The CTA Consumer Survey is now live with all members of the organisation encouraged to take part. The survey will help members gain a closer understanding of the market and what drives bookings. Operators, wholesalers and suppliers can participate. CTA members only need to send a single e-mail to their customer database, inviting them [...]
CTA is saddened to learn of the passing of Mike Owen, Managing Director of Shropshire-based coach operator and long-standing CTA member, Owen’s Travelmaster. Vanessa Bird, Owen's Travelmaster, says: "Mike dedicated many years to the family business, which was such a significant part of his life. His contribution to Owen’s Travelmaster was immeasurable, and he [...]
The CTA Annual Workshop is the biggest event in the UK coach tourism calendar and CTA members can now apply as a sponsor to raise their profile. The event is scheduled to take place 6-9 February in the Greater London area. Sponsors will be presented to 200 stakeholders from the coach tourism sector, including [...]
Join fellow CTA members at CTA’s special networking event taking place on the opening morning of World Travel Market (WTM). CTA Networking event at WTM 2026 will take place between 9am and 11am on Tuesday 3 November at The Fox – Warehouse Bar & Restaurant near to ExCeL London. No prior registration or badge [...]
The Football Museum of Wales and Wrexham Museum has now opened to the public, offering coach tour operators a free new attraction combining Welsh football, local history and community heritage. The attraction opened its doors on 25 September. Located in Wrexham city centre, the museum provides an option for day trips and short breaks, [...]
The National Trust is launching a long-term programme to make it easier for coach operators to plan and book visits to its properties across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Travel trade consultants Karin Gidlund and Karen Jacques have been engaged to deliver the programme, which will support participating properties to improve booking processes, provide [...]
Reynolds of Colchester has joined the CTA, bringing its family-run minibus business to the organisation’s network of coach and group travel operators. Based in Colchester, the company provides excursions, theatre trips, short breaks and private hire for smaller groups travelling from the town and surrounding areas. Its 16-seat minibus offers an alternative to larger [...]
Les Halles d’Amiens, the covered market in the heart of Amiens, is offering groups the chance to explore French gastronomy through a choice of food workshops and tastings. Located close to Amiens Cathedral and the historic Saint-Leu district, the market provides a convenient addition to coach itineraries with experiences available for groups up to [...]
Mersey Ferries has celebrated the maiden voyage of its new £26 million Royal Daffodil ferry during a ceremony on 22 September. The vessel brings a modern onboard experience to one of Liverpool’s best-known visitor attractions. Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram was joined at the event by Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Logistics Keir [...]
Kew Green Hotels is offering CTA members an exclusive group accommodation package for 2027, with three participating hotels in Liverpool, Chester and Haydock looking to welcome coach groups. The offer is particularly aimed at stays from Thursday to Sunday, although enquiries for other dates are also welcome. The participating hotels provide bases for exploring [...]
New CTA member Oceana Hotel Group operates six hotels in Bournemouth, offering coach tour operators a choice of accommodation across the town centre, East Cliff and Alum Chine. The collection includes the four-star Cumberland and Hermitage Hotels, alongside The Suncliff, Ocean Beach Hotel & Spa, The Trouville and The Riviera Hotel & Holiday Apartments. [...]
Helmingham Hall Gardens in Suffolk will welcome visitors back for its Illuminated Garden Trail from 12 November to 19 December 2026, offering coach groups a festive evening of light displays, immersive soundscapes, seasonal refreshments and Christmas shopping. The event runs from Thursday to Sunday throughout November, then daily from 1 to 19 December. The [...]
Best of Innsbruck has launched a new website bringing together three CTA member attractions in the Austrian city: Tiroler Abend with the Gundolf Family, Swarovski Crystal Worlds and Nordkette - Top of Innsbruck. The website also provides additional destination information and 25 suggested European itineraries showing how Innsbruck can be incorporated into touring programmes. [...]
Castlebridge Hospitality is offering CTA member operators a range of group accommodation rates for the first quarter of 2027, covering seven hotels in the UK and Gibraltar. At voco Winchester Hotel & Spa, bed and breakfast (BB) rates start at £49 per person, rising to £55, while dinner, bed and breakfast (DBB) rates range [...]
The booking deadline for CTA Winter Networking 2026 closes end of Friday 16 October. Almost 120 members have already registered for the event, including an even split of coach operators and suppliers. Places are still available for the Buyer-only pre-event Bournemouth Experience fam trip including a one-night stay at the newly refurbished Queens Hotel [...]
CTA members can now apply for sponsorship opportunities at next year’s Annual Workshop, the biggest event in the UK coach tourism calendar. Taking place 6-9 February in the Greater London area, sponsor brands will be presented to 200 stakeholders from the coach tourism sector, including around 70 of the UK’s leading coach tour operators. [...]
The CTA’s industry-wide consumer survey, aimed at helping members gain a closer market understanding, will launch in early October. Full information on how to participate will be announced over the coming weeks. The 9-minute survey aims to discover the buying intentions of UK coach tourism customers, and it will be split for coach operators [...]
