and to celebrate the start of the summer season, guests are invited to come and...

It’s been an exciting few months for the team at Norman Allen Group Travel (NAGT), which has finally joined the virtual world and will now be posting news and articles on its new Facebook page @NormanAllenGroupTravelLtd The team are also pleased to announce that, once...

'Mr Pinchy’ is the latest inhabitant to take up residence at Stratford-upon-Avon Butterfly Farm in Warwickshire… The brightly coloured Red-Clawed Crayfish originates from Australia and Papua New Guinea, and from February 16-24 children and adults can meet him when...

This year sees some exciting new changes at Germany's Europa-Park… With more than 100 attractions and shows across 95 hectares and 15 European themed areas, a unique discovery tour awaits visitors. And this season, there are plenty of new attractions to look forward...

Tickets are now on sale for Royal Liver Building 360 tours as the countdown to its opening draws nearer. The operators, Heritage Great Britain, have unveiled a new website and online booking system for Liverpool’s newest visitor experience. Bookings will initially be...

Albatross Travel has launched a range of new tours and attractions for groups visiting London, including a concert celebrating ABBA, the Mandela Exhibition and a tour of the Globe Theatre, all packaged with overnight stays for coach operators. • ABBAPHONIC celebrates...

Escape the winter chill as Dreamland Margate hosts its first ever Children’s Book Festival this February half term, featuring a special appearance from The Gruffalo. Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s beloved character will be making appearances at Dreamland...

Airedale is celebrating the new year with a mini-brochure featuring no less than 47 new tour ideas. While expanding its traditional UK coach holiday programme, those folks up in Yorkshire have also introduced a number of rail holidays, both in Britain and Europe, plus...

Caroline Brown - who's pictured here - has joined the board of the Alfa Leisureplex Group in a newly created role as Group Commercial Director. She'll be responsible for Alfa Travel, as well as providing commercial support to Leisureplex hotels as the group expands...

Tickets are now on sale for Countryside Lincs, which returns to the Lincolnshire Showground during the Easter school holidays on Sunday 14 April. As the Lincolnshire Agriculture Society celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019, Countryside Lincs is returning for its...

Now in its 34th year, the highly popular Bury St Edmunds Festival will take place at entertainment venues and spaces across the Suffolk cathedral town from Friday 17 to Sunday 26 May 2019. Enjoy 10 packed days of great music, theatre, comedy, film and other art forms,...