Forth Boat Tours, a family owned business and Edinburgh boating attraction, has added a new vessel, Queensferry Belle, to its fleet. Purchased from Sark in late 2021, she has undergone a significant refit with a new interior, saloon viewing roof and other additions. She joins her sister, the Forth Belle, and Forth Boat Tours heritage [...]

Shakespeare Distillery has been certified as Carbon Neutral after a full-scale carbon footprint assessment and off-setting programme. The independent artisan spirit producer is working to minimise its environmental impact and become a truly sustainable business.  Over the summer months, with the support of the Warwick University Internship programme, the company employed a carbon footprint data [...]

Mersey Ferries is raring to go with its 2023 Cruise Programmes which include full- or half-day excursions, or a shorter 50-minute sightseeing cruise. Its ferry terminals and vessels are fully accessible and once onboard, there is indoor and outdoor seating, accessible bathrooms and a servery selling refreshments.  Among the trips on offer for 2023 are [...]

The life and work of renowned 19th-century naval surgeon and physician, Sir William Beatty, is being explored in all its fascinating and often grisly detail in a new exhibition at the Old Royal Naval College.  Opening this November, Blood & Battle: Dissecting the Life of William Beatty marks 200 years since Beatty took up the [...]

There are still some tickets left for the Christmas Concert on 20 December at Westminster Abbey. Drawing inspiration from the traditional Festival of Lessons and Carols, the Choir of Westminster Abbey presents its annual Christmas Concert featuring a selection of much-loved festive choral works interspersed with seasonal readings telling the story of the Nativity and [...]

Salisbury Cathedral has published its 2023-24 prices which include a small increase in admission next year, and some adjustment to age categories to make ticketing simpler, particularly for language groups.  Looking ahead to 2023, the Cathedral is in the process of updating its Magna Carta Exhibition in the Chapter House. During the pandemic the exhibition [...]

Historic Royal Palaces’ latest update features private experiences that are available for groups in 2023. For example, groups can go where no visitor has gone before in a Secrets of the Tower tour at the Tower of London. Get under the skin of this ancient fortress and discover the secrets that lurk beneath the surface. [...]

New CTA member, The Great Tapestry of Scotland is Europe’s largest tapestry located in Galashiels, the historic textile heartland of the Scottish Borders and just 50 minutes from Edinburgh. One thousand stitchers created this masterpiece, telling the intensely moving narrative of Scotland.  Housed in a purpose-built visitor centre and a five-star visitor attraction, it is [...]

CTA member Helmsley Walled Garden offers a treat if you love beautiful gardens and enjoy a stroll through gorgeous, herbaceous borders or themed feature gardens.  Based in the North York Moors National Park, in the bustling market town of Helmsley, the Walled Garden a beautifully planted and fully accessible garden. Its 100m double herbaceous borders [...]

Now is the perfect time to get organised for Christmas, especially when it comes to Group Visits as tickets are selling out fast. It would be a pleasure to accommodate your group this Christmas, so please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any enquiries regarding our festive events. You can book via this email [...]

CroisiEurope Cruises was named 'Best Cruise Line' as voted for by Group Leisure & Travel magazine's readers. CroisiEurope is very grateful to all the GTOs who voted for them, and its tour operator partners for their support creating cruise inclusive group trips. CroisiEurope Cruises offers: • 55 prestigious river & ocean ships • Six elegant [...]

The latest VisitAberdeenshire travel trade product update features information from Inverurie Whisky Shop and Aberdeen Maritime Museum. The Inverurie Whisky Shop offers a range of whisky experiences suitable for groups, including tutored tastings and masterclasses. Offering Scotland's first accredited Scotch Whisky course, clients can spend the day learning to become Whisky Ambassadors. Gin tasting experiences [...]

Leeds Castle’s 2022 Christmas Lights Trail will run from 25 November to 1 January 2023. Groups must book a time slot which start from 16:15 with the last slot on most days being 20:00. The trail will be roughly 2.14km in length and a number of seasonal food and drink chalets serving hot, hand held food will [...]

UK artist Luke Jerram’s installation The Museum of the Moon is coming to the Old Royal Naval College this winter.  As the nights draw in there’s no better time for Jerram’s illuminated installation to be displayed in the magnificent Painted Hall from Monday 12 December 2022 to Sunday 5 February 2023, alongside a lunar-inspired season [...]

Visit Isle of Man is attending this year’s World Travel Market along with its partners Isle of Man Transport (Heritage Railways and Bus Vannin) and Manx National Heritage. Visit Isle of Man will be exhibiting as part of the UKinbound stand (UKI200) Attendance follows the recently-approved Visitor Economy Strategy 2022 – 2032 ‘Our Island, Our Future’ which lays out [...]