Cawthorne’s Travel, a family-run coach operator based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, is now presenting Gold Crest Holidays. The new CTA member acquired the Gold Crest Holidays brand and associated assets this year, and Cawthorne’s Travel says it is bringing Gold Crest back to the coach holiday market with a fresh approach. The programme will feature [...]
Buyer and Supplier applications to register for VisitScotland Connect 2027, Scotland’s premier travel trade event, are now open. Taking place 14 - 15 April 2027 at the Scottish Event Campus, Glasgow, the workshop-style event of pre-arranged meetings brings together Scottish tourism businesses with domestic and international buyers including tour operators, travel advisors and Destination [...]
Tourism Ireland is presenting a four-day tour of Northern Ireland, specially selected for Autumn, including historic cities and buildings along with countryside and coastline. The tour begins in Belfast, including the Titanic attraction and the Victorian-era St George’s Market with its Taste & Tours food experience. Autumn is also the time of the Belfast [...]
It’s been a year since The British Bird of Prey Centre moved to its new site in Idole, Carmarthenshire, in October 2025, and the attraction has welcomed multiple coach groups over the 12 months. Open every day, groups can enjoy three flying shows per day, taking place at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm, in indoor [...]
CTA member Calais XXL, the brand for the city of Calais tourism, is welcoming coach tours for an exciting range of upcoming events and classic attractions in the area. Following the city’s history of urban theatre, visitors will be aware of the impressive spectacle of the Dragon of Calais, the 72-ton, 10-metre-high, fire-breathing mechanical [...]
Ledard Farm in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park has joined the CTA, offering traditional Scottish food, music, and history. Set on the 300-acre Ledard working sheep farm on the shores of Loch Ard near Aberfoyle, Great Time Scotland presents activities such as sheep dog demonstrations, clay pigeon shooting, and traditional music. Coach [...]
Vent d’Opale is a new sightseeing boat, operated by Nausicaá National Sea Centre in Boulogne-sur-Mer, taking groups to discover the coastline and maritime heritage of Northern France. Two guided tours are currently available, both led by Nausicaá’s expert guides. The one-hour harbour tour explores Boulogne-sur-Mer and its port, France’s leading fishing port, located just [...]
The landmark centenary exhibition Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style at The King’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, has been extended until 18 April 2027. The largest exhibition ever staged about the late Queen’s fashion has exceeded demand, with the event originally planned to close on 18 October this year with the first run of tickets selling [...]
HL Sports Division, the dedicated women’s sport division of Hospitality Line, is now offering official Women’s Super League (WSL) tickets and matchday experiences for the 2026/27 season, providing CTA members with an exciting new addition to their day trip, short break, and group programmes. With the new season’s fixtures now announced, official group tickets [...]
Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire is currently providing discounted group prices for its 2027 Christmas celebrations. For a limited time, the estate’s 2027 Christmas group price will be held at the 2026 rate, starting at £24 per person. Along with Santas Grotto and festive afternoon teas, this year’s Christmas experience includes Castle by Candlelight, an [...]
The British Music Experience, Liverpool’s museum of objects, interactive exhibits and activities about British rock & pop music, is hosting the Rock Against Racism exhibition, running from now until 3 January 2027. The exhibition marks the fiftieth anniversary of Rock Against Racism, the political and cultural movement that emerged in 1976 in reaction to [...]
From Monday 28 September 2026, all passengers travelling by ferry between the UK mainland and the Republic of Ireland will be required to present a valid passport at check-in. This includes Stena Line and Irish Ferries with routes including Dublin-Holyhead, Fishguard-Rosslare, Pembroke-Rosslare. The requirement applies to all passengers, regardless of age or nationality, including [...]
The National Trust’s Kinston Lacy along with Coastal Cruises Poole will the host the main fam trips at CTA Winter Networking on Sunday 22 November. A lavish family home re-imagined as a Venetian Palace, Kingston Lacy in Wimbourne Minster, Dorset hosts paintings by renowned artists such as Rubens, Van Dyck, Titian and Brueghel, with the [...]
CTA supplier members can enhance their brand presence to operators and wholesalers with sponsorship at the CTA Annual Workshop 2027. Scheduled to take place 6-9 February in the Greater London area, the event will attract around 200 stakeholders from the coach tourism sector including the UK’s leading coach tour operators. Sponsorship at the event [...]
The CTA is launching an industry-wide research project aimed at helping members gain a closer understanding of the market and what drives bookings. The survey aims to discover the buying intentions, as well as barriers to booking, among thousands of UK coach holiday and day trip customers. The results of the survey will deliver [...]
Abergavenny is set to host the acclaimed touring heritage exhibition, The Longest Yarn: Britain at War, the 80-metre knitting and crochet work that brings Britain’s Second World War story to life. Taking place at St Mary’s Priory Church and opening on 6 May, the work features detailed handcrafted scenes and life-sized textile figures created [...]
