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 [...]
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, [...]
Registration is open to book your place to attend the British Tourism and Travel Show 2026, Thursday 19 March, Hall 8, NEC Birmingham, and the CTA is welcoming members to visit us on Stand A18. BTTS is the UK’s largest group travel event and will present around 200 exhibitors from across the domestic travel trade [...]
CTA member Worldwide Attractions, the business-to-business travel sales representation company, staged a successful fam trip to Rotterdam in December, hosting15 attendees including the CTA. The three and four day fam trips were presented in conjunction with three CTA supplier members, including P&O Ferries, Royal Spido and Euromast, to demonstrate how rewarding Rotterdam is as a [...]
CTA member Visit Southport is presenting a host of exciting events across 2026, ideal for group trips. Highlights include Lightport, an immersive light and sound installation that will turn the town into a walk-through rainbow of colour and creativity, taking place 14 - 16 February. From 3-4 April, French street theatre company Transe Express brings [...]
Visitor registration is now open for the British Tourism and Travel Show 2026, taking place Thursday 19 March, Hall 8, NEC Birmingham. BTTS is the UK’s biggest event for group travel, showcasing the best of group tourism across the British Isles and beyond. Attendance to visit the event is free. The CTA will be present [...]
Limited places are available for the CTA Winter Networking, with the pre-event overnight at Peebles now full. Taking place in Perthshire between 22-24 November, the event is sponsored by VisitScotland and Perth & Kinross Council. In a packed weekend, fam trips include Forth Boat Tours, Scone Palace, the Perth Museum, and Black Watch Museum, plus a visit to [...]
CTA is inviting members to the annual CTA Networking event at WTM 2025 on the opening morning of the World Travel Market exhibition, Tuesday 4 November, 9am-11am. The event will take place in the main bar area of The Fox pub at Excel. There’s no booking required for the CTA event, however members must book [...]
Worldwide Attractions is offering CTA members a fam trip to Rotterdam in December on a visit that showcases what the city has to offer coach groups. Between 10–12 December 2025, plus an optional extension to 13 December, the Rotterdam experience includes an overnight ferry with P&O from Hull to Rotterdam. Worldwide Attractions will confirm the [...]
CTA operator and wholesaler members are invited to visit the Group Leisure & Travel Show for free on Thursday 2 October at Arena MK, Milton Keynes. The one-day event is ideal for coach tour operators and group travel organisers, offering a chance to connect with a wide variety of exhibitors, discover new ideas, discuss plans, [...]
Excursions, heralded as the UK’s longest-running one-day group travel show, took place on Saturday 1 February at Wembley Stadium’s Great Hall. Now in its 51st year, the event attracted over 600 exhibitors and visitors, according to event organiser Tourism South East. Excursions aims to connect group travel organisers, coach operators, tour planners, and itinerary experts [...]
The UK coach tourism industry’s biggest annual event, The CTA Conference & Workshop, will take place next year in Stratford-upon-Avon. Held from 9-11 February 2025, Shakespeare’s town and the surrounding area will host a variety of engaging fam trips to boost operator product and supplier bookings. The event will also include the Meet the Buyer [...]
Excursions is welcoming back group travel organisers and travel trade operators to Wembley Stadium for 2025 on Saturday 1 February and is providing a discount for early-booking exhibitors. Booking now, exhibitors benefit from a 10% Early Bird discount, and also ensure their preferred location in Wembley’s Great Hall. Early booking is available until 31 July. [...]
CTA exhibited at VisitScotland Connect last week in Aberdeen, Scotland’s flagship travel trade event. The workshop-style travel trade event took place at the city’s P&J Live arena on 17 and 18 April. More than 250 domestic and international tour operators and travel advisors, representing 23 countries and global markets including the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, [...]
Newly-joined CTA member CN Live Productions, is promoting The Great Big Christmas Show at Bedworth Civic Hall on 7 December 2024. The show is a professional variety production featuring an amazing mixture of talented performers and acts that will blow you away and get you nicely into the festive spirit. The Great Big Christmas Show [...]
Excursions, the UK’s original and longest running one-day group travel show, took place in January and attracted almost 1,000 visitors from the group travel trade. The Wembley Stadium event celebrated Excursions’ 50th anniversary show. The show brought together GTOs, coach operators, tour operators, and itinerary planners with destinations, attractions, venues, cruise companies, ticketing agencies, hotels, [...]
CTA will once again host an annual networking get together on the opening day of the British Travel & Tourism Show (BTTS), 20 March, NEC. With over 250 destinations, attractions and group-friendly hotels for you to discover there is no shortage of inspiration, and exhibitors will be on hand to help you create the perfect [...]
