Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway has launched guided tours of its 200-year old Boston Lodge Engineering Works, the oldest continually operating railway engineering works in the world. Groups can learn about the people involved in the works and the railway, as well as the locomotives and carriages that have been built and held at Boston Lodge. [...]

The Tudor World, a new, permanent exhibition at Hampton Court Palace, has now opened, exploring the story of the Tudor royal dynasty. Set within the oldest palace rooms, the Wolsey Rooms, the exhibition is told through rare and important 16th-century artwork and historic objects, as well as interactive displays. The Tudor World will explore the [...]

Alnwick Castle in Northumberland is providing coach group offers, including tours of the castle and grounds with bespoke packages available. The site, situated less than a mile off the A1 between Newcastle and Edinburgh, is one of the largest inhabited castles in England and has been home to the Duke of Northumberland’s family, the Percys, [...]

Blenheim Palace has announced the introduction of exclusive offers for groups visiting during off-peak dates between 6 January and 31 March 2025. 2025 prices for group visits start from £39 for a Palace, Park and Gardens adult ticket for groups of 15+, including free admission for a group leader. The rate includes all-day coach parking, [...]

Cumbria’s Westmorland & Furness region of The Lake District has announced a range of new attractions, including the world speed record Bluebird K7, as well as the reopening of Barrow’s refurbished Dock Museum. Donald Campbell's iconic hydroplane, the Bluebird K7, in which he set seven world water speed records between 1955 and 1964, has returned [...]

Forth Boat Tours, one of Edinburgh’s leading attractions, has partnered with Rosebank Distillery, Scotland’s newest distillery, located in Falkirk, to create a new river cruise and distillery experience. With travel trade rates available for coach groups up to a maximum of 44 people, the ticket includes a guided tour of Rosebank Distillery and tutored tasting [...]

The Real Mary King’s Close, a five-star heritage visitor attraction in Edinburgh, says it has celebrated its best summer season ever, welcoming over 93,000 guests from around the globe. The Royal Mile attraction, operated by Continuum Attractions, has also celebrated being named the UK’s Best Visitor Attraction by TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards. Continuum says that [...]

Coach groups are invited to experience the two-day Coin, Coal and Cheers package in South Wales. The tour takes in the Rhondda Cynon Taf and the Vale of Glamorgan, involving the Royal Mint, the Rhondda Heritage Park Museum, and Hensol Castle Distillery. The Rhondda Heritage Park Museum provides a Welsh Coal Mining Experience at the [...]

Booking is open for groups to enjoy Christmas at Blenheim Palace, featuring a magical Neverland-themed journey, taking place from 15 November until 1 January 2025. The historic Palace and Gardens will once again come alive with thousands of lights to celebrate the festive season. This year, the stage is set for a swashbuckling adventure in [...]

Dover Castle has opened Under Siege, a new visitor experience explaining the 1216-1217 siege and how the English throne was prevented from falling into French hands. Visitors will also see what life was like for a soldier in the 1800s when fears of a French invasion in the Napoleonic era reached another peak. Interactive exhibitions [...]

This Christmas, Waddesdon is set to be transformed for a magical festive experience inspired by the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Enjoy beautifully decorated interiors, new light projections on the Manor façade, a glittering light trail in the gardens, and the return of the ever-popular Christmas market. Taking the classic story as inspiration, a team of [...]

CTA member Liverpool Football Club Museum has relaunched with a new, immersive journey following the attraction’s first revamp in a decade. Located in the heart of Anfield, the museum retells the club’s story as a tribute to the legacy of the club for fans from all over the world. State-of-the-art exhibits showcase iconic moments, legendary [...]

Visit Lake District, Cumbria has launched a range of cultural experiences across the Westmorland & Furness region for coach groups to add new product. The Let’s Go Culture experience presents a range of activities and trip ideas across the Westmorland & Furness region that spans from Alston in the North Pennines to Barrow-in-Furness on the [...]

Visit County Durham has reported that the county’s visitor economy hit £1.23bn in 2023 following a 12.5% increase in visitors to 20.15million last year, with visitor spending up by 18.8%. The figure reflects the county’s investment which has also seen tourism employment increase by 12.4% to over 13,000 employees. Visit County Durham says that new [...]

Paris intends to restrict coach access within the centre of the city as part of its pedestrian-first policy, ‘Paris piéton’ and its clear-air policy, ‘Paris respire'. According to ETOA (European Tourism Association), The Right Bank - running 4km from Place de la Concorde to Canal Saint-Martin and 1.5km from the Seine to the Grands Boulevards [...]

A new museum is opening late July 2024 in Derry ~ Londonderry. The Peacemakers Museum focuses on how the North of Ireland moved from decades of violent conflict to peace. The museum is located in the Bogside area of Derry that witnessed some of the key events of the conflict including the Battle of the [...]

