VisitScotland Connect 2026, Scotland’s premier travel trade event, which took place on 14-15 April at Glasgow SEC, attracted 330 global buyers spanning 20 countries. The event brought Scottish tourism businesses together with international and domestic buyers for two full days of in-person meeting. Representing 289 Scottish businesses including 68 attending for the first time, the event [...]
Wrexham’s leading attractions have combined in a new joint venture to showcase what the county borough can offer, in a campaign supported by Visit Wales. A specially-design trail, suitable for coach groups as well as independent visitors, features eight diverse attractions around Wrexham that could comprise a coach trip and tour programme in the [...]
DFDS has acquired the Stena Vinga ferry from Stena Line to operate between Jersey and UK and France, carrying both freight and passengers. The vessel is currently on charter and has been part of DFDS’s Jersey fleet since the launch of the service in March 2025. The 125-meter-long ferry can carry up to 400 [...]
Tourism Ireland has compiled a guide of 10 attractions, covering landscapes, cities, history, and heritage, that are all ready for coach groups. Long Meadow Cider The McKeever family orchard farm presents the history of apple growing in County Armagh, showing how they craft apple juices, ciders, and vinegar on-site. Combined with tastings of their [...]
Limited places are available for the CTA Winter Networking, with the pre-event overnight at Peebles now full. Taking place in Perthshire between 22-24 November, the event is sponsored by VisitScotland and Perth & Kinross Council. In a packed weekend, fam trips include Forth Boat Tours, Scone Palace, the Perth Museum, and Black Watch Museum, plus a visit to [...]
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 [...]
The Government of Jersey has appointed DFDS to operate UK and French passenger and freight ferry services from 28 March 2025. The 2025 timetable of services will be published this month with DFDS operating ferries to Jersey from Poole, Portsmouth, and St. Malo. For coach operators, DFDS will transport foot passengers to the island. The [...]
Tourism Ireland is promoting a variety of Christmas-themed events across the island of Ireland that can form key moments in a festive tour for coach groups of all ages. Yulefest in Kilkenny presents festive movies alongside glittering lights and medieval charm. Featuring music acts and a panto – it’s Snow White this year -Graiguenamanagh’s Christmas [...]
Registration has opened for VisitScotland Connect 2025, Scotland’s premier travel trade event, taking place on 9 and 10 April at P&J Live, Aberdeen. Travel trade buyers, suppliers, as well as destination management organisations and local authorities, are invited to attend and register via this link. The event presents tourism buyers from around the globe with [...]
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 [...]
Offering cinematic beauty, off-the-beaten-track experiences, and beautiful coastal scenery, the Wild Atlantic Way has been one of the island of Ireland’s most successful tourism stories. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the world’s longest-defined coastal touring route. The Wild Atlantic Way is an internationally acclaimed waymarked road trip, stretching 2,500 kilometres along the contours [...]
CTA exhibited at VisitScotland Connect last week in Aberdeen, Scotland’s flagship travel trade event. The workshop-style travel trade event took place at the city’s P&J Live arena on 17 and 18 April. More than 250 domestic and international tour operators and travel advisors, representing 23 countries and global markets including the UK, Europe, USA, Canada, [...]
Betws-y-Coed’s The Swallow Falls Inn, owned by The Inn Collection Group, is set to reopen after long-term closures. Located close to the spectacular waterfall of the same name on the Afon Llugwy, The Swallow Falls Inn will undergo a full and extensive refurbishment to bring it back to life. Plans include a new bar and [...]
VisitScotland Connect 2024, VisitScotland’s flagship travel trade event, is taking place on 17-18 April 2024 at P&J Live in Aberdeen. The event will include two days of pre-scheduled, one-to-one workshop appointments, plus an optional fam trip. Ideal for operators and wholesalers, attending VisitScotland Connect can help to plan your Scottish coach tours, or enhance your [...]
Tourism Northern Ireland’s upcoming trade workshop, Meet the Buyer, will be hosted on the 9 and 10 of April in the ICC Belfast with 14 GB travel trade members attending. Meet the Buyer will be followed by Meitheal, which is hosted by Failte Ireland, and taking place on the 11 and 12 of April at [...]
VisitScotland Connect 2024, VisitScotland’s flagship travel trade event, is taking place on 17-18 April 2024 at P&J Live in Aberdeen. The event will include two days of pre-scheduled, one-to-one workshop appointments, plus an optional fam trip. Ideal for operators and wholesalers, attending VisitScotland Connect can help to plan your Scottish coach tours, or enhance your [...]
Yorkshire-based coach operators, Acklams Holidays and Welsh’s Holidays, have enjoyed recent successful tours to Scotland.Taking in the Highlands, Acklam’s coach can be seen on the Nevis Range Gondola trip to the base station on Aonach Mòr, 2200ft, the highest cafe in Scotland. Meanwhile, Welsh’s Holidays took in the southern counties of Scotland including a trip [...]
Caledonian Macbrayne reports that fares on the Clyde & Hebrides ferry network will be frozen for six months. Ticket prices will be held at current levels from April until the end of September to help people and businesses from Scotland’s remote rural and island communities. Caledonian Macbrayne operates 33 ferries to mainland and island ports [...]
Wales is playing at its first world cup for 64 years! This provides an unprecedented opportunity to showcase Wales as a distinct nation on a global stage, especially as it is in a group which also includes England and the USA. There will be a significant Cymru Wales nation brand campaign running throughout the tournament. [...]
