Visit Lake District, Cumbria has launched a range of cultural experiences across the Westmorland & Furness region for coach groups to add new product. The Let’s Go Culture experience presents a range of activities and trip ideas across the Westmorland & Furness region that spans from Alston in the North Pennines to Barrow-in-Furness on the [...]
Vox delivers a range of guide technology services, including digital radios and smartphone apps for group guiding, as well as local expert technology for multilingual group guiding, and self-guiding apps for free-time activities. voxtours.com presents the company’s portfolio of services which also includes content creation and venue management services. The website displays a variety of [...]
Visit County Durham has reported that the county’s visitor economy hit £1.23bn in 2023 following a 12.5% increase in visitors to 20.15million last year, with visitor spending up by 18.8%. The figure reflects the county’s investment which has also seen tourism employment increase by 12.4% to over 13,000 employees. Visit County Durham says that new [...]
CTA’s next networking event will take place on the opening morning of World Travel Market (WTM), Tuesday 5 November, at The Fox ExCel bar, at ExCel, London. CTA Networking at WTM is sponsored by Croisi Europe, and gives members the opportunity to meet and develop new business ahead of the show. Meeting at approximately 9am [...]
CTA is very saddened to hear of the passing of Derek Easton, a director of Eastons Holidays, who died on 28 June. Eastons Holidays said that Derek fought a six-year battle with cancer but passed away peacefully at home with family by his side. The company said: “He was so proud of his legacy, both [...]
Paris intends to restrict coach access within the centre of the city as part of its pedestrian-first policy, ‘Paris piéton’ and its clear-air policy, ‘Paris respire'. According to ETOA (European Tourism Association), The Right Bank - running 4km from Place de la Concorde to Canal Saint-Martin and 1.5km from the Seine to the Grands Boulevards [...]
A new museum is opening late July 2024 in Derry ~ Londonderry. The Peacemakers Museum focuses on how the North of Ireland moved from decades of violent conflict to peace. The museum is located in the Bogside area of Derry that witnessed some of the key events of the conflict including the Battle of the [...]
CTA members booking trips for 2025 with Broads Tours before the end of the year will benefit from 2024 prices with no deposit required. Operators can also receive cash back at the end of the season. CTA member, Broads Tours, based in Wroxham on the Norfolk Broads, provides a range of river trips and tailored [...]
CTA member Magic Costa Blanca Hotels & Resorts is inviting operators to find out more about its range of hotels in locations including Gandia, and now, six new hotels in Magic World Resort, Castellon. Across a variety of locations on Spain’s Costa Blanca, Magic Costa Blanca provides group hotel accommodation including spacious cabins, apartments, and [...]
Scotland's Tay Country has joined the CTA to support the region’s offerings to promote and assist coach tours and trips. Situated on the stunning east coast of Scotland and just an hour north of Edinburgh, Scotland's Tay Country is a captivating visitor destination that encompasses the beautiful areas of Angus, Fife, Perthshire, and the vibrant [...]
Ascot Racecourse is now a CTA member and is keen to engage with coach operators to welcome groups to its race meetings. Ascot is a venue rich in history and heritage, hosting one of the world’s most prestigious race meetings, Royal Ascot, as well as 21 race days each year, and non-racing events too. Ascot [...]
Ad Gefrin, located in Wooler, Northumbria, brings together a contemporary museum with a pioneering Whisky Distillery, celebrating the best of the region. The site includes the archaeology of the seventh century royal palace, discovered only four miles away, along with the richness of produce in the region today. In the re-imagined Great Hall, visitors take [...]
New CTA member, Innsbruck’s Nordkettenbahnen cable car, is inviting coach groups to experience the spectacular journey, travelling from the city centre to Austria's largest nature park in just a few minutes. The cable car presents a breathtaking 360° view, with the capital of the Alps on one side and the Karwendel Nature Park on the [...]
WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre in Gloucestershire has won Gold in the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence 2024 as ‘Large Visitor Attraction of the Year’. WWT Slimbridge took home the prize at the national awards ceremony on Wednesday 5 June at Rum Warehouse, The Titanic Hotel, Liverpool. This is the second time WWT Slimbridge has made it [...]
Vine Hotels is presenting a range of coach group meal stops at various hotels across the country. Participating hotels include picturesque and historic settings such as Clarion Hotel Charlecote Pheasant in Stratford-upon-Avon, Mosborough Hall Hotel in Sheffield, and Abbotts Barton Hotel in Kent. Eight hotels in total are participating. The offer ranges from tea, coffee, [...]
Loving Welsh Food has launched a new coach tour itinerary including Castles & Cuisine, combining Welsh castles, Welsh cuisine, Cardiff city centre, and the tranquil surroundings of the Vale of Glamorgan, known as the Garden of Cardiff. Open to coach operators, the tour itinerary takes place from 10:00hrs to 1700hrs and includes a guided visit [...]
Aberdeen Countryside Rangers is offering coach groups the opportunity to explore some of the beautiful nature spots on the outskirts of the city. The Seabird Safari goes along Aberdeen's coastal trail and is an expert lead tour, identifying local birds and sea life while walking along the rugged coastline. The Woodland Walk & Mini Beast [...]
