Visit Kent’s latest Tourism Economic Impact Study, published today, shows that before the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the county’s visitor economy had topped £4.1billion for the first time ever, welcoming a record 66.5 million visitors in 2019. Independent research reveals that £278million was spent on average in the local economy each month in [...]
Greatdays regret to announce the sudden passing away (non-Covid) of Diana Woolf at the young age of 61. Diana had worked for the Beaumont family since leaving school, first with 10 years at Shearings Holidays followed by 30 years at Greatdays. Paul Beaumont, Greatdays, says: “Diana spent her working life managing tour deadlines, rooming lists [...]
LFC Stadium Tours was delighted to open its doors to welcome visitors again. Behind the scenes, it has been working hard to ensure that it provides a safe and enjoyable experience for all staff and visitors to Anfield Stadium. Alongside the additional health and safety measures implemented earlier this year, the stadium tour itself has been [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 14/12/20 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 14 December 2020 15 December 2020 16 December 2020 17 December 2020 14 December 2020 ... Tourism Alliance update: As you will be aware, the Tourism Alliance has worked with the Cut [...]
Another CTA members’ zoom meeting saw an inspiring discussion about adapting to the current realities, and preparing plans for the recovery. A series of short presentations from members kicked off the meeting with operators Jason Edwards and Kevin Mayne accompanied by Matthew Coulter, Historic Royal Palaces and Mercedes Picard, English Heritage. Jason Edwards spoke about [...]
Visit Wales have updated us on new restrictions in Wales which came into force on 4 December. A list of FAQs can be found here In summary, in relation to travel and visiting, the following applies: Travel into Wales from tier three areas in England, level three and four areas in Scotland and from Northern [...]
Further advice and guidance received this week confirms that coach tours can proceed in Tiers 1 and 2 in England. The Safer Transport Guidance for Operators confirms that the post-lockdown Tiers do not prevent coach tours and that the previous guidance on social distancing and household groups/bubbles continues to operate. The guidance states: “When travelling [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 30/11/20 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 30 November 2020 3 December 2020 30 November 2020 ... CPT updates: SAFER TRANSPORT GUIDANCE FOR OPERATORS UPDATED The advice document Safer Transport Guidance for Operators was updated ON 26 November by [...]
The prime minister has announced details of how the Government intends to lift national restrictions in England on 2 December, and the return to a tiered system of localised restrictions. There have not yet been any changes published to the existing Safer Transport Guidance. From 2 December: the requirement to stay at home will end, [...]
The Government has updated guidelines which cover attendance at Christmas illumination events in England. Due to likely ongoing restrictions, the government does not wish to see large events taking place that risk lots of people congregating. The new National (No. 4) Regulations enable outdoor recreation following any required social distancing and limits on numbers to [...]
At the first meeting of the reconstituted Tourism Industry Council last week, DCMS provided a short presentation on their thinking regarding the development of a Tourism Recovery Plan. As part of this, DCMS are asking for feedback on the following questions: How do we ensure the UK most benefits from pent-up demand once domestic and [...]
CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS IN SCOTLAND - TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS TO BECOME LAW First Minister Nicola Sturgeon this afternoon announced that the current guidance on travel restrictions in Scotland will become law from Friday 20 November 2020 This means people living in a level three or level four tiered area must not travel outside their own council area [...]
ETOA is hosting a free webinar on Thursday 19 November at 14:00, 'Beyond Brexit: obstacles and opportunity for tourism between EU and UK from 2021'. From 1st January, travel between the EU and the UK will be subject to post-transition rules, and the webinar will cover what are the UK’s destination markets’ concerns, and what [...]
Coach operators are encouraged to participate in a major survey to coordinate data that will help prove the invaluable role that coaches play in the UK, and help to convince government to provide sector-specific support. The survey can be found here. It takes about 30 minutes to complete and operators will need details of vehicle [...]
The plight of the coach industry was laid bare in the House of Commons yesterday (10 November) in a powerful speech by Emma Hardy MP as part of a debate on support for SMEs during Covid 19 - see video of debate below. Hardy, Labour MP for Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle, called for [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 09/11/20 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 9 November 2020 10 November 2020 11 November 2020 12 November 2020 9 November 2020 ... Visit Wales update: Guidance about the coronavirus rules in Wales in place from Monday 9 November [...]
