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. [...]
LW Theatres operates six of the most prestigious theatres in the world, including the iconic London Palladium and Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The CTA member is keen to welcome coach groups and offers a dedicated groups booking service. The theatre operator hosts some of the world’s best musicals, plays, concerts, and comedy events, and its [...]
Geoff and Oli from group specialist IOW Tours are getting married on 24 July, and they’re marking the occasion in a truly meaningful way. To celebrate their big day, Geoff and Oli are aiming to raise £15,000 in support of two charities close to their hearts: Mountbatten Hospice, which provides compassionate end-of-life care on the [...]
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 [...]
CTA’s Winter Networking event, sponsored by VisitScotland and Perth & Kinross Council, will take place from 21-24 November, and will give operators and wholesalers opportunities to meet attractions and hotels from across Scotland in addition to existing CTA supplier members. The event has a special pre-night event for buyers on Friday 21 November at the Peebles [...]
Just to let you all know that Sue and Steve will be stepping down from their role as Member Services by the end of this year. We have very much enjoyed our time with CTA and met lots of wonderful friends and colleagues. We will miss the vibrant, fun networking events but looking forward to [...]
CTA’s Winter Networking event, sponsored by VisitScotland, will take place from 21-24 November, and will give operators and wholesalers opportunities to meet attractions and hotels from across Scotland in addition to existing CTA supplier members. The event has a special pre-night event for buyers on Friday 21 November at the Peebles Hydro Hotel, including a [...]
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 [...]
Aberdeenshire Council is providing a list of maps to support coach tour operators visiting the seaside town of Stonehaven. The maps show suitable locations for coaches to park for a short duration. The guides have been created to support coach tours and improve traffic flow and town centre parking. A drop off/pick up point is [...]
Set in 23 acres of countryside, Stourport Manor Hotel is a new CTA member keen to attract coach tour groups to an area of the West Midlands rich in attractions. The hotel features 72 spacious and comfortable bedrooms and can accommodate large groups while delivering a personal guest experience. The hotel offers ample, free on-site [...]
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 [...]
Located on Brighton Waterfront, Maldron Hotel Brighton is a four-star hotel offering 225 modern, air-conditioned rooms. Within just a two-minute walk of Brighton Centre and a short stroll to the seafront and pier, the hotel is ideally located to experience the elegant seaside town. Coach drop off and collection is also available at the front [...]
The Crowne Plaza Gerards Cross, just off Junction 2 of the M40 in Buckinghamshire, provides 138 rooms and is expanding with a new development opening this year. This summer, the hotel is adding 47 new bedrooms with half being double-double rooms. Providing free coach parking plus ample turning space and easy access, the hotel is [...]
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 [...]
One hundred coach tourism industry stakeholders attended the CTA AGM & Spring Networking event in Norwich this month. Drawing coach tour operators, wholesalers, and industry suppliers from across the UK and Europe, the weekend helped develop new trips and tours, with a particular focus on Norfolk. “We estimate the event will generate significant new business, [...]
CTA’s latest qualitative survey of coach operator and wholesaler members has reported an upturn for 2025. Insights also suggest strength in Continental tours and premium products. The latest survey of market conditions invited various industry stakeholders to report on current and future business prospects. Looking at the sector right now, Caroline Thorpe, Marketing Manager at [...]
CTA members will be attending the CTA Spring Networking this weekend, 17-19 May, at Kew Green Hotels’ Holiday Inn Norwich North. An extra late attraction has been added for Saturday night with a Eurovision evening on the big screen at the hotel. Hosted by Geoff Holt and Oli Williams from IOW Tours, the night will [...]
CTA is sad to learn that Alan Cartwright of A & P Travel passed away on 9 May. Alan founded A & P travel in 2006 with son Paul Cartwright, starting with one coach and growing to a five-coach operation. In a career in the industry spanning over 62 years, Alan remained a coach driver [...]
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 Ropewalks Hotel in Liverpool is a 127-room establishment based in Liverpool city centre’s fascinating Ropewalks area, offering food and drink on site. New to CTA, the hotel offers breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner in the on-site Dicey Riley’s Irish Sports Bar, as well as the Gin or Juice bar. Ropewalks Hotel is [...]