CTA members booking trips for 2025 with Broads Tours before the end of the year will benefit from 2024 prices with no deposit required. Operators can also receive cash back at the end of the season. CTA member, Broads Tours, based in Wroxham on the Norfolk Broads, provides a range of river trips and tailored [...]

Scotland's Tay Country has joined the CTA to support the region’s offerings to promote and assist coach tours and trips. Situated on the stunning east coast of Scotland and just an hour north of Edinburgh, Scotland's Tay Country is a captivating visitor destination that encompasses the beautiful areas of Angus, Fife, Perthshire, and the vibrant [...]

Ascot Racecourse is now a CTA member and is keen to engage with coach operators to welcome groups to its race meetings. Ascot is a venue rich in history and heritage, hosting one of the world’s most prestigious race meetings, Royal Ascot, as well as 21 race days each year, and non-racing events too. Ascot [...]

Ad Gefrin, located in Wooler, Northumbria, brings together a contemporary museum with a pioneering Whisky Distillery, celebrating the best of the region. The site includes the archaeology of the seventh century royal palace, discovered only four miles away, along with the richness of produce in the region today. In the re-imagined Great Hall, visitors take [...]

New CTA member, Innsbruck’s Nordkettenbahnen cable car, is inviting coach groups to experience the spectacular journey, travelling from the city centre to Austria's largest nature park in just a few minutes. The cable car presents a breathtaking 360° view, with the capital of the Alps on one side and the Karwendel Nature Park on the [...]

WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire has won Gold in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2024 as ‘Large Visitor Attraction of the Year’. WWT Slimbridge took home the prize at the national awards ceremony on Wednesday 5 June at Rum Warehouse, The Titanic Hotel, Liverpool. This is the second time WWT Slimbridge has made it [...]

Loving Welsh Food has launched a new coach tour itinerary including Castles & Cuisine, combining Welsh castles, Welsh cuisine, Cardiff city centre, and the tranquil surroundings of the Vale of Glamorgan, known as the Garden of Cardiff. Open to coach operators, the tour itinerary takes place from 10:00hrs to 1700hrs and includes a guided visit [...]

Aberdeen Countryside Rangers is offering coach groups the opportunity to explore some of the beautiful nature spots on the outskirts of the city. The Seabird Safari goes along Aberdeen's coastal trail and is an expert lead tour, identifying local birds and sea life while walking along the rugged coastline. The Woodland Walk & Mini Beast [...]

Salisbury Cathedral’s upcoming events programme includes Afternoon Carols in December, and next Spring the historic site offers a Flower Festival. On Tuesday 10 December at 2pm, groups are invited to Afternoon Carols. Along with Salisbury Cathedral Choir, groups can join in with carol favourites. The afternoon also includes Christmas readings as well as mulled wine [...]

Wicked Direct, the official supplier of tickets for the stage musical phenomenon Wicked at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre, has welcomed travel industry sales & marketing veteran Lee Stupple as Groups & Travel Trade Sales Manager. Lee has been working in the travel industry for 25 years, most recently as UK & Ireland Account Manager for [...]

Discover Durham has announced a variety of updates for the travel trade, including a new opening at the heritage steam museum Locomotion, plus Luxmuralis at Durham Cathedral. At Locomotion, New Hall has opened to the public, displaying an additional 47 heritage vehicles and engines. Locomotion now becomes home to 99 rail vehicles, creating the largest [...]

The Liverpool Beatles Museum is hosting Beatle Week during the August Bank Holiday, with an exciting line up of events featuring special guests who played significant roles in the band’s history. On Saturday 24 August, an Audience with the Quarrymen is an exclusive session featuring the legendary skiffle group that eventually evolved into The Beatles, [...]

Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that cares for the Tower of London, has partnered with Luxmuralis to present ‘Poppy Fields at theTower’, a poignant and moving sound and light show that will run for nine nights over the Remembrance period at the Tower of London. Each evening from 8 – 16 November 2024, the [...]

Taking place on selected days from now until October at Buckingham Palace, groups can explore the evolution of royal portraiture at the Royal Collection Trust’s new exhibition, Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography. Depicting works from the 1920s to the present day, the exhibition brings together more than 150 photographic prints, proofs and documents from [...]

Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service working for an accessible and well-protected historic environment for Wales, is offering tour operators preferential rates to its attractions via its membership scheme. The organisation offers a wealth of majestic monuments, from the World Heritage Site of Caernarfon, Harlech, Conwy, and Beaumaris in North Wales, to the atmospheric [...]

St Fagans National Museum of History near Cardiff has welcomed the opening of its newest attraction, The Vulcan Hotel. The Vulcan Hotel was built on Adam Street in Cardiff in 1853 to serve the mainly Irish community of what was then called Newtown. During its long history, it saw major changes as Cardiff grew to [...]

Vale of Rheidol Railway has opened a new museum and event space at the engine shed building in Aberystwyth. The repurposed building offers 5,000 square feet of display space for some of the railway’s priceless collection, alongside exhibits from around the world. The new museum tells the story of how Wales led the way in [...]

