The Real Mary King’s Close, a five-star heritage visitor attraction in Edinburgh, says it has celebrated its best summer season ever, welcoming over 93,000 guests from around the globe. The Royal Mile attraction, operated by Continuum Attractions, has also celebrated being named the UK’s Best Visitor Attraction by TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Awards. Continuum says that [...]
With places selling fast, CTA coach operator and wholesaler members are advised to book now for CTA Winter Networking in Blackpool, Saturday 23 to Monday 25 November. Over 80 delegates have already booked for the extended event that will give even more opportunities for business development and networking. Based at The Imperial Hotel Blackpool, the event [...]
Sponsorship requests for the 2025 CTA Conference are now open. CTA members are invited to sponsor an event at the Conference, taking place in Stratford-upon-Avon, 9-11 February 2025, with options including dinners, entertainment, as well as coaches & guides. Sponsors already confirmed include Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts and Valor Hospitality. A variety of sponsorship [...]
VisitScotland Connect, Scotland’s premier travel trade event, returns in 2025 on 9 and 10 April at P&J Live, Aberdeen. Booking registration will open late this summer – more information to follow. The event presents tourism buyers from around the globe with the opportunity to experience Scotland and meet face-to-face with Scottish tourism businesses. VisitScotland Connect [...]
CTA has learned the sad news of the passing of Diane Brown of Johnson Bros. Johnson Bros said: “Diane was a much loved member of the Johnson Business and had worked with us for more than 20 years. Diane was a huge presence amongst colleagues and clients and was adored by all. She will be [...]
New CTA member The Ruskin Hotel is a Visit England 3-star hotel in the centre of Blackpool, keen to work with coach groups. The hotel is encouraging coach tour operators attending CTA Winter Networking to visit the hotel while they are in Blackpool. In July 2023, the hotel purchased the last two properties on the [...]
The QHotels Collection would like to remind CTA members that there’s still time to donate to the 100km charity walk team who are participating in memory of Stacy Whittington. Hutch and Lynette from The QHotels Collection sales team are taking part in the South Coast Challenge on 7 September to raise money for the charity Cardiac [...]
Hilton Cambridge City Centre hotel is inviting CTA members to a supplier event on 19 September to promote Cambridge as a destination for travel and event needs. The event is scheduled for 10am to 1pm and exhibitors already signed up include the Museum of Zoology, the Traditional Punting Company, Hidden Cambridge, the Cambridge Gin Lab, Cambridge [...]
Coach groups are invited to experience the two-day Coin, Coal and Cheers package in South Wales. The tour takes in the Rhondda Cynon Taf and the Vale of Glamorgan, involving the Royal Mint, the Rhondda Heritage Park Museum, and Hensol Castle Distillery. The Rhondda Heritage Park Museum provides a Welsh Coal Mining Experience at the [...]
Roeville, the supplier of reservation, operations and e-commerce systems to UK coach tour operators, has appointed Daniel Caddick as its new Commercial Director. Daniel previously held the role of Commercial Manager having joined Roeville in 2017. Daniel says: “I’m thrilled to be able to take up this role at such an exciting time for the [...]
Booking is open for groups to enjoy Christmas at Blenheim Palace, featuring a magical Neverland-themed journey, taking place from 15 November until 1 January 2025. The historic Palace and Gardens will once again come alive with thousands of lights to celebrate the festive season. This year, the stage is set for a swashbuckling adventure in [...]
Dover Castle has opened Under Siege, a new visitor experience explaining the 1216-1217 siege and how the English throne was prevented from falling into French hands. Visitors will also see what life was like for a soldier in the 1800s when fears of a French invasion in the Napoleonic era reached another peak. Interactive exhibitions [...]
This Christmas, Waddesdon is set to be transformed for a magical festive experience inspired by the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Enjoy beautifully decorated interiors, new light projections on the Manor façade, a glittering light trail in the gardens, and the return of the ever-popular Christmas market. Taking the classic story as inspiration, a team of [...]
CTA member Liverpool Football Club Museum has relaunched with a new, immersive journey following the attraction’s first revamp in a decade. Located in the heart of Anfield, the museum retells the club’s story as a tribute to the legacy of the club for fans from all over the world. State-of-the-art exhibits showcase iconic moments, legendary [...]
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 [...]