DFDS is celebrating three decades of its Newcastle-Amsterdam route. First launched in 1995, the service carries over 600,000 passengers every year. In 2024, DFDS invested €10million in the upgrade of cabins, plus an additional €2.8million enhancing public areas including restaurants, bars, and on-board shopping. The ferry operator is also currently working on the design and [...]
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 [...]
Insurance provider Towergate is offering CTA members a pensions and financial wellbeing consultancy to support employee wellbeing. Offering pensions broking and consultancy, Towergate is able to provide companies with services including a pension health check to review scheme performance, benchmark management charges, identify cost-savings, and ensure compliance with regulations. Providing independent pensions broking to ensure [...]
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, [...]
Holiday Inn Bristol Filton is inviting CTA operators and wholesalers to a fam trip on 12 and 13 June. The hotel has recently completed a refurbishment and is giving CTA members the chance to experience the revamped accommodation and service. Holiday Inn Bristol Filton is ideally located for group leisure tours of the Cotswolds, Bath, [...]
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 [...]
The CTA is calling on members to book now for the CTA Spring Networking & AGM event, taking place on 17-19 May in Norwich. Holkham hosts Sunday afternoon’s fam trip with its impressive hall taking centre stage, replete with artworks by the likes of Rubens, Van Dyck, and Gainsborough. Members will enjoy lunch and a [...]
VisitScotland Connect, Scotland’s flagship travel trade event which aims to grow Scotland's share of global travel in a sustainable way, took place on 9 and 10 April at P&J Live, Aberdeen. Across two days, 240 Scottish tourism businesses met with 250 tour operators and travel agents from 20 markets around the world to do business [...]
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, [...]
Castlebridge Hospitality has joined the CTA, presenting a range of large, group-friendly boutique hotels in Stratford-Upon-Avon, Bath, Chester, Coventry and Winchester. From north to south, Hotel Indigo Chester is in the centre of the historic city with 75 bedrooms. To the Midlands, Hotel Indigo Coventry is situated in the city centre with 101 rooms, while [...]
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. [...]
This Spring and Summer, the Medieval Palace at the Tower of London will explore the stories of the kings and queens who lived at the Tower, as well as the households who served them, and the fascinating world they lived in. The Medieval Palace at the Tower of London re-opens 23 May, and the royal [...]
CofGâr, the Carmarthenshire County Council museums and arts service, has announced a vibrant and diverse lineup of exhibitions and events for 2025 to early 2026. The programme will take place at Carmarthenshire Museum, Dylan Thomas Boathouse, the Museum of Land Speed, and Parc Howard Museum. At the Carmarthenshire Museum, Exploring Ancient Egypt: The Story of [...]
CTA-member coach tour operator Bakers Dolphin has supported its home-town’s campaign for automated external defibrillators (AEDs) by providing discounted travel for the project’s visit to parliament. The Weston-super-Mare operator is supporting the town’s Donate for Defib project, which travelled to Westminster to meet local MP Daniel Albridge to discuss the importance of publicly accessible AEDs [...]
Kynren, the outdoor theatre performance covering 2,000 years of English history, is taking place again this summer, between 19 July and 13 September in Bishop Auckland. This year, the spectacle has a new focus on the Victorian era. Kynren is enhancing the overall scene for its audiences with new props and costumes, projections, innovative choreography, [...]
Zip World Llechwedd in Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales, has enhanced its Deep Mine Tour with new and improved interactive elements, audio visuals and light show. Visitors descend 500ft below ground on Europe’s steepest cable railway where a guide leads a tour of one of the world’s most renowned slate mines. The tour features 10 slate [...]
Coventry’s historic St Mary’s Guildhall claimed a trio of awards at the West Midlands Tourism Awards 2025, taking place on 18 March at Edgbaston Stadium. The 700-year-old Grade I listed building won the Gold award for International Tourism, as well as the top honour for Accessible & Inclusive Tourism, and the Silver award for Small [...]
