Penderyn Distillery has opened its third whisky distillery in Wales, a unique distillery and bottling plant part of a landmark £1 billion transformation program launched by Swansea city council. Penderyn Swansea Copperworks Distillery, which joins the Brecon and Llandudno sites, runs daily tours and will hold masterclasses. There is a shop on-site which opens seven [...]
Llancaiach Fawr Manor is celebrating two prestigious awards from Visit Wales. The historic visitor attraction in Caerphilly borough recently won both the Visit Wales ‘Best Told Story 2023-24’ and the new category ‘Quality Food and Drink 2023-24' accolades, awarded by VAQAS (Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance Service) following a mystery shopper visit by representatives of the [...]
The quality of food and drink produced on the Isle of Man has once again been recognised by experts at the annual Great Taste Awards. The organisers use more than 500 chefs, food writers and retailers to judge thousands of products from all over the world. 11 products from four Manx producers were awarded the [...]
Abbotsbury Tourism Ltd (Swannery, Subtropical Gardens and Children's Farm) www.abbotsbury-tourism.co.uk 01305 871130 Abbotsbury tourism ltd operates three tourist attractions the Abbotsbury Swannery the Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens and the Abbotsbury Children's Farm. All three attractions are positioned around the idyllic village of Abbotsbury overlooking Dorset's Jurassic coast between Weymoutrh and Bridport on [...]
CTA’s Winter Networking event takes place in Exeter on 19-20 November 2023. Hosted at the Courtyard by Marriott Exeter Sandypark hotel and including dinner at the Mercure Exeter Rougemont Hotel, we are very grateful for sponsorship from Visit Exeter. The event starts with a fam trip to Sidmouth with the coach supplied by Blakes Coaches plus a Blue [...]
Complimentary familiarisation trip for all group organisers, including CTA operator members, in advance of your group visit. Available Wednesday - Sunday, 10.30am - 4pm (closed January). Please book your familiarisation visit in advance by emailing groups@aucklandproject.org. (We also offer a complimentary coach driver ticket per coach or mini bus and free coach parking.) Contact: Samantha [...]
www.trafalgarentertainment.com/our-group/tickets/ 020 3640 0568 Trafalgar Tickets Trafalgar Entertainment is a global live entertainment business, with a theatre portfolio of 17 venues globally and growing. We produce our own world class theatrical content which is presented globally and include Jersey Boys, The Rocky Horror Show, Anything Goes and The King [...]
www.groupline.com 020 7206 1174 Group Line Group Line has been providing exceptional service and unforgettable experiences for groups for more than 25 years. With guaranteed allocations to all the best West End shows, an online information portal and dedicated account executives to answer your every question, Group Line [...]
www.todaytixgroup.com Encore Tickets As part of the TodayTix group, Encore controls a global inventory of theatre and attraction products in London, the USA, Canada and Australia. With over 20 years experience as a travel trade specialist, Encore is able to assist with your reservations for theatre and attraction tickets. [...]
www.disneytickets.co.uk/group-bookings-enquiry 020 7845 0949 Disney Tickets Disney Tickets is your place to book direct with Disney for our live entertainment including The Lion King and Frozen the Musical in London. Proudly offering great group rates, best seats, priority access, no booking fees, merchandise add-ons, flexible payment deadlines and [...]
www.todaytixgroup.com Encore Tickets As part of the TodayTix group, Encore controls a global inventory of theatre and attraction products in London, the USA, Canada and Australia. With over 20 years experience as a travel trade specialist, Encore is able to assist with your reservations for theatre and attraction tickets. [...]
Bookings will open very soon for CTA’s Winter Networking event, taking place in Exeter on 19 and 20 November. Hosted at the Courtyard by Marriott Exeter Sandypark hotel and supported by Visit Exeter, the event includes a fam trip in Sidmouth, with lunch at a Brend Collection hotel. Stuart Line Cruises will then take delegates [...]
Newcastle-upon-Tyne will host the CTA Conference & Workshop 2024, taking place Sunday 28 to Tuesday 30 January 2024. The event will be based at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead hotel and will include a special fam trip as well as the not-to-be-missed CTA Meet the Buyer Workshop. A networking dinner will take place at a select [...]
VisitScotland Connect 2024, VisitScotland’s flagship travel trade event, is taking place on 17-18 April 2024 at P&J Live in Aberdeen. The event will include two days of pre-scheduled, one-to-one workshop appointments, plus an optional fam trip. Ideal for operators and wholesalers, attending VisitScotland Connect can help to plan your Scottish coach tours, or enhance your [...]
The Royal Horticultural Society’s magical RHS Glow experience returns this festive season across all five of its garden locations. Illuminated trails guide a journey as dusk falls, and sparkling hi-tech colours fill all five RHS Gardens: Bridgewater – Greater Manchester, Harlow Carr – North Yorkshire, Hyde Hall - Essex, Rosemoor – North Devon and Wisley [...]
Thames and Medway river cruise operator, Jetstream Tours, has launched a new vessel, Cruiser, which can take up to 200 people. Jetstream says the vessel is the largest passenger boat to ply the Thames Estuary. The boat can cruise anywhere along the River Thames, Medway, and Swale. Cruise options include Tower Bridge to Whitstable, and [...]