Everton has joined the CTA, the latest in a growing list of Premier League football clubs that has become a member of the organisation to present stadium tour packages to coach operators. Tours of Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium will carry visitors from the historic dockland location to the heart of matchday operations. Groups will [...]
Fife has launched a new coach tourism webpage to help operators get the most from the area including useful information on parking and drop-off points. The peninsular, located between Edinburgh and Dundee, features destinations and attractions ideal for coach group tours, ranging from historic cities like Dunfermline, Scotland’s ancient capital, to the picturesque fishing [...]
VisitScotland is presenting a run-down of events taking place in autumn and winter including classic events plus new attractions to generate new product ideas for operators. The line-up of events includes The Scottish International Storytelling Festival, between 21-31 October, taking place across Edinburgh. The festival is one of the largest of its kind in [...]
Organisers of the annual Group Leisure & Travel Show are reminding CTA operator members that they can register to visit the exhibition for free on Thursday 8 October at Arena MK, Milton Keynes. The one-day event allows coach tour operators and group travel organisers to meet a range of exhibitors to find new ideas, [...]
For the first time, three of the University of Oxford's most significant historic buildings have been brought together to create a group experience. Oxford Academia Tour: Ceremony, Scholarship and Tradition, has been developed in partnership between the Bodleian Libraries and Oxford University Event Venues, offering visitors exclusive access to the Examination Schools, the Bodleian [...]
McKeever Hotels, a family-owned hospitality group with seven properties across Northern Ireland and into the Republic of Ireland, has joined the CTA. In County Armagh, the Armagh City Hotel sits at the heart of the historic ecclesiastical city, close to the Palace Stables and Navan Fort. The Dunadry Hotel & Gardens offers a peaceful [...]
The North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) has announced its new Santa Express services this festive season, taking guests on a return route between Pickering and Levisham on an hour-long journey. Pickering Station will be home to a host of festive activities, including live music and a Christmas emporium with seasonal gifts. Once onboard, Santa [...]
Hospitality Line has been appointed as the dedicated group bookings partner for the newly opened Guinness Open Gate Brewery, London. Located within a restored, historic building in the heart of Covent Garden, Guinness Open Gate Brewery, London, marks a new chapter for the iconic brand, bringing brewing back to the neighbourhood for the first [...]
The Kronen Collection, a group of hotels in some of the UK’s most picturesque locations, has joined the CTA to reinforce its offer to coach groups. Hotels in the collection include the Jesmond Dene House in Newcastle, the Borrowdale Gates and the Keswick Country House Hotel in the Lake District, the Crown Hotel in [...]
There’s less than two weeks to go until Early Bird booking for CTA Winter Networking, providing up to £50 off each booking, closes after 31 July. The event is taking place 21-23 November and will be based in and around Bournemouth. With over 70 members already registered, places are selling fast. The Buyer-only pre-event [...]
Exigen Group has advised that it has been instructed to assist with the proposed Creditors' Voluntary Liquidation of Saren Travel Limited. The insolvency practice says the wholesaler has ceased to trade and is unable to fulfil any of its outstanding orders. Exigen reports that Saren Travel entered liquidation on 2 July. The update follows [...]
The CTA is inviting members to apply for sponsorship opportunities at next year’s Annual Workshop, the biggest event in the UK coach tourism calendar. The CTA Annual Workshop will take place 6-9 February in the Greater London area. Sponsorship at the event will present a brand to 200 stakeholders from the coach tourism sector, [...]
SS Great Britain, Bristol’s famous maritime attraction based on Brunel’s blueprint for modern ocean liners, has launched a new museum and has also updated its name to Bristol Dockyards to reflect its wider presentation. Newly opened on Saturday 18 July, Bristol Dockyards has expanded the SS Great Britain Experience to create a new museum. [...]
To promote trips and tours to Scotland, CTA members have access to VisitScotland’s online media library. The VisitScotland digital Asset Library offers a collection of free-to-use images and videos, as well as audio, plus documents and presentations. The library includes searchable geographical locations covering Scotland as well as themes such as landscapes, castles, cities, [...]
Leeds Castle in Kent, combining over 900 years of history with gardens, seasonal experiences and events, has frozen its group admission rates until March 2028 to help coach operators plan future visits. Group prices for adults are £22 for a non-guided visit, or £30.50 for a guided visit. Children aged 3-15 years receive entry [...]
Le Tour de France, the world’s most prestigious cycling race, is returning to Britain in July and August 2027 for both the men’s and women’s events. The men’s race will start on Friday 2 July 2027, instead of a usual Saturday start, with a stage between Edinburgh and Carlisle. Stage two, on Saturday 3 [...]
Mamma Mia! The Party, a dining experience set to a soundtrack of ABBA’s greatest hits, has extended bookings for groups of 16-plus until November 2027. Created by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, Mamma Mia! The Party transports guests to the island of Skopelos where the hit production is set, for a night of dancing, dining and [...]