The Excursions group travel show is taking place at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 27 January 2024. 2024 is marking the 50th Excursions show and the event returns to Wembley Stadium where the show originally began. Fran Downton, CEO at Tourism South East, the organiser of Excursions, said: “Celebrating 50 years of Excursions firmly cements the [...]
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 [...]
British Tourism & Travel Show returns to the NEC Birmingham on 22-23 March, with 50 new exhibitors confirmed to enhance the group tourism sector's biggest annual event. More than 250 visitor attractions, hotels, venues and destinations will be exhibiting to inspire coach tour planners and group travel organisers with the best of Britain and Ireland. [...]
Visit Flanders is organising a great Fam trip from 28 Feb to 2 March to showcase its themed year of ‘Landscape - Feel Flanders Fields’ which runs from April 2023 until August 2024. The trip will include some typical sites such as Tyne Cot Cemetery, In Flanders Fields Museum, Talbot House and the Last Post [...]
The British Tourism & Travel Show returns to the NEC, Birmingham on 22-23 March 2023. Visitors are promised an electric atmosphere of exhibitors and like-minded visitors looking to book group trips and tours in the British Isles for the year ahead and beyond. The show brings together exhibitors showcasing around 250 group-friendly attractions, venues, destinations [...]
CTA’s Spring Networking event will take place in Southern Wales on 22-23 May. We will be based at the brand new Mercure Newport Hotel and the event includes a half-day Fam trip on Sunday with our AGM and a showcase and seminar on Monday morning. The half-day familiarisation visit around Southern Wales will be a [...]
An Isle of Wight Experience Fam trip for CTA operators and wholesalers will take place on Fri 25 to Sun 27 March. It includes visits to a range of attractions that could form the basis of some great coach tours of the island. Please book now via this link. The Fam is hosted by Hovertravel, [...]
A record attendance at this year’s CTA Workshop & Conference in Liverpool signalled a strong desire by CTA members to get back to business at our first in-person event for two years. The final tally of delegates for the event, which was generously sponsored by CTA Partner member Tourism Ireland, reached 200 with new registrations [...]
Following the postponed 2020 event due to the pandemic, Coach Tours UK magazine has confirmed a new date for an action-packed day in Buxton, Derbyshire. Hosted at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton, Derbyshire on Monday 5 September, Coach Tours UK Magazine is inviting coach operators and GTOs to attend this free Fam, aimed at providing [...]
Great business networking, fabulous fam trips and the chance to all meet up again - plans finalised for CTA Workshop & Conference 2022 in Liverpool 6-8 February Book your place now! The CTA team has been preparing the ground for the Workshop & Conference 2022 which takes place in Liverpool on 6-8 Feb. [...]
A message for members from CTA chair Robert Shaw: Dear Member I imagine that like me, you are now having to adjust to yet another twist and turn on the long road out of this pandemic with the introduction of the latest Omicron measures. The past couple of years have been immensely challenging for all [...]
Winter Wonderland returns to Hyde Park until Monday 3 January 2022 and Transport for London and City of Westminster have reintroduced some limited coach parking facilities in Park Lane. Park Lane Southbound From north (Cumberland Gate) to south (Hyde Park Corner) • one space -20 mins maximum stay Jct. of Cumberland Gate. • Bus Stand Z1 [...]
Operators who bring a coach full of key group bookers to Excursions 2022 in January will enjoy a special ‘Local Produce’ themed welcome in the arrivals lounge at Twickenham Stadium. Excursions is working with Visit Devon and Visit Plymouth, who are sponsoring the welcome programme for its special guest coaches. Excursions is always a great opportunity for coach [...]
CTA members are invited to attend a special zoom event to celebrate St Andrew’s Day on Tuesday 30 November at 11am. With fantastic support from our Partner members CalMac Ferries and VisitScotland, the event will highlight the very special welcome that awaits your groups in Scotland. CalMac will be showcasing their exciting food and beverage [...]
If you are visiting World Travel Market in London, we’d love to see you at our drop-in on the Monday morning. Join CTA members for a coffee and catch-up in The Fox pub from 10am. If you are planning to attend the CTA networking drop-in, please register here. And if you haven’t already registered for [...]
We are delighted to open bookings for the 2022 Workshop & Conference in Liverpool which will take place from Sunday 6 to Tuesday 8 February. CTA Workshop & Conference 6-8 February 2022 Hilton Liverpool, L1 8LW Book your place now! We will be based at Hilton Liverpool which is ideally situated just minutes [...]
