Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust has received the esteemed Sandford Award for high achievement in heritage education. The award reflects the excellence of the sessions delivered by the team, which includes work with schools, colleges and universities as well as families, community and special interest groups. The Sandford Award has been running since 1978 and is [...]
An extremely rare silvery gibbon has been born at the Curraghs Wildlife Park on the Isle of Man. Silvery gibbons are classed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with as few as 2,000 adults left in the wild, where they are native to the Indonesian island of Java. It is [...]
Wicked Direct, the official global distribution platform and in-house sales team for the hit musical, is offering group deals into December for the Apollo Victoria Theatre-based show. Group tickets currently on sale until Sunday 15 December 2024 include A/B band seats reduced to £39.50, and C/D band seats reduced to £29.50 for groups of 10-plus [...]
The Isle of Wight has been named Best UK Destination of the Year at The Group Leisure & Travel Awards. Hosed by America’s Got Talent winner, ventriloquist Paul Zerdin, guests from all corners of the group travel sector came together to celebrate the winners at the DoubleTree by Hilton at Stadium MK, Milton Keynes. “It [...]
Jones Holidays, part of Alpine Travel, has announced the relocation of its Flint Travel Shop, moving to a new high street location. “While online bookings are a great way to offer convenience to many, the new high street shop is the perfect location to ensure that we can offer our customers the opportunity to book [...]
Bookings are now open for the 2024 CTA Conference & Workshop which takes place in Newcastle on 28-30 January 2024. The event will be based at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead and will include the not-to-be-missed CTA Meet the Buyer Workshop on the morning of Monday 29 January, followed by a Conference session. The event includes [...]
Parry’s International is hosting a special public celebration of its 50th anniversary in London on Friday 3 November 2023 - and it has a few tickets left which are available to CTA members at a special price. The event is a two-night package that includes Marriott accommodation, meals, gala dinner, private charter lunch cruise on the [...]
Offer your guests something different this Christmas with a visit to Bodmin Jail. CTA member Bodmin Jail is a landmark historical site in the heart of Cornwall, built in 1779. Showcasing the rich and darkly fascinating legacy of Georgian and Victorian crime and punishment, the jail is an immersive experience. This festive season, Bodmin Jail [...]
The Royal Mint Experience at Ynysmaerdy, near Cardiff, has a temporary exhibition in celebration of His Majesty King Charles III’s Coronation Day. The Coronation-themed exhibition features a range of unique objects from The Royal Mint Museum’s collection, hands-on interactives, and a special photo opportunity. ‘Crowned: The Making of a Monarch’ exhibition will run for 12 [...]
The Auckland Project in Bishop Auckland has launched a new group offer, including exclusive packages and discounts for groups, plus free familiarisation visits. The project is a collection of heritage attractions, galleries, gardens and parkland in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, blending art, history and nature. The Auckland Project is centred around the magnificent Auckland Castle, [...]
CTA tour operator members are invited to a special Groups Trade Night hosted by Disney Tickets on Wed 27 September which includes hospitality, a presentation on how Disney can help your business, and a performance of The Lion King. The invitation is for tour operators only with two tickets per company. Please contact Josh.Behn@disney.com for [...]
St Mary’s Guildhall, Coventry is hosting a travel trade fam trip on Thursday 12 October, 11am-1pm. The event follows renovation including a 2 year, £6million major restoration. St Mary’s Guildhall, located in the city’s historic Cathedral Quarter, escaped bombing raids during the Second World War and is one of the city’s only remaining medieval buildings. [...]
The Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, is offering coach groups a variety of new packages for the upcoming festive period. A series of Christmas carol concerts will take place in the chapel, regarded as one of the world’s finest neo-classical interiors. Mulled wine and mince pies will be served in the Queen Mary Undercroft, [...]
The new Forth Valley Pass, from Edinburgh’s Forth Boat Tours, includes four of Scotland’s top visitor attractions: The Falkirk Wheel, Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway, Stirling Old Town Jail, and a Three Bridges Cruise with Forth Boat Tours. Travel trade rates are available. “We are delighted to introduce this new ticket to the market,” says Alastair [...]
In celebration of the reopening and extensive refurbishment of The Loch Ness Centre, operators and wholesalers are being offered a special fam trip, taking place on 27 and 28 September. The exciting fam trip starts with refreshments at the Drum Hotel, and after a brief introduction talk, fam attendees will be escorted to The Loch [...]
Strawberry Field, the award-winning heritage attraction forever linked to John Lennon, is offering groups a Christmas lunch or Seasonal afternoon tea to complement a visit to the exhibition and authentic gardens. The accessible interactive exhibition tells the history of the children’s home, the Salvation Army, John Lennon’s childhood and the writing/recording of Strawberry Fields Forever. [...]
Derbyshire’s The Great British Car Journey, an interactive museum and journey through the car industry and society, from the 1920s onwards, has unveiled an exciting new car exhibit. A custom-built Middlebridge Scimitar No 5, which was previously owned by HRH Princess Anne for 35 years, has gone on display at the museum, located in Ambergate, [...]
People of all physical abilities can now explore the Isle of Man’s National Glens from the comfort of their homes, thanks to a new immersive virtual experience launched at the Royal Manx Agricultural Show. The Isle of Man is home to 18 mountain and coastal National Glens. However, the rugged terrain can be a barrier [...]
Liverpool FC Stadium Tour has been recognised by Tripadvisor as a 2023 Travellers’ Choice award winner for its placing in the top 10% of worldwide attractions. This is the second year running that the Stadium Tour has received the award, which celebrates attractions that have consistently received excellent reviews on Tripadvisor over the last 12 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 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 [...]
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 [...]
