Coach holidays are back! The world’s first Covid vaccine recipient, Margaret Keenan, is one of the first passengers to enjoy setting off on a coach holiday with the lifting of restrictions on 17 May. Margaret Keenan, with her daughter Sue and son-in-law David, joined other passengers for family-owned firm Harry Shaw’s first coach holiday to [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 17/05/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 17 May 2021 19 May 2021 20 May 2021 17 May 2021 ... CPT Operations update SAFER TRANSPORT GUIDANCE FOR OPERATORS UPDATED 17 MAY The Department for Transport has made some [...]
The latest CTA zoom session took members on an extensive virtual tour of Wales, packed with ideas about attractions and destinations that are keen to welcome coach groups back as the Covid restrictions begin to be lifted. Taking place just a few days before 17 May, which signals a significant moment for operators in England [...]
A warm welcome to new members 2020 Travel Partners, headed by two ex-Shearings Holidays Product managers, Andrew Sowry and Patricia Parry. Together they have 30 years experience of delivering quality, profitable and value-for-money holidays to coach customers. 2020 Travel Partners aims to offer a fresh approach to providing travel product management services with a bespoke [...]
It’s great to welcome Irish Ferries as a new member of CTA. They are a leading ferry operator in Ireland and operate ferry services between the UK (Holyhead to Dublin, and Pembroke to Rosslare) and Ireland, plus a new English Channel route between Dover and Calais (launching June 2021) giving access from the UK to destinations across Europe. Irish Ferries has [...]
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 [...]
The lights are coming on again in the coming weeks at a number of West End shows, and Encore has released an update of the opening dates and group prices. Clearly, since theatres are currently updating their information about going back on sale fairly regularly, this is a work in progress. There are a few [...]
Parrys International was featured recently on BBC Midlands Today including coverage of one of its first day trips that took passengers keen to get away on a visit to Shrewsbury. The film was a very positive bit of PR for the coach tourism sector and featured interviews with Dave Parry as well as his driver [...]
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 [...]
Last month Thames River Sightseeing restarted services every Saturday & Sunday on one route between Westminster, Embankment, Tower of London (St Katharine’s) and Greenwich, with plans to resume full services shortly. Here is a link to its timetable. www.thamesriversightseeing.com
Online booking has now reopened at Royal Collection Trust. Tickets are available to book for all of the royal residences, including more tickets released for the summer opening of Buckingham Palace Garden. Further dates are also now available for Buckingham Palace Garden Guided Tours. The Palace of Holyroodhouse and The Queen's Gallery, Edinburgh reopened to visitors on [...]
CTA member Coast & Country Hotel Collection, a newly-formed collection of former Shearings Hotels, is set to reopen under a new brand aimed at showcasing the great locations of the properties incorporated within the portfolio. The hotels are spread across 33 leisure destinations in England, Scotland and Wales and include the Windermere Hotel in Windermere, [...]
Mersey Ferries is restarting its daily River Explorer sightseeing cruises from Monday 17 May 2021. The River Explorer Cruise is a great way for groups to experience Liverpool and the UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront from the deck of the Mersey Ferry. Guided by expert recorded commentary throughout the 50 minute trip, the cruise offers an unrivalled Liverpool [...]
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 [...]
The Tony & Olivier Award-winning show, Wicked returns to London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre from 15 September. The iconic musical - seen by over 10 million people in London alone - celebrates its 15th anniversary in its West End home this year and tickets are on sale from 10am on 17 May 2021. London performances will resume [...]
Waddesdon is reopening to visitors as Covid restrictions in the UK ease and from 19 May it plans to welcome visitors back into the House, the Manor Restaurant and the Five Arrows Hotel. Guided tours to the private Rothschild walled garden at Eythrope are available to book now. Visitors can discover the four-acre walled garden, glasshouses and orchard at Eythrope [...]
Salisbury Cathedral is keen to welcome coach groups back and has a number of special exhibitions to help tempt them, including a new embroidery exhibition, Threads through Creation, runs from 17 - 27 August featuring local embroiderer Jacqui Parkinson whose work comprises twelve pieces inspired by the Book of Genesis, highlighting the human experiences of hope and [...]