CTA operator members are among those nominated for this year’s routeone awards which take place on 8 November in Birmingham. Johnsons Quality Coach Travel has been shortlisted for four titles at the awards: coach tourism programme of the year, outstanding customer experience, large coach operator of the year and rising star of the year; while [...]
Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, is welcoming coach groups, with highlights year-round. Situated in the Sussex High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Wakehurst features over 500 acres of nature reserve, woodlands, and gardens. Wakehurst includes diverse natural attractions, including the Millennium Seed Bank that hides a collection of over 2.4 billion seeds [...]
Group Line is offering CTA member operators and wholesalers a pair of tickets to watch Jersey Boys at Trafalgar Theatre, Whitehall, London, on Thursday 14 September. Tickets are offered on a first-come-first-served basis and are non-transferable. To apply, e-mail help@groupline.com and quote ‘CTAJB’. The smash musical goes behind the music and presents the inside story [...]
Strathmore Hotels is welcoming groups for Burns Night, 27 January 2024, at its hotel locations in Scotland and Yorkshire. The hotel operator will celebrate Scotland’s most famous poet with a drinks reception, themed dinner, as well as singing, dancing and traditional Scottish entertainment. Strathmore Hotel locations participating in Burns Night include Ben Nevis at Fort [...]
Continuum Attractions is promoting The Coronation Street Experience Exhibition & Tour to coach groups. Your guests will be able to ‘step onto the street’ and join one of the expert tour guides for a 90-minute award-winning tour around the biggest TV production set of its kind. Visitors will be able to jump into their favourite [...]
Visitors to Blenheim Palace can walk in the footsteps of movie and television stars and experience the silver-screen on a new Lights, Camera, Action trail which includes behind the scenes of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Blenheim Palace was the filming location for the hit Netflix series, Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. The six-episode series [...]
Old Royal Naval College in the heart of Maritime Greenwich has a new travel trade team who have been carrying out a fresh review of everything on offer for coach operators. Gillian Bell is the travel trade manager, and is supported by Ales Kosejk, alongside Joanna who heads up the box office. They are all [...]
Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta admission prices for groups and individuals have been confirmed for 2024-25. The new prices come into force from 1 April 2024. Travel Trade/Group rates apply to pre-booked groups only and pre-booked groups are fast-tracked when they arrive. A premium is charged for walk-ups. Groups can also enjoy specialist tours which take [...]
Middletons Hotel within York city centre has availability for groups, from mid-October to mid-November 2023 and is also looking to fill some spaces in 2024. Groups can be sure of a warm welcome to this beautiful 4-star hotel, which is full of character and charm. For more information, contact Fiona Drew-Smith, Daniel Thwaites, on 07771 [...]
CTA members discussed the prospects for zero-emission coaches operating coach tours at the organisation’s recent Summer Networking event in Hertfordshire. Nearly 100 delegates heard presentations on the latest developments in ZE (zero emission) coaches, including both new vehicles and retrofit. While there are challenges in terms of vehicle range, charging infrastructure, and adequate luggage space [...]
CTA will once again hold a member networking event on the opening morning of World Travel Market London on Monday 6 November 2023. The networking will take place in a section of the main bar area of The Fox pub at Excel from 09.00 to 11.00 There is no need to pre-book for the CTA [...]
CTA contacts: Stephen Monaghan Business Development & Partnerships Manager 07970 256943 stephen.monaghan@calmac.co.uk Christine Dodds Travel Trade Account Executive 07970 256943 christine.dodds@calmac.co.uk Useful info: www.calmac.co.uk/travel-trade CalMac Ferries Ltd Ferry Terminal Gourock, PA19 1QP 01475 650 355 CTA Partner - Caledonian Macbrayne Caledonian MacBrayne [...]
CTA is offering a fabulous Fam trip in Paris in March 2024 with CroisiEurope. The event includes a mini-cruise (subject to river levels) and three nights' accommodation on board CroisiEurope’s premium vessel MS Renoir. There will be a guided visit around Paris by coach and a chance for free time to explore the city and [...]
CTA is including a special zero-emissions (ZE) coach transition seminar at its Summer Networking event, taking place at Hertfordshire's DoubleTree by Hilton London Elstree hotel, on 23 and 24 July. Sponsored by VisitHerts and VisitScotland, the business networking event also includes a fam trip to Hatfield House. In addition, the event features a Supplier Showcase, [...]
CTA is inviting supplier, wholesaler, and operator members to share their news and promote their events and offers via the organisation’s social media channels. Members should upload their news to the CTA Member Social Media Content Submission Portal where CTA will then share selected content on its LinkedIn and Facebook channels. It’s fast and easy [...]
A recent survey by the Tourism Alliance has reported that the number of school children brought to the UK from the EU by 145 surveyed businesses declined by 81% between 2019 and 2022. Over the same period, a lower figure was reported for school children going to the EU, which declined by 53%, according to [...]
Merlin Entertainment has produced coach arrival information sheets for each of the brand’s resort theme parks, as well as Warwick Castle. The information sheets include details on accessibility, food & drink outlets, as well as where to collect ride access passes and fast track tickets. Useful information for coach drivers is also included. Merlin says [...]
