CTA partner Visit Wales has highlighted some recent developments including a new group-friendly hotel at Milford Haven, and restoration at National Botanic Garden of Wales. A new 100 bedroom hotel opens at Milford Waterfront in spring 2022, with views across Milford Marina on the Pembrokeshire coast. It will be managed by Celtic Manor Resort, as [...]
Ashley & Newey has launched its selection of 2023 itineraries, including more than 100 UK tour programmes - with more being added every day. Brand-new packages visiting destinations across England, Wales, and Scotland, alongside its existing portfolio, offer a wide range of dates to suit all needs. New destinations and hotel locations include the south [...]
Stuart Line Cruises’ Exeter Canal Cruise runs only a handful of times per year but ipsa recognised it as one of the very best excursions in Devon, with many operators securing their spaces for the heavily oversubscribed boat trip as early as possible. This special event offers a relaxing cruise between Exmouth and the cathedral [...]
VisitAberdeenshire’s latest travel trade update includes a chance to get up close and personal with Highland cattle. Groups will be guided by Grace who will provide information on her farm, the different breeds of cows before introducing some of the different highland cattle. Visitors will have the opportunity to brush them, pet and take plenty [...]
Kent’s Heritage Coast receives Lonely Planet accolade as one of the world’s best regions to visit in 2022 Kent’s Heritage Coast has been named one of the world’s best regions to visit in 2022 in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2022. Kent is the only UK destination to feature within this year’s round-up with a [...]
Visitors to the Old Royal Naval College can expect a thrilling musical show, carols and more this festive season. Goblin Theatre’s A Christmas Carol is coming to the Painted Hall, as well as Christmas carol services in the Chapel of St Peter and St Paul. In the magnificent setting of the Painted Hall, Goblin Theatre [...]
Royal Collection Trust has announced that visits for 2022 are now on sale and operators can make group reservations and bookings for visits to the Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse, which will include special displays to celebrate The Queen's Platinum Jubilee. The annual Summer Opening of Buckingham Palace [...]
Wicked, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, has announced an extension to its current booking period exclusively for travel trade and group organisers for performances from 29 November 2022 to 28 May 2023. Now in its landmark 16th year, Wicked plays Tuesday-Saturday evening [...]
Amiens has produced its latest update for the travel trade with news of events, hotel upgrades and attractions, including a new route dedicated to the creative genius of Jules Verne. Jules Verne lived most of his life in Amiens and the city aims to celebrate this in a much more spectacular way. A Jules Verne [...]
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 [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 01/11/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 1 Nov 2021 1 Nov 2021 ... Tourism Alliance update Wales To Increase Covid Pass Requirement After it’s regular Covid review, the Welsh Government has announcement that the country will be [...]
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 [...]
Next year will see Her Majesty the Queen become the first monarch in British history to celebrate a platinum jubilee. Historic Royal Palaces plans to mark this milestone with a major new display in the moat at the Tower of London. The moat was previously the setting for a world-famous display of 888,246 ceramic poppies [...]
Strawberry Field, the site immortalised by John Lennon in The Beatles hit, ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, is aiming to be the UK’s Number 1 attraction for accessibility for both individual and group visits, thanks to a series of upgraded and innovative features. Previously a Salvation Army children’s home where John Lennon came to play and escape, Strawberry [...]
Discover Scotland: Reconnect 2022 will replace the longstanding annual VisitScotland Expo with a format designed to mitigate the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and build on the success of Scotland Reconnect 2020 and 2021. The three-day Discover Scotland: Reconnect 2022 virtual event on 5-7 April, will provide an ideal platform to explore new business opportunities [...]
VisitAberdeenshire is promoting a range of exciting and different experiences with 10 Dollar Shake and Rabbie's. VisitAberdeenshire is promoting a range of exciting and different experiences with 10 Dollar Shake and Rabbie's. 10 Dollar Shake is a food and drink experience provider offering a range of different options to give your clients a true taste [...]
Bournemouth is set to be lit up by more than 100 festive-themed illuminations this winter as Christmas Tree Wonderland returns to the town. The popular event includes a 60ft feature tree in the heart of the Victorian lower gardens. Visitors will be led by a trail from Lansdowne to the Triangle through the gardens to [...]
Continuum Attractions says it cannot wait to welcome your groups back to its ITV products. Autumn dates for the Emmerdale Village Tour are still available to book for 2021. Should you wish to book for this year, please contact: jroscoe@continuumattractions.com Coronation Street the Tour and the Emmerdale Village Tour will be returning in Spring 2022 with [...]
CTA member 2020 Travel Partners is continuing to develop its business and has secured partnerships with operators including Glasgow-based Tartan Travel, which itself is a new CTA operator member. 2020 Travel Partners’ Andrew Sowry and Tricia Parry said: “It is really exciting to be able to help build on the success of existing programmes. We [...]
CTA member Almarose Hotels & Resorts has been rebranded as The QHotels Collection. The group has 21 hotels throughout the UK with over 3,000 bedrooms, on-site coach parking, bespoke dining options and a dedicated groups contact at each property. Richard Moore, group chief executive, says: “Alongside the new look and feel, The QHotels Collection is [...]
Shakespeare Distillery offers a range of popular and informative group experiences including distillery tours and tastings, cocktail masterclass and gin school. The artisan spirit producer based in Stratford-upon-Avon has been distilling gin for the last five years on its own premises. The products are inspired by the Tudor period, which is ingrained in the history [...]