Salisbury Cathedral’s upcoming events programme includes Afternoon Carols in December, and next Spring the historic site offers a Flower Festival. On Tuesday 10 December at 2pm, groups are invited to Afternoon Carols. Along with Salisbury Cathedral Choir, groups can join in with carol favourites. The afternoon also includes Christmas readings as well as mulled wine [...]
UPDATE 06/11/24: We are just about at capacity at the hotel - only Sun night rooms available - please contact us by email before booking. UPDATE 18/10/24: The Supplier Showcase on the Monday morning is now FULL - no further Supplier tables available. The CTA Winter Networking event takes place on 23-25 November in Blackpool [...]
The CTA (Coach Tourism Association) has welcomed news that Bournemouth’s Accommodation BID (ABID) has suspended plans for a proposed ‘tourism levy’. The proposed levy of £2.40 per room per night was due to be introduced on 1 July following the Bournemouth ABID ballot on 14 May. The plans have been suspended following an appeal against [...]
Blackpool will host CTA Winter Networking later this year, taking place on 24-25 November, while the CTA Networking Event at WTM 2024 will take place on 5 November. CTA Winter Networking will be based at The Imperial Hotel Blackpool. The weekend features a fam trip visit to Rufford Old Hall, near Ormskirk, a fine Tudor [...]
Hutch and Lynette from The QHotels Collection sales team are participating in a 100km walk for charity in memory of Stacy Whittington, who sadly passed away suddenly on 31 May 2023. On Saturday 7 September, Hutch and Lynette are taking part in the South Coast Challenge, a continuous 100km walk from Eastbourne to Arundel including [...]
CTA member Wrightsure has provided the following update to coach tour operators following the withdrawal of Ergo/Great Lakes Insurance UK from the coach tourism market. Andrew Day, Wrightsure, writes: “The recent withdrawal from the AR Travel Insurance distribution model by the leading provider of coach holiday travel insurance to the UK coach tourism industry has [...]
Wicked Direct, the official supplier of tickets for the stage musical phenomenon Wicked at London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre, has welcomed travel industry sales & marketing veteran Lee Stupple as Groups & Travel Trade Sales Manager. Lee has been working in the travel industry for 25 years, most recently as UK & Ireland Account Manager for [...]
Discover Durham has announced a variety of updates for the travel trade, including a new opening at the heritage steam museum Locomotion, plus Luxmuralis at Durham Cathedral. At Locomotion, New Hall has opened to the public, displaying an additional 47 heritage vehicles and engines. Locomotion now becomes home to 99 rail vehicles, creating the largest [...]
The Liverpool Beatles Museum is hosting Beatle Week during the August Bank Holiday, with an exciting line up of events featuring special guests who played significant roles in the band’s history. On Saturday 24 August, an Audience with the Quarrymen is an exclusive session featuring the legendary skiffle group that eventually evolved into The Beatles, [...]
Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity that cares for the Tower of London, has partnered with Luxmuralis to present ‘Poppy Fields at theTower’, a poignant and moving sound and light show that will run for nine nights over the Remembrance period at the Tower of London. Each evening from 8 – 16 November 2024, the [...]
Taking place on selected days from now until October at Buckingham Palace, groups can explore the evolution of royal portraiture at the Royal Collection Trust’s new exhibition, Royal Portraits: A Century of Photography. Depicting works from the 1920s to the present day, the exhibition brings together more than 150 photographic prints, proofs and documents from [...]
Cadw, the Welsh Government's historic environment service working for an accessible and well-protected historic environment for Wales, is offering tour operators preferential rates to its attractions via its membership scheme. The organisation offers a wealth of majestic monuments, from the World Heritage Site of Caernarfon, Harlech, Conwy, and Beaumaris in North Wales, to the atmospheric [...]
St Fagans National Museum of History near Cardiff has welcomed the opening of its newest attraction, The Vulcan Hotel. The Vulcan Hotel was built on Adam Street in Cardiff in 1853 to serve the mainly Irish community of what was then called Newtown. During its long history, it saw major changes as Cardiff grew to [...]
The Celtic Collection has added a new sustainable hotel to its portfolio. Tŷ Newport, which is now open, offers 146 bedrooms, a Mediterranean-inspired dining experience, and a gym. It's located a short drive from Newport city centre, just off the M4 motorway. The hotel operator says it will set new sustainability standards as the largest [...]
Vale of Rheidol Railway has opened a new museum and event space at the engine shed building in Aberystwyth. The repurposed building offers 5,000 square feet of display space for some of the railway’s priceless collection, alongside exhibits from around the world. The new museum tells the story of how Wales led the way in [...]
New CTA member Trust My Travel offers travel providers an all-in-one solution to protect customers’ travel plans. Trust My Travel combines financial protection for travellers’ global payment processing, and compliance with the package travel regulations, meaning just one application for both financial protection and payment processing. Trust My Travel says its managed solution allows operators [...]
Daniel Thwaites Hotels is offering groups some fabulous locations for Easter trips and tours in 2025. With hot cross buns on arrival, an Easter Sunday lunch with all the trimmings, and an Easter egg, guests can stay at a choice of great locations in the 10-hotel group. Hotels are located in the north of England, [...]