The Historic Dockyard Chatham has been awarded a prestigious Gold award from VisitEngland in the annual Attraction Accolades for the quality of its visitor experience.  Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust chief executive Richard Morsley says: “Along with our charitable objectives of “learning” and “preservation”, Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust’s philosophy is excellence in all that we do. [...]

The Heights of Abraham has been awarded its sixth prestigious VisitEngland Gold Accolade for outstanding experience and quality amongst visitor attractions in England. In order to win a Gold Accolade, The Heights had to demonstrate excellence across a range of areas including visitor welcome, presentation of the attraction, cleanliness, guest experience, catering and retail, staff [...]

This month it will be 70 years since the first UK singles chart was published by the New Musical Express in 1952, compiled by Percy Dickins and topped by Al Martino’s Here In My Heart. To mark this, the British Music Experience is partnering with the Official Charts Company to honour the UK’s chart-topping singles [...]

With CTA events at WTM and Bournemouth coming up, Ginette Goulston-Lincoln will be attending the networking events to discuss the benefits of taking your groups to Strawberry Field, Liverpool. Recently announced as the venue for next year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine, Liverpool is the place to be. And Strawberry Field with its [...]

CTA operators and wholesalers are invited to a Festive Showcase on the English Riviera organised by Devon's Top Attractions at the TLH Carlton Hotel Torquay from Mon 28 Nov to Fri 2 Dec. Looking for festive itinerary ideas? Join the Festive Showcase and find out what TLH Leisure Resort and the local attractions have to [...]

With its wide shopping boulevards, award-winning beach and coastline, spectacular gardens, magnificent pier, and world famous flower, food, air and firework festivals, Southport has long been recognised as one of the UK’s leading group-friendly destinations, and Visit Southport has recently become a member of CTA. Groups can enjoy a walk along the pier or by [...]

The Southport Group Travel Day will take place on Monday 24 April 2023. Arranged by Visit Southport in conjunction with travel trade specialists Steve Reed Tourism, the event will feature a mini exhibition of local and regional attractions in the morning and the option of a highly enjoyable coach tour and FAM trip around some [...]

The new Tasting Rooms & Rum School is open for group visits at the Stratford-upon-Avon venue where The Shakespeare Distillery has recently hosted its first group event. Groups can enjoy a welcome gin & tonic followed by a guided tasting session of three spirits for £12.50 per person, with the 16th group member admitted free. [...]

Sarum Lights – Renaissance is running from 8 to 12 November at Salisbury Cathedral. The show features light projections and soundscapes including installations based on the Italian Renaissance masters. The show begins at 5.30pm each day, with images projected onto the cathedral’s west front, in the cloisters, as well as the main cathedral building, accompanied [...]

Manx National Heritage has 12 sites which will remain open until 29 November, including tours of one of the world’s best preserved medieval castles at Castletown, as well as The Great Laxey Wheel, the largest working waterwheel in the world.  The Isle of Man Steam Railway will run a full schedule throughout October, additional weekend [...]

11 Arches Park in Bishop Auckland has announced 2023 dates for Kynren, the outdoor theatre show about the past 2,000 years of history in the British Isles. Seven performances will take place on Saturdays from 29th July until 9th September 2023.  The 90-minute family-friendly performance includes choreography, stunts, equestrianism, and special effects including pyrotechnics. 11 [...]

Themed with a big, bright and bold celebration of the Great British pantomime, the mansion state rooms at Tatton Park will take you on a journey through panto-land…. ‘Oh yes they will!’. Visitors will experience sensational sets and colourful characters - look out for the Panto Dame in the Staircase Hall and fly away to [...]

Following the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, Windsor Castle has unsurprisingly become much in demand. It is now essential for groups to pre-book their visit in advance of arriving at the Castle. Group visits to Windsor Castle for 2023 can be reserved and booked on the Royal Collection Trust website from 7 November 2022. 

Encore has provided an update of the latest West End theatre shows for coach groups. Best of Enemies at the Noël Coward Theatre from 14 November 2022 to 18 February 2023, focuses on 1968 – a year of protest that divided America. As two men fight to become the next President, all eyes are on [...]

See below updates we have received from members regarding opening on Mon 19 September: Historic Royal Palaces Historic Royal Palaces joins millions of people throughout the world in mourning the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth the II. As a mark of respect all palaces will be closed on Monday 19 September 2022, the day [...]

BOOKING DETAILS HERE Our next CTA Networking event takes place in Bournemouth on 20-21 November hosted by the Marsham Court Hotel. It promises to be another great event with a fabulous Fam trip on Sunday afternoon (20 November) which includes lunch at Henning’s and a Christmas Harbour Cruise with City Cruises followed by a visit [...]