ETOA is hosting Recovery 21 on Wed 9 December from 13:00-16:30. It includes a session led by ETOA’s Tom Jenkins and invited speakers focussed on establishing what opportunities there are for business next year and what the potential for recovery looks like, where demand lies and where it is likely to be directed. It will also [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 02/11/20 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 2 November 2020 3 November 2020 4 November 2020 6 November 2020 2 November 2020 ... CPT updates: UPDATED SCOTLAND COVID RISK TIER STRUCTURE Guidance has been issued following the announcement of [...]
Tony Johnson of Johnson Bros Tours has passed away at the age of 77 following a battle with cancer. Alongside brothers Harry and Barry, Tony helped establish Johnson Bros - originally known as Dukeries Coaches. Founded in 1954, it started running coaches at the end of the 1950s with a 41-seater Bedford. Over its 66-year [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 26/10/20 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 26 October 2020 27 October 2020 26 October 2020 ... Tourism Alliance updates: DCMS Update on Brexit Here is an excellent update that DCMS have put together that pulls together [...]
Hilton has launched Flexitours, a group tour campaign with new flexible terms and conditions in order to provide additional security to group tour operators. There is a presentation at 11.00 on Thursday 29 October, 11.00 where you can hear all about the Flexitours campaign. To register for the session on 29 October, click this link [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 19/10/20 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 19 October 2020 21 October 2020 22 October 2020 23 October 2020 19 October 2020 ... CPT updates: LANCASHIRE MOVES TO TIER VERY HIGH ALERT STATUS Lancashire moved to Very [...]
Dick Wood, chairman, Devon Association of Tourist Attractions, remembers Ian Stuart: "Ian was a good friend of mine and a very loyal, supportive member of the Devon Association of Tourist Attractions (DATA) too, and we worked together frequently attending various tourism trade shows for national and international audiences flying the flag for Devon and the [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 12/10/20 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 12 October 2020 13 October 2020 14 October 2020 12 October 2020 ... Tourism Alliance updates Further details have been published on the restrictions related to the three tier Covid [...]
Scotland Reconnect 2020, a virtual B2B workshop, takes place on Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 November. Having missed everyone at this year’s VisitScotland Expo and in these challenging times of Covid-19, the VisitScotland team are working hard to bring you and our Scottish suppliers together under one-virtual roof for Pre-selected 1-2-1 appointments Ad hoc on-the-day [...]
Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Tourism has recently created a new group travel video showcase which aims to share positivity in these testing times for everyone in our industry. It has also created a Travel Trade & Group Travel Hub to offer ideas and inspiration for 2021 and beyond. BCP is advising all group organisers to please contact accommodation, [...]
Windermere Lake Cruises is continuing to warmly welcome group travel and coach parties on all services. It has attractive incentives for all pre-booked groups and coach drivers at the Boatman’s Café in Bowness. For passengers, these include 10 per cent discount vouchers to use in the café and gift shop, along with new menus, table [...]
Accor has launched a new B2B group offering, ‘Re-Group with the Love of Leisure’. The promotion aims to give group organisers the confidence and assurance that booking a group visit to one of Accor’s European hotels comes with extra peace of mind and added value. The promotion will offer group organisers additional value such as [...]
The world-famous ‘Imagine’ piano that John Lennon used to compose and record one of the great peace anthems of the 20th century is on loan to Liverpool’s Strawberry Field exhibition courtesy of the estate of the late George Michael. The piano has been delivered to the Liverpool institution to mark what would have been Lennon’s [...]
The Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, is delving into its rich and complex past, shining a light on the Black mariners that played a crucial role in its history. A new exhibition Black Greenwich Pensioners explores the hidden histories of the black Royal Navy personnel who formed one of Britain’s earliest black communities when they [...]
Salisbury Cathedral is pleased to still be welcoming groups within the ‘rule of six’, having cautiously added to its capacity to keep pace with demand. A one-way system and social distancing is working well and there has never been a better time to see the cathedral. The chairs have been removed from the Nave and [...]
Historic Royal Palaces reports that it is facing a £98million shortfall in its finances this year, an income reduction of more than 85 per cent. However it remains strongly committed to working with the travel trade and is hard at work to provide opportunities to get clients enthused about future travel and to have something [...]
Well known CTA member Ian Stuart of Stuart Line Cruises passed away on Saturday 3 October. Ian was a great champion of coach tourism and will be missed by his many friends and colleagues across the industry. Stuart Lines’ Lauren and Jake have penned the following tribute: “Ian had been diagnosed with terminal cancer almost [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 05/10/20 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 5 October 2020 6 October 2020 8 October 2020 5 October 2020 ... Tourism Alliance updates Job Retention Bonus Details Announced The Government has published the detailed guidance on the [...]