Visit Essex is inviting CTA members to its next group travel organisers’ familiarisation trip, taking place on Tuesday 24 September, visiting Saffron Walden. Saffron Walden is a delightful medieval market town with a rich heritage of old buildings, with popular market days that have been taking place in the town since 1141. The trip will [...]
Continuum Attractions is introducing the Emmerdale Village Tour & Harewood House combination for groups. Guests can embark on a fully guided, 80-minute outdoor walking tour of the iconic Emmerdale village. Following the Emmerdale tour, guests will be transported to Harewood House, just a short distance away, to explore the exquisite 18th-century mansion, set among more [...]
West Midlands Safari Park is an award-winning visitor attraction located in Worcestershire, and is home to a variety of all-weather attractions, including four miles of drive-through safari, thrilling dinosaur exhibits, wildlife trails, and a theme park. The safari park is home to some of the world’s most beautiful and critically endangered animals, and includes giraffes, [...]
This Christmas, groups are welcomed to Harewood House, the eighteenth century country house and grounds in West Yorkshire, to step into a magical festive world of Mischief at the Mansion where history and imagination intertwine. As part of a magical makeover by the internationally celebrated artists, Studio McGuire, the display will reveal Harewood’s history and [...]
Strathmore Hotels’ Ben Nevis Hotel & Leisure Club in Fort William is hosting a Ceilidh Party Weekend from 29 November 2024, offering a two or three-night stay. The itinerary includes Friday arrival with a meal followed by an evening of entertainment with music and dancing. Saturday is the main event, starting with a hearty Scottish [...]
The Coach Tourism Association’s (CTA) Spring Networking event in Oxford attracted nearly 120 coach tour operators, wholesalers, and industry suppliers for a weekend of business development. Held between 18 and 20 May, the event’s fam trips and Supplier Showcase generated new trips and tours, while the seminar programme advised on marketing technology, and the zero-emissions [...]
Coach tour operators, wholesalers, and industry suppliers are gathering in Oxford this weekend for CTA Spring Networking, 19-20 May. The sell-out event welcomes more than 100 members for an engaging fam trip, seminar, and Supplier Showcase line up. Hosted at Holiday Inn Oxford, CTA Spring Networking will include fam trips to Blenheim Palace, The Bodleian [...]
CTA Winter Networking will take place in Blackpool, 24-25 November, and will include a special visit to the famous Blackpool Tower. Based at The Imperial Hotel Blackpool, the weekend will feature fam trip visits courtesy of Merlin Attractions, including The Blackpool Tower, comprising its iconic ballroom and sounds of the Wurlitzer organ. Booking details for [...]
Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust has announced that His Majesty The King has confirmed his Patronage of the award winning charity, continuing the role he first took up in 2006 as HRH The Prince of Wales. Charles began his association with Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust on a visit to open the new Royal Dockyard Library in [...]
The UK coach tourism industry’s biggest annual event, The CTA Conference & Workshop, will take place next year in Stratford-upon-Avon. Held from 9-11 February 2025, Shakespeare’s town and the surrounding area will host a variety of engaging fam trips to boost operator product and supplier bookings. The event will also include the Meet the Buyer [...]
The Dramatic Heart of Wales, the tourism team at Neath Port Talbot Council, has launched group travel itineraries designed to present new options for groups. With suggestions for group hotels, coach parking, group-friendly activities and attractions, the itineraries can be tailored to suit group sizes and preferences while showcasing the wonders of the Dramatic Heart [...]
Loving Welsh Food is partnering with The Welsh House in Cardiff as the new venue for this year’s Taste of Wales evenings. The Welsh House is an independent regional restaurant and bar showcasing the very best food and drink from within Wales, and Taste of Wales evenings can be tailored for groups on request. Events [...]
Kynren, the multi-award-winning outdoor live theatre event taking place in Bishop Auckland throughout the summer, from 27 July to 14 September, has added a new dining package, as well as new travel by coach information. Kynren’s exclusive dining package offers visitors the chance to enjoy a three-course meal in the spectacular Arches Hall, while pre-dinner [...]
Wicked, the West End stage musical phenomenon that tells the story of the Witches of Oz, has become the 10th longest-running West End show in British history. Wicked surpasses the run of the legendary farce, No Sex Please, We’re British, which ran from June 1971 until September 1987, playing a total 6,761 performances. The musical, [...]
Sapphire Group Solutions, specialising in providing accommodation for tour operators and group organisers, is promoting group offers for a number of UK events this year. The wholesale accommodation provider has 2024 offers remaining for the Chelsea Flower Show, as well as sporting events including the British Grand Prix. Sapphire is also supporting group accommodation needs [...]
St Mary’s Guildhall in Coventry has been recognised for making heritage more accessible at a ceremony celebrating the region’s tourism industry. Operated by No Ordinary Hospitality, the venue has been given the Silver award in the Accessible & Inclusive Tourism category at the West Midlands Tourism Awards 2024, held at the Bear Grylls Adventure, National [...]
