Wexford on Ireland’s east coast will welcome opera fans this autumn when it stages the Wexford Festival Opera between 17 October and 1 November. Now in its 74th year, this year’s theme is Myths and Legends, and the three main stage operas include Verdi’s Le Trouvère, Handel’s Deidamia, and Delius’ The Magic Fountain. The productions will take place [...]

The Severn Valley Railway that runs between Kidderminster in Worcestershire and Bridgnorth in Shropshire has fully reopened after a landslip closed part of the track earlier in the year. Thanks to an ambitious joint volunteering effort by companies across the rail sector, the railway has re-laid the track across its newly repaired Mor Brook bridge [...]

Forth Boat Tours, Edinburgh’s largest boating attraction, is offering CTA operator members a free familiarisation visit. Situated in South Queensferry, 20 minutes from Edinburgh City Centre, Forth Boat Tours provides a range of cruises up the River Forth and into the Firth of Forth. Cruises include the Three Bridges Cruise plus sailings to Inchcolme Island, [...]

Raby Castle’s recent landscape design scheme and remodelled eighteenth century walled gardens have been nominated in the 2025 European Garden Award. The castle has been shortlisted in the Historic Park or Garden category following the redesign of the extensive public areas throughout the grounds, which formed part of a three-year regeneration project completed in 2024. [...]

This autumn and winter, five Royal Horticultural Society Gardens across England are participating in RHS Glow evenings, transforming the garden grounds into a spectacle of light and illumination. Starting at the end of November, participating gardens will feature illuminated trails with sparkling hi-tech colours, providing an immersive festive experience. All the gardens involved will offer [...]

Hever Castle in Kent is hosting a contemporary Autumn Craft Fair, taking place 18-21 September. At the show, visitors will be able to purchase from around 150 of the UK’s finest professional craft makers and artists. Contemporary craft makers will exhibit a wide range of work including home accessories and interior products, artwork, textiles, glassware, [...]

The UK’s largest harvest festival, The Malvern Autumn Show, is taking place between Friday 26 and Sunday 28 September at Worcestershire’s Three Counties Showground. At the event, RHS medal-winning nurseries will display their finest bulbs, plants and flowers, competing for recognition from RHS judges. Meanwhile, the Gardening Village will also host impressive floral displays with [...]

The British Bird of Prey Centre is moving to a new home in Idole, near Carmarthen, with the opening scheduled for October this year. The centre says the new location will allow visitors to get closer to native birds, providing education and experiences through conservation-focused encounters. Building on the success of its current location at [...]

Cedar Court Hotels, with Yorkshire locations including Harrogate, Huddersfield, and Bradford, has launched a Tour Charter designed to enhance the experience for coach operators and their guests. For groups of 20 or more, the charter includes tea & coffee on arrival, express check-in, porterage, free on-site coach parking, one free place per 20 guests, driver [...]

Visitors to Kensington Palace can explore the intricacies of court dressing in a new exhibition ‘Dress Codes’. Part of Historic Royal Palaces, the exhibition is on now and runs until 30 November 2025. Celebrating the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, which spans 500 years, the exhibition includes recognisable pieces set alongside items worn by courtiers as [...]

The Royal Mint Experience near Cardiff has launched an exciting new tour including its ground-breaking gold recovery technology. Using a world-first process, The Royal Mint extracts precious metals including gold from electronics provided for recycle, such as mobile phones and laptops. This sustainable initiative highlights The Mint’s commitment to a greener future and adds a [...]

Cromer Pier in Norfolk is one of the UK’s most iconic coastal landmarks. Located on the county’s north coast, the award-winning pier is now a CTA member and is offering a great day out for coach groups including authentic seaside charm, live entertainment, and spectacular sea views. At the heart of the attraction is the [...]

The American Museum & Gardens in Bath has become a new member of the CTA. The attraction hosts American art, design, and heritage, as well as an extensive outdoor landscape, plus a deli café. The Georgian estate on the Bath skyline is home to American stories, decorative arts, folk art and textiles. From indigenous peoples [...]