Visit Herts is inviting CTA operator and wholesaler members to Save the Date for a Fam trip on Sunday 23 October showcasing the incredible variety of film experiences Hertfordshire has to offer.  The county has been gracing the silver screen for many years, providing locations for some of the most recognisable scenes from cinematic history, but [...]

New CTA member Yeadon Town Hall Theatre offers a fabulous dinner-show experience. From the moment you step into our theatre, your group is guaranteed a wonderful afternoon, or evening of excellent food and drink complimented with top quality entertainment from one of our many theatre shows presented throughout the year. The dinner shows all revolve around [...]

Located in the picturesque South Downs, a few miles from Arundel, West Sussex, Amberley Museum is perfect for regional and national coach tours near the south coast. It is keen to welcome coach groups and has recently joined CTA as a new member.  The Museum is suitable for stand-alone visits and tours taking in Portsmouth, [...]

BA i360 which has recently joined CTA is an ideal attraction for coach groups of all sizes and ages visiting Brighton. The i360 pod can accommodate up to 175 people with plenty of room to move around and admire the stunning views. While on board, visitors can enjoy a range of locally-sourced alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks [...]

CTA member Bodmin Jail is a unique visitor attraction and museum in central Cornwall which has recently benefited from an £8.5million investment, turning it into a truly world-class attraction. It is very keen for as many tour operators as possible to include it in their itineraries. Since Cornwall is a long trek for many to [...]

Tourism South East’s group travel show Excursions takes place on 28 January 2023 and will be held at Twickenham for a second year.  As the longest running group travel show, Excursions has established itself as a must-attend event in the group travel calendar and has inspired and connected the group travel market for almost half a [...]

Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, who provided some fantastic gin refreshments to CTA members at the recent Summer Networking in Glasgow, has been recognised as the Family Business of the Year for Scotland by Family Business United. The collection of hotels includes Crieff Hydro Hotel, Peebles Hydro Hotel, and Ballachulish Hotel and Isles of Glencoe [...]

You don’t have to be an ardent fan of motor racing to enjoy the Silverstone Interactive Museum, it’s a terrific day out. The Museum is housed in a restored WW2 RAF hangar right next to part of the original Grand Prix circuit. If you step outside the rear of the museum you can walk the [...]

South of Scotland Destination alliance has produced a new Scotland Starts Here Travel Trade Section which includes a lots of information in general and seasonal brochures, itinerary section and a travel trade directory. There is also a sign-up link to a media library which gives operators free access to images and videos to use in marketing [...]

CTA operators can receive a National Trust Travel Trade Pass, which is valid for 12 months from point of issue. This pass allows you and a friend or colleague to gain free entry to over 300 of our places throughout England, Wales and Northern Ireland for those 12 months. There’s nothing quite like seeing or [...]

A special four-day Christmas Markets itinerary for coach operators has been prepared by Hauts-de-France. The itinerary takes in Christmas markets at Lille, Arras and Amiens as well as a suggestion for a dinner at a typical Flemish estaminet as well as a a gourmet walk in the heart of Old Lille with a guide from [...]

Visit Aberdeen has highlighted a new Aberdeen Pub and History tour which is a private walking tour suitable for groups where your clients will learn about the history of Aberdeen through its liquids - water, beer, whisky and oil! The tour includes: • Guided walking tour telling the story of Aberdeen • Visits to two [...]

CTA attraction member in Liverpool The Floating Grace, which is Liverpool's only floating restaurant and bar boat and provides lunch or dinner cruises, has recently been awarded the Gold Armed Forces Covenant. The covenant aims to tighten the ties between Defence and employers and recognises employers who proactively demonstrate their forces-friendly credentials as part of [...]

Travel Agenda has now been working with tour operators for more than 17 years providing a full range of services for groups. It would love to work with coach operators for arranging attraction visits as it deals with most key partners in the UK & Ireland, including Merlin, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, Sea Life Aquarium, as [...]

Continuum has launched new group rates for 2023 for all its attractions - Spinnaker Tower, Mary King’s Close, I’m a celebrity Jungle Challenge, Green Wood, Emmerdale The Village Tour, York’s Chocolate Story, Coronation Street The Tour and Oxford Castle & Prison.  Group rates include discounted admission prices (subject to terms and conditions); Free pre-visit familiarisation trip for [...]

Shakespeare Distillery is expanding its business and opening a brand-new experiences space in Stratford-upon-Avon. The independent artisan spirit producer is taking on a long-term lease at No 1 High Street which houses its retail shop on the ground floor. Initially seen as a pop-up shop, Shakespeare Distillery is converting two additional floors above the retail [...]