After an 18 month wait for hopefuls across the coach tourism sector, the winners of the 2020 British Coach Tourism Awards were announced at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham on 22 September 2021. With CTA members prominent among the winners, including former chair Denise Bridges, the 2020 awards recognised UK coach tour operators, destinations, visitor [...]
The British Tourism & Travel Show returns to the NEC Birmingham in just two weeks’ time (22-23 September, NEC, Birmingham). So, what can you expect from the coach tourism industry showcase? The free to attend programme offers two days of inspiration and practical advice. Leading authorities including CTA, VisitEngland, The Tourism Alliance, AGTO, and the [...]
After an 18-month wait for hopefuls across the coach tourism sector, finalists in the 2020 British Coach Tourism Awards will finally discover the winners at the National Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham on 22 September 2021. The long-awaited, thrice postponed event is timed to coincide with the British Tourism & Travel Show at the NEC, Birmingham on [...]
We have had a good response to the planned CTA event in Liverpool in September 2021, but it is evident that many of our operator members in particular are reporting that they can’t spare the time to attend due to being so busy with coach tours. It is always important for the success of our [...]
Britain & Ireland’s leading travel trade show returns to the NEC, Birmingham on 22-23 September. Showcasing a broad spectrum of coach friendly attractions and destinations, the event is a must visit for coach operators. For the 2,800+ visitors that attend each year, it offers a compelling line-up, including inspiration from well- and lesser-known attractions and [...]
We are delighted to report that the first in-person CTA event of 2021 is now set for September! Please save the dates - 27-28 September when we will host the 2021 Workshop and Networking Event at Hilton Liverpool. After more than a year of lockdown trauma, this really is a must-attend event with a chance [...]
Encore has provided an update for CTA members on reopening of West End shows including Mary Poppins, Wicked and Matilda. Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s multi award-winning musical Mary Poppins is returning to the Prince Edward on 7 August. Group rates available for groups of 10+; school rates are also available on 10+ guests. Now back on sale, Wicked: [...]
There is still an opportunity for coach tour operators to join a great fam trip this October to discover what northern France has to offer as a group-friendly destination. Many coach and tour operators have already signed up for the trip but there are still a few places left. The four-day fam trip, being delivered [...]
With the government announcing that large scale events, including conferences and trade shows, are set to return, the British Tourism & Travel Show organisers are looking forward to welcoming visitors and exhibitors to the NEC on 22-23 September. “We are delighted that this means we can bring our exhibitors, visitors and partners back together safely this [...]
ETOA’s workshop City Fair 2021 takes place on 8 June and special deals are available for CTA operators and supplier members. The 2021 event will take place again online via the ETOA event portal Celestina and will see more than 150 European suppliers connecting with international buyers. Registrations are already open and can be made here. Attendance is free [...]
We hope you can join us for our next zoom session which takes place on Tue 11 May from 11am till noon The focus will be on Wales with a presentation from our Partner member Visit Wales and Welsh businesses about what’s re-opening in Wales, along with new attractions and experiences. With a focus on [...]
More than 140 CTA and CPT members attended the first of a series of Live Sessions on 30 March with the focus on The Road to Recovery. The event was the first in a series of three online events which will coincide with the proposed key dates for the reopening of tourism in England. A [...]
VisitScotland is inviting key buyers to take part in Scotland Reconnect 2021 on 27-29 April The three-day event provides an ideal platform to explore new business opportunities and reconnect with Scottish exhibitors through a combination of pre-scheduled and ad-hoc appointments and round table discussions. VisitScotland's Lauren Hogg says: "In these challenging times of Covid-19 we [...]
Update: Many thanks to everyone who attended our special zoom celebration of St Patrick's Day, and we are very grateful for all the support and enthusiasm from Tourism Ireland and Hillsborough Castle. Here's a video of the event for those who missed it, including a special Riverdance performance at the end. Following [...]
The organiser of British Tourism & Travel Show (BTTS) has announced this year’s event will move from March to September. The show will be deferred to the new dates of 22-23 September 2021 at the NEC Birmingham, following the ongoing impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The British Coach Tourism Awards will also move to take [...]
Update: Many thanks to those who attended the Burns Night zoom. It was a very informative and valuable session with great contributions from Lauren Hogg, VisitScotland; Andrew MacNair, CalMac Ferries; and Mary Jane Brett, Diageo plus a wonderful Address to a Haggis from Visit Arran's Sheila Gilmore. Presentations and extract from zoom video below: Robert [...]
Coach tourism will be highlighted as one of the key elements of CPT’s UK Bus & Coach Conference 2021 which takes place on Tuesday 12 and Wednesday 13 January. New CTA chair Robert Shaw will be among the speakers in the session, entitled Coach tourism: changing times for tours, attractions and customers, which will be [...]