The British Music Experience, Liverpool is hosting a temporary exhibition looking at the legendary Live Aid concert 40 years later, including content from the personal archive of organiser Bob Geldof. The exhibition Live Aid 40: Music, Power & Unity, is running at The British Music Experience, the UK’s Museum of Popular Music in Liverpool, from [...]

The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary in Sandown on the Isle of Wight is a refuge for exotic animals. With over 70 different animal species, the sanctuary is a captivating attraction which has also welcomed new animals this year. Two brown bears, named Benji and Balu, have arrived from Azerbaijan following rescue from poor conditions, to be [...]

Strawberry Field, Liverpool’s Small Visitor Attraction of the Year, is marking the date of a headline event that turned heartache into new opportunity. 25 years ago on 11 May, the attraction, which celebrates John Lennon’s legacy of peace and kindness, hit the news following the theft of its iconic red gates. In broad daylight, thieves [...]

CTA member Nordkettenbahnen cable car of Innsbruck is attending CTA Spring Networking in Norwich to update members on tours to the area. Alex Ziwes from the Nordkette mountain cable car is inviting coach groups to come to Innsbruck to experience the spectacular journey, which travels from the city centre to Austria’s largest nature park. The [...]

New CTA member Pensthorpe comprises 700 acres of nature park, gardens, and outdoor adventure areas, and the Norfolk attraction is keen to welcome coach groups. Based in Fakenham, the attraction’s extensive gardens provide five different areas. A new manicured garden is staged alongside the Millennium Garden, focussing on shrubs, grasses and climbers, as well as [...]

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), the wildlife conservation charity behind Edinburgh Zoo and Highland Wildlife Park, has joined CTA. The organisation welcomes the opportunity to build new partnerships, connect with coach operators and tour planners, and offer memorable group days out at two of Scotland’s most unique attractions. This winter at Edinburgh Zoo [...]

The Coronation Street Experience and Emmerdale Village Tour, operated by Continuum Attractions, are for the first time presenting Star Tours to groups. Star Tours allow guests to meet a mystery cast member at the culmination of their guided tour. While these special tours have been running for a number of years for individuals, this is [...]

Panoramart, situated within the 210m-high Paris Montparnasse Observatory, is a new attraction welcoming coach groups. The exhibition is a stunning visual experience that blends urban landscape with contemporary art. Created by French artist Aurélien Jeanney of Maison Tangible, this immersive installation turns the Observatory’s glass walls into a vibrant, interactive canvas. Through 10 colourful window [...]

One of the country’s best preserved medieval castles, Bolton Castle in North Yorkshire, has joined CTA, offering a great day out for groups. Located near Leyburn with stunning views across Wensleydale, a visit includes the opportunity to see the castle’s five floors, including a dungeon, as well the gardens. Much of the gardens are accessible, [...]

Hemswell Antique Centres, renowned as the largest antiques centre in Europe, has joined the CTA. Located just a few miles from the historic city of Lincoln, with four buildings and two coffee shops on site, the site hosts thousands of antiques and collectables. The antique centres house a large variety of high-quality antique furniture from [...]

Royal Museums Greenwich, home to four historic attractions in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Maritime Greenwich, is hosting a fam trip for CTA members on 29 April. The day will include guided tours of the Queen's House and Cutty Sark, followed by an afternoon tea beneath the ship’s hull in the dry berth. Later, [...]

English Heritage properties Kenwood and Kenilworth Castle are hosting celebrations of women in history in 2025. Kenwood has launched an exhibition of art by John Singer Sargent, looking at the fascinating lives of American heiresses and their roles in Britian, while Kenilworth focuses on Elizabeth I, one of Britain’s most formidable monarchs. Kenwood, on the [...]

Newly opened in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, the Flaxmill Maltings is celebrated as the grandparent of modern skyscrapers and the attraction is now open this year for group tours. Opening in 1797 as a purpose-built mill to process flax, commonly used in the manufacture of linen, Shrewsbury’s flaxmill was the first multifloored iron-framed building in the world. [...]