The City of Edinburgh Council and organisers Underbelly have announced that the Edinburgh Christmas Festival has been cancelled this year and will instead be an online event. The council says that following the recent national restrictions, and taking into consideration the likely additional strain on services over winter, it has been agreed that any sort [...]
CTA’s second Open Zoom meeting took place this week with chair John Wales reporting that operators and suppliers had shown their positivity and creativity in getting some tours and excursions going again despite the challenges. The discussion in this session centred on the need for continued close dialogue between operators, hotel and other suppliers in [...]
CPT has issued an update regarding travel to the areas of local lockdown in Wales. The view of Visit Wales is that the restrictions apply to both residents of the areas in lockdown, and visitors from outside the area. Therefore this means that: Travel in, to or from the area is restricted to anyone with [...]
ETOA’s Global European Marketplace (GEM) which takes place on 30 October this year is operating as a virtual event. CTA has negotiated a special partnership with ETOA which means that operator members can attend the event FREE, and CTA Supplier members qualify for the ETOA member rate. More than 350 delegates have already registered for [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 28/09/20 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 28 September 2020 1 October 2020 28 September 2020 ... Tourism Alliance updates: Q&A on Curfew, QR Codes, Rule of Six and Face Coverings Here is an excellent Q&A and that [...]
We are running another Social Media Training Session for CTA members on Wed 7 October - 1400-1600hrs. The session will once again be delivered by Justine Perry, Cariad Marketing with the title 'No-cost/Low-cost ways to market your business online'. You can't afford to miss this one! To register for the event, please complete the form [...]
An important and welcome clarification has been received from government regarding the operation of coach tours. The Tourism Alliance, of which CTA is a member, has been in contact with DCMS and has provided the following summary: Update to coach operators and whether coach tours can go ahead “If it is possible to ensure that [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 14/09/20 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 16 September 2020 16 September 2020 ... Tourism Alliance updates: Consumer tracker report from VisitBritain (Week 14) Visitbritain has published the latest UK COVID-19 Consumer Tracker Report for week 14, based on fieldwork [...]
CTA members took part in an Open Zoom Session focused on exchanging practical information as tours and excursions get underway. The meeting was very positive with many operators reporting tours already delivered, including the first to Lake Garda in Italy as well as Wales, Northern Ireland and around the UK. The Open Zoom format will [...]
Further clarification on the new ‘Rule of Six’ regulations confirms that coach tours are not affected by these measures. The Department for Transport has confirmed to CPT this morning that the new regulations have no direct impact on the number of passengers that can be carried in a vehicle and operators should continue to follow [...]
The serious challenges for the coach tour sector were highlighted by MPs during a House of Commons debate on 11 September. A number of MPs mentioned the problems for the coach sector following the long lockdown and the lack of support from government during the backbench debate, attended by tourism minister Nigel Huddlestone. The coach [...]
CTA is delighted to welcome VisitAberdeenshire as a new member. Situated in the north east of Scotland, Aberdeen and the surrounding area Aberdeenshire offer a truly authentic Scottish experience. A vibrant city, distilleries, castles, food and drink experiences and stunning scenery await. A wide range of group-friendly accommodation is available, from budget city centre hotels to [...]
Strawberry Field is an inspirational heritage attraction, immortalised by John Lennon in The Beatles hit Strawberry Fields Forever, which opened in September 2019. The attraction, which has achieved the Good to Go’ accreditation, and its famous garden and new exhibition welcomes pre-booked groups. One of The Guardian’s ‘Fab Finds of the Year’, Strawberry Field won ‘Tourist Attraction of The Year’ at the inaugural Staycation [...]
Margaret Palmer, formerly of David Palmer Coaches sadly passed away on Saturday 22 August following a long battle against cancer. Margaret and her husband David started out back in the late 1970s with a minibus. Business boomed so they bought a coach and became founder members of the CTC (now CTA) where Margaret was a [...]
CTA Partner Towergate Travel is pleased to announce COVID-19 Cover extension to its tailored travel insurance scheme solutions. Available to existing and new clients with immediate effect. Steve Browne, Senior Account Executive at Towergate Travel, says: “Following careful and lengthy negotiations with our insurer capacity, we are delighted to be able to offer this to [...]
Hovertravel welcomed its first group visit from Johnsons Coaches following careful planning to ensure the visit was conducted in accordance with all current COVID-secure guidelines. The customers enjoyed a private Hover Experience charter and several hours on the Isle of Wight. “We have recommenced our first day excursions since March,” says Barry Cobb, Tours Manager, [...]