Touromo by National Express has announced that it will be closing from 1 October this year. The Touromo website says “from October this year [we] will no longer offer holidays or day trips under any of our brands”. In a statement, the company says: “We will continue to run Touromo day trips and holidays in [...]
South Western Railway has named Stratford-upon-Avon’s Shakespeare Distillery as one of the country’s top gin distilleries according to a recent survey. The rail operator’s survey included Google Reviews, where Shakespeare Distillery achieved 96% five-star reviews. This high ranking placed the distillery in eighth place in the UK-wide survey. This adds to other recent awards for [...]
Salisbury Cathedral reported a four-fold increase in group bookings in April, coinciding with the spring season and new exhibitions on display. A new exhibition, To be free: art and liberty, is exploring human rights and freedom, and includes works by internationally renowned artists. The cathedral is also home to the best-preserved remaining Magna Carta, the [...]
Waddesdon House & Gardens, Buckinghamshire, has announced details of its 2023 Christmas events. Waddesdon manor and grounds will transform into a wonderland inspired by classic British tales. Inside the house, groups can explore the Mad Hatters tea party, travel to the Ice Queen’s lair, and discover Captain Hook’s treasure cave. Outside, the manor’s façade will [...]
Yorkshire-based coach operators, Acklams Holidays and Welsh’s Holidays, have enjoyed recent successful tours to Scotland.Taking in the Highlands, Acklam’s coach can be seen on the Nevis Range Gondola trip to the base station on Aonach Mòr, 2200ft, the highest cafe in Scotland. Meanwhile, Welsh’s Holidays took in the southern counties of Scotland including a trip [...]
New CTA member Uber Boat by Thames Clippers offers a great way to travel through London and enjoy the city’s landmarks. The River Bus stops at 24 piers across the capital linking key locations such as the Battersea, London Eye, Houses of Parliament, Tower Bridge and Tower of London, Greenwich and North Greenwich for The [...]
www.edenproject.com 01726 811911 Eden Project Eden is the gateway into the fascinating world of plants and people and a vibrant reminder of how we need each other for our mutual survival. A unique regeneration project which transformed an old china clay pit into a global garden and home to the [...]
Our next CTA event will be our Summer Networking which takes place at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Elstree on 23-24 July 2023. We are very grateful for sponsorship of the event from Visit Herts and CTA Partner member VisitScotland. The event starts with a Fam trip to CTA member Hatfield House and includes a [...]
The Excursions domestic group travel show is taking place at The Great Hall at Wembley Stadium, Saturday 27 January 2024. Organised by Tourism South East, the event has reached its 50th anniversary. The organisation’s CEO, Fran Downton, says: “Celebrating 50 years of Excursions firmly cements the show as the leading and most established group travel [...]
The newly imagined Loch Ness Centre in Drumnadrochit near Inverness has reopened following significant investment, creating a new immersive experience. Reopened on Saturday 10 June following takeover by Continuum Attractions earlier this year, £1.5m has been invested in a full upgrade to enhance the visitor experience, including trips aboard the attraction’s research vessel, Deepscan. This [...]
At Buckingham Palace this summer The Royal Trust Collection is displaying the outfits worn by Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the Coronation. The display will present the Robe of Estate worn by The King, which was also worn by his grandfather King George VI for his Coronation in 1937, and will [...]
Visit Kent has held a joint reception at The House of Commons with The Port of Dover and LeShuttle to celebrate Kent’s tourism industry and launch a new sustainability plan. The new sustainability plan for the visitor economy in Kent has been developed over a number of months by The Act for Impact Group which [...]
Saren Travel Group will be advising operators on tours to The Hague and The Netherlands following an extensive fam trip. The CTA member helps coach and tour operators with their travel arrangements throughout the UK, Ireland and Europe, with The Hague and Holland now included. “We had the opportunity to visit some fantastic attractions in [...]
Hilton is inviting coach operators to a Customer Showcase at the London Hilton on Park Lane on 5 July 2023. It should be a great opportunity to learn about its latest updates and runs from 12.30pm until 8.30pm so you can drop in when convenient. See the flyer here and scan the QR code to [...]
For the Summer Solstice 2023 at Stonehenge, English Heritage would like to remind operators that all coaches and minibuses must be pre-booked and pre-paid. The organisation says that display passes should also be clearly displayed on the dashboard. This year, Summer Solstice will celebrated at Stonehenge from 19:00 on Tuesday 20 June to 08:00 on [...]
Johnston Mailing, based in Glasgow, joined CTA as a new Supplier member recently and is keen to discuss the benefits of Direct Mail marketing with coach tour operators. Johnston Mailing offers a range of direct mail services which it says is a very effective way for travel businesses to promote their products and services. Some [...]
Marriott has produced a new bi-monthly national sales newsletter which includes the latest news and updates from Marriott International in the UK. The newsletter includes updates on the conversion of 23 hotels to Delta Hotels by Marriott in the UK which is now well underway, bringing with it newly renovated hotels, with redesigned spaces and [...]