The Beatles Story first opened its doors on 3 May 1990 and with the 30th anniversary celebrations obviously curtailed last year due to Covid 19, it is aiming to continue the festivities into 2021, when it reopens on Monday 17 May. The leading attraction welcomes record-breaking numbers of visitors each year from Merseyside and beyond, and is considered a ‘must-visit’ [...]
CTA member South Devon Railway has a hit movie on its hands with a charming pony’s-eye view of the railway and the surrounding countryside and attractions that can be enjoyed. It’s a lovely romp through the beautiful Devon countryside in the company of Albert and Ernie. The video has just been released on Facebook and [...]
CTA member Grand UK Holidays has reported a strong increase in bookings on the back of an expected Staycation boost this summer. Sales and marketing manager, Sally Hubble-Button, says: ‘In a recent survey we conducted, the majority of our customers told us that they would feel more confident holidaying in the UK than going further afield, [...]
Edwards Coach Holidays is looking forward to restarting their holiday programme on 17 May after a long eight months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With more than 300 coaches parked in the depot and a loss of holiday revenue amounting to approximately £12million the company is excited to be transporting customers again on their well-deserved [...]
Kensington Palace is hosting a new exhibition which features the wedding dress of Diana, Princess of Wales as part of exploration of the fine art of designing for royalty. Royal Style in the Making opens on 3 June 2021 and will run until 2 January 2022. As Kensington Palace reopens to visitors, a new temporary [...]
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 [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 03/05/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 4 May 2021 6 May 2021 7 May 2021 4 May 2021 ... Primary Guidance For Restaurants, Pubs, Bars And Takeaways Updated The working safely during Coronavirus guidance for restaurants and [...]
The second Live Session - Road to Recovery took place this week and featured presentations from CTA partner member Visit Wales and member Hilton Hotels. The online event kicked off with a roundup of the latest news on preparing for the recovery across the nations with CPT’s Mark Purchase reporting that there was now some [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 26/04/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 26 April 2021 26 April 2021 ... Tourism Alliance updates Coronavirus Restrictions The guidance on Coronavirus restrictions has been updated to include a new section on travel to and from Scotland [...]
CPT reports that following discussions with DfT, it believes that private hire day trips can proceed in England before Step 3 (17 May), if they can "share the characteristics of scheduled services" as well as operating in a Covid-safe manner under the existing Safer Transport guidance. In its latest update, CPT says: "Following our discussions [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 19/04/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 19 April 2021 20 April 2021 21 April 2021 19 April 2021 ... Tourism Alliance update: Heritage Locations Guidance Updated The primary guidance for heritage locations has been updated to take [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 12/04/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 12 April 2021 14 April 2021 12 April 2021 ... Tourism Alliance update: The Government has set out the details of the traffic hight system that has been developed by the [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 05/04/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 6 April 2021 7 April 2021 6 April 2021 ... Tourism Alliance update: Clarification on Coach Trips Your will have seen that the DCMS Q&A that I circulated earlier this week [...]
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 [...]
Group visits to over 80 of English Heritage’s historic attractions countrywide will once again be possible from 17 May, provided the country successfully passes each milestone on the government’s roadmap. The sites due to open include Stonehenge and other popular group-friendly day trip destinations, such as Whitby Abbey (North Yorkshire); Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens [...]
With brighter times in sight after a difficult year, Ashley & Newey has launched more than 300 UK tour programmes for 2022, with more being added every day. New destinations and hotel locations include the south coast, Isle of Man, Snowdonia, Scotland and Cornwall. Ashley & Newey provides ‘oven-ready’ tour packages which include attractions, hotels, [...]
Following the recent publication of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown, Leeds Castle in Kent has announced reopening dates for some of its most popular attractions and events. The Leeds Castle Foundation plans to stagger the reopening of its attractions over the next few months in line with government guidelines. All charitable income raised from [...]
The Prince of Egypt, the hit musical based on the classic DreamWorks Animation film, will resume performances at London’s Dominion Theatre on Thursday 1 July 2021 with public booking now extended until Saturday 8 January 2022. Trade rates are available for performances from Monday 6 September 2021; to book please contact your preferred West End [...]