Encore has a whole host of recommendations on shows for coach groups in its latest update, including Only Fools And Horses The Musical at Theatre Royal Haymarket; Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at the Lyric Theatre; and Magic Goes Wrong at the Apollo Theatre. The world may have changed a lot since [...]
Blenheim Palace has some great events planned to welcome groups back to the attraction, including an Autumn Festival, new Halloween event and Christmas at Blenheim with a festive market, illuminated light trail and a trip around the Palace. The Illuminated Light Trail runs from 22-31 October and includes more than a million lights, lasers and [...]
Old Royal Naval College has announced that coaches can now be driven on to its site for the first time. Up to two coaches per day will be allowed on to the Old Royal Naval College campus with the group able to disembark on the site’s main avenue. Coaches must be pre-booked. There are options for both full days [...]
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 [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 20/09/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 6 Sep 2021 20 September 2021 ... Tourism Alliance update New Traffic Light System The Government has announced that the current traffic light system will be replaced by a single red [...]
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 [...]
WOTGA - Wales Official Tourist Guides Association - has welcomed seven new members as accredited Green Badge Tourist Guides for the south east region of Wales which includes the cities of Cardiff and Newport, mid Wales, the Wye Valley and Brecon Beacons. There are also six new guides for south west Wales and ten for [...]
The Swan at the Globe restaurant, part of Shakespeare’s Globe theatre on the banks of the River Thames overlooking St Paul’s Cathedral, has launched its first travel trade and group friendly Afternoon Tea, which is themed to Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet runs next door at the Globe until 17 October. Combining local ingredients [...]
GLH’s Chris Ball has provided an update on London hotels that are all open and operating – and most importantly taking groups! * Hard Rock Hotel London * The Royal Horseguards * The Tower Hotel (and coach parking!) * The Clermont Charing Cross * The Clermont Victoria * Thistle [...]
The latest Group and Travel Trade news from Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole features updates on a range of activities in the area and includes details of the new Travel Trade Resource Hub which should prove to be an essential tool when planning a group visit to the area. Christmas will be an exciting time across Bournemouth, Christchurch [...]
Marsham Court Hotel reports that it is seeing very healthy coach group bookings for 2023/2024 and has already started receiving enquires for 2025 with many of the groups having been going to the hotel for several years and operators keen to secure their dates for the future.As a family business, Marsham Court has worked hard [...]
Historic Royal Palaces is aiming to celebrate the forthcoming festive season in style. Hampton Court Palace and Hillsborough Castle and Gardens will be the home of a new light trail and regally festive decorations are set to delight visitors to Kensington Palace and the Tower of London. At Hampton Court Palace from 7 December 2021 [...]
After a challenging 15 months, Encore reports that it is wonderful to finally see London theatres open to full capacity again! With demand for tickets rising steeply, there has never been a better time to book your coach groups. Encore has great group rates available for shows such as Wicked, Prince of Egypt and Harry Potter [...]
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 [...]
Shakespeare Distillery in Warwickshire is celebrating after scooping two recent awards despite a very challenging year which has seen the business go from strength to strength. The independent artisan spirit producer has been awarded the Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice Award 2021 and has also been awarded a silver medal in the International Wine & Spirit Competition 2021 for its Jester [...]
New CTA member, Heights of Abraham, has been recognised as a 2021 Travellers’ Choice award winner for attractions worldwide. This achievement celebrates businesses that consistently deliver fantastic experiences to travellers around the globe, having earned great reviews on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months. As challenging as the past year was, The Heights stood out by continuously [...]
Chatsworth has announced that it can now increase the total number of visitors per group at Christmas from a maximum of 30 to a maximum of 50. Coach operators with bookings do not need to do anything at this point, as Chatsworth has automatically increased the provisional number of visitors on bookings to 50. Operators [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 06/09/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 6 Sep 2021 6 September 2021 ... Northern Ireland Tourism Alliance update: If you would like to subscribe to the NITA newsletter please register at https://nitourismalliance.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=6dc8a3545635e3edf44fc30ce&id=57c1b8a0c9 Tourism Ireland GB Campaign - It was [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 30/08/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 31 Aug 2021 2 Sep 2021 31 August 2021 ... Changes to the Green and Red Lists Following the latest review , the following changes have been made which will come [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 23/08/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 24 Aug 2021 25 Aug 2021 24 August 2021 ... Tourism Alliance update: Clarification On Guidance One question that I’ve been discussing with DCMS is what “fully vaccinated” means in the [...]
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 [...]
Following the success of hosting the Euro 2020 games, Wembley Stadium Tours will reopen on Monday 6 September with tickets now on sale to the travel trade. Wembley is ready to welcome visitors back behind the scenes and under the world-famous arch once more and has made new additions to the tour while it has [...]
Accor’s CTA contact, Amar Visht, has prepared a list of its London hotels that offer coach parking which coach operators may find useful. Accor is also working on a similar list for other UK cities. See the list here www.accor.com
For coach operators looking for secure overnight parking in Liverpool, CTA member Maghull Coaches/City Explorer is offering a rate of £20 per night and £10 for all day parking. Maghull offers a flexible system, and as an example, if a coach arrives Friday early evening and departs Sunday am, with the coach not used on [...]
Following the First Minister’s confirmation that Scotland has moved beyond Level 0 of the Scottish Government Coronavirus protection measures, CalMac has confirmed the following changes to operations across its network from 9 August 2021. Capacity Official physical distancing guidelines will be lifted on 9 August 2021. This means that the number of passengers carried on [...]