Visit Essex is inviting CTA members to its next group travel organisers’ familiarisation trip, taking place on Tuesday 24 September, visiting Saffron Walden. Saffron Walden is a delightful medieval market town with a rich heritage of old buildings, with popular market days that have been taking place in the town since 1141. The trip will [...]

Continuum Attractions is introducing the Emmerdale Village Tour & Harewood House combination for groups. Guests can embark on a fully guided, 80-minute outdoor walking tour of the iconic Emmerdale village. Following the Emmerdale tour, guests will be transported to Harewood House, just a short distance away, to explore the exquisite 18th-century mansion, set among more [...]

West Midlands Safari Park is an award-winning visitor attraction located in Worcestershire, and is home to a variety of all-weather attractions, including four miles of drive-through safari, thrilling dinosaur exhibits, wildlife trails, and a theme park. The safari park is home to some of the world’s most beautiful and critically endangered animals, and includes giraffes, [...]

This Christmas, groups are welcomed to Harewood House, the eighteenth century country house and grounds in West Yorkshire, to step into a magical festive world of Mischief at the Mansion where history and imagination intertwine. As part of a magical makeover by the internationally celebrated artists, Studio McGuire, the display will reveal Harewood’s history and [...]

Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust has announced that His Majesty The King has confirmed his Patronage of the award winning charity, continuing the role he first took up in 2006 as HRH The Prince of Wales. Charles began his association with Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust on a visit to open the new Royal Dockyard Library in [...]

The Dramatic Heart of Wales, the tourism team at Neath Port Talbot Council, has launched group travel itineraries designed to present new options for groups. With suggestions for group hotels, coach parking, group-friendly activities and attractions, the itineraries can be tailored to suit group sizes and preferences while showcasing the wonders of the Dramatic Heart [...]

Loving Welsh Food is partnering with The Welsh House in Cardiff as the new venue for this year’s Taste of Wales evenings. The Welsh House is an independent regional restaurant and bar showcasing the very best food and drink from within Wales, and Taste of Wales evenings can be tailored for groups on request. Events [...]

Kynren, the multi-award-winning outdoor live theatre event taking place in Bishop Auckland throughout the summer, from 27 July to 14 September, has added a new dining package, as well as new travel by coach information. Kynren’s exclusive dining package offers visitors the chance to enjoy a three-course meal in the spectacular Arches Hall, while pre-dinner [...]

Wicked, the West End stage musical phenomenon that tells the story of the Witches of Oz, has become the 10th longest-running West End show in British history. Wicked surpasses the run of the legendary farce, No Sex Please, We’re British, which ran from June 1971 until September 1987, playing a total 6,761 performances. The musical, [...]

St Mary’s Guildhall in Coventry has been recognised for making heritage more accessible at a ceremony celebrating the region’s tourism industry. Operated by No Ordinary Hospitality, the venue has been given the Silver award in the Accessible & Inclusive Tourism category at the West Midlands Tourism Awards 2024, held at the Bear Grylls Adventure, National [...]

The Nethybridge Hotel in Speyside, near Inverness, has opened group bookings for its 2024 Turkey & Tinsel events. Part of Strathmore Hotels, the Nethybridge Hotel is offering four-night and three-night group breaks in November. Providing an atmospheric Highland setting for the festive period, the hotel presents great surrounding views and is well situated to explore [...]

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has provided an update on its expanding range of flower shows taking place, helping operators schedule up to 2027. After this summer’s 25th anniversary show, the RHS Flower Show Tatton Park will be back every three years, returning in 2027 to celebrate gardening in the North West. Still in the [...]

Coach operators and group organisers looking to arrange a trip to a National Trust property or location should visit the organisation’s website groups page, comprising full information to help plan the day. The National Trust looks after over 500 special places across England, Wales and Northern Ireland, from the stones of the Giant’s Causeway, to [...]

Visit Isle of Man has launched a new campaign to encourage bookings to the 2024 Isle of Man TT Races and inspire visitors to explore the Island beyond the racing. The campaign, ‘The Isle of Man, There’s More to iTT’, is a collaborative effort between Visit Isle of Man and the Department for Enterprise Motorsport [...]

Raby Castle has secured a silver award at the Green Tourism awards in recognition of its commitment to sustainability. The Green Tourism awards are acknowledged as an indicator of good environmentally friendly practice. Raby Castle submitted evidence across criteria including investments in renewable energy at The Rising scheme, which include the Geothermal Heating Network. The [...]

This summer, groups are being offered after-hours access for guided tours to the medieval Duke Humfrey’s library at Oxford’s famous Bodleian Library. Tour guides will also guide groups through underground tunnels and reading rooms, into the iconic Oxford landmark, the Radcliffe Camera. Until 1 June, groups have priority booking before sales open to the public, [...]