After being closed for more than a year as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the scenic South Devon Railway (SDR) has announced its outline programme for a Spring re-opening of the seven-mile heritage line running from Buckfastleigh to Totnes. The last SDR steam trains ran virtually empty on Tuesday 17 March 2020 just ahead [...]
Here is a link to a short immersive film for the National Trust of Scotland to commemorate the Anniversary of The Battle of Culloden in April. https://virtual-visits.co.uk/battle-of-culloden/
Jones Holidays, part of Alpine Travel, has launched a new programme of day excursions. Re-starting in May 2021, the day excursion programme was originally operated by Jones Motor Services until late 2017 following the acquisition of Jones Holidays by Alpine Travel earlier that year. The day trips complement Jones Holidays’ existing coach holidays programme which [...]
Leisureplex Hotels, part of employee-owned Alfa Leisureplex Group, operates 22 AA 3-Star hotels all set in seaside or waterside locations across the UK. In addition to accommodating Alfa Tours’ customers, Leisureplex welcomes enquiries from both coach operators and private groups. There are still a selection of dates available for the 2021 season, and dates and [...]
More than 60 per cent of respondents in a survey conducted on behalf of Southern Wales Tourism said that they may include the area in their future programme, with 42 per cent hoping to run tours in 2021, Covid-19 restrictions permitting, and 46 per cent planning for 2022 and 12 per cent for 2023 onwards. [...]
A new CTA member, Hauts-de-France, France’s northernmost region, is the UK’s closest international driving destination offering a truly authentic French experience on our doorstep. Easily accessible for groups and coach parties via the Channel Tunnel and ferry services, there is a wealth of inspiration for group holidays for a variety of interests. From historic WW1 [...]
CTA members are invited to participate in Hilton Group’s Ready to Travel series of educational webinars targeted at product, sales, and marketing teams. In April it will offer short, 40-minute presentations on key group tour destinations in the UK and continental Europe. These should be great sessions for the UK groups market and there will two coming [...]
The Welsh government has set out steps for restarting tourism in a staged process from 12 April. From that date, the rules will be changed to allow travel into and out of Wales from the rest of the United Kingdom and Common Travel Area. The Welsh Government also signalled further planned changes ahead including: On Monday [...]
CTA members are invited to attend Elman Wall’s 7th Travel Recovery Zoominar on Thursday 8 April at 2pm. It features Simon Calder and a number of tour operators and travel agents sharing their most recent experiences and challenges as well as the normal line-up of experts sharing their view of the critical next few months. Register HERE
Rooftop cameras captured images of Salisbury Cathedral’s latest delivery of a peregrine’s egg last month. The female stayed with the egg overnight, taking a break at just after 06.00 when her mate came in and took over. The pair won’t start incubating the egg yet, but they will sit on the egg for brief periods. [...]
DCMS has published an additional Q&A regarding the restarting of tourism this spring which may impact on those operators planning to start day trips before 17 May. The Q&A published on 29 March, What does the Spring Roadmap mean for the Tourism Industry, states that day trips cannot start until 17 May if they involve [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 29/03/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 29 March 2021 29 March 2021 ... Tourism Alliance update: DCMS have updated the Q&A paper on reopening with guidance on a range of issues. These include: Coach Tours with multiple [...]
CTA chair Robert Shaw has written to minister Paul Scully following the latest government guidance on the new Restart grants for businesses affected by lockdowns. The guidance inexplicably singled out coach tour operators as not eligible for the Restart grant, although those with travel shops and retail premises may qualify. Robert Shaw pointed out to [...]
CTA members enjoyed a wonderful celebration of St Patrick’s Day on zoom, and we are very grateful for all the support and enthusiasm from Tourism Ireland and Hillsborough Castle. The event certainly whet everyone’s appetite to get back to the island of Ireland as soon as it is possible to do so. See a video [...]
COVID-19 Updates - week commencing 22/03/21 More updates of developments from the government and various links to interpretation and guidance. Go to date: 22 March 2021 24 March 2021 22 March 2021 ... Tourism Alliance update: Some good news to start the week. The ARG guidance has been changed to ask councils to encourage [...]