VisitScotland is focused on rebuilding international and domestic tourism demand and is supporting Scotland’s ambitions to be a leading destination for responsible tourism. New for 2023 will be a ‘workshop style live event’ with 1-2-1 appointments with trade-ready Scottish suppliers across two days at the innovative P&J Live, plus a programme of fam trips showcasing businesses, including those [...]
CTA Operator and Wholesaler members are invited to Save the Date for a great Fam trip on 11-13 December which will travel via DFDS to France and enjoy visits to Arras Christmas market and Louvre Lens museum. Full details and booking link to follow
Tourism Ireland, on behalf of the Lisburn and Castlereagh Council is inviting operators to attend a Westminster Business Showcase on Wednesday 21 September 2022 The aim of the event is to shine a major focus on tourism and hospitality that plans to: Showcase the Royal Hillsborough product to new markets; Create commercial opportunities for local companies to [...]
Visit Wales’ new Travel Trade website is now live and is a great reference source with lots of information and links to new group products in Wales including: Newly qualified guides join WOTGA Taste of Wales’ evenings with Loving Welsh Food Woolly North Wales tours Coin, Coal and Cheers experience at 3 South Wales attractions – The [...]
2022 is set to be an exciting year and a great time to visit Wales. There are lots of new and exciting products for visitors to experience. As well as The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park will also be celebrating its 70th anniversary. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of the [...]
Coach trips to France with DFDS have just got even better. Not only are there great benefits for drivers and discounts for groups, now there is the added bonus of Duty Free shopping onboard and at the ports. Shop Duty Free onboard DFDS’s ferries to France and save up to 50 per cent compared to [...]
Partner member CalMac has a new CTA contact, Stephen Monaghan, whom many members may have met up with at the Liverpool Conference. Stephen started with CalMac in September 2016 as a customer services team manager and had a hands-on approach overseeing the daily activities of a team to ensure the delivery of exemplary customer service to [...]
Following the First Minister’s confirmation that Scotland has moved beyond Level 0 of the Scottish Government Coronavirus protection measures, CalMac has confirmed the following changes to operations across its network from 9 August 2021. Capacity Official physical distancing guidelines will be lifted on 9 August 2021. This means that the number of passengers carried on [...]
CalMac’s Neil Hunter reports with great sadness that after 18 years of service with CalMac, Ian Fox has decided to weigh up anchor in preparation for his new journey in retirement. “I would like to thank Ian for his contribution over the last 18 years and wish him well in his upcoming retirement,” says Neil. [...]
Scotland is moving beyond level zero from Monday 9 August. This means that most of the remaining legally imposed restrictions will be lifted. While some protective measures will stay in place, the legal requirement for physical distancing and limits on household gatherings will be removed, and all venues across Scotland will be able to re-open. [...]
While Scottish Government travel restrictions are still in place, CalMac Ferries reports that it continues to have restrictions on the number of coaches and passengers on each of its vessels due to social distancing. CalMac has been reviewing the capacity on services and now advises that a total of 35 passengers (including driver and guide) [...]
VisitScotland hosted a Panel Discussion with sector specialists for Coach Tourism in Scotland. Here is a link to the video recording of the panel, and should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to let us know, Please send your questions, comments and feedback to: industry.development@visitscotland.com. Since the recording of the webinar, CalMac have reviewed [...]
Tourism Ireland has welcomed the announcement by the Irish Government about the re-opening of travel to Ireland. Ireland plans to adopt the EU’s new Digital Covid Certificate on 19 July, meaning that travellers bearing the pass – which attests that the holder has either been vaccinated, has had a negative test for COVID-19 or has [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
VisitScotland is inviting key buyers to take part in Scotland Reconnect 2021 on 27-29 April The three-day event provides an ideal platform to explore new business opportunities and reconnect with Scottish exhibitors through a combination of pre-scheduled and ad-hoc appointments and round table discussions. VisitScotland's Lauren Hogg says: "In these challenging times of Covid-19 we [...]
www.visitscotlandtraveltrade.com 0131 472 2431 CTA Partner Member
www.calmac.co.uk 07867527690 CTA Partner member
Scottish tourism businesses have another opportunity to link up with global tour operators and travel agents ‘virtually’. Recognising the need for Scotland’s tourism businesses to maintain contact throughout Covid-time with travel intermediaries around the globe, VisitScotland has organised the Scotland Reconnect 2021 event, which will take place 27-29 April, following its successful inaugural digital event [...]
Update: Many thanks to those who attended the Burns Night zoom. It was a very informative and valuable session with great contributions from Lauren Hogg, VisitScotland; Andrew MacNair, CalMac Ferries; and Mary Jane Brett, Diageo plus a wonderful Address to a Haggis from Visit Arran's Sheila Gilmore. Presentations and extract from zoom video below: Robert [...]
Scotland Reconnect 2020, a virtual B2B workshop, takes place on Monday 23 to Wednesday 25 November. Having missed everyone at this year’s VisitScotland Expo and in these challenging times of Covid-19, the VisitScotland team are working hard to bring you and our Scottish suppliers together under one-virtual roof for Pre-selected 1-2-1 appointments Ad hoc on-the-day [...]
CTA Partner Towergate Travel is pleased to announce COVID-19 Cover extension to its tailored travel insurance scheme solutions. Available to existing and new clients with immediate effect. Steve Browne, Senior Account Executive at Towergate Travel, says: “Following careful and lengthy negotiations with our insurer capacity, we are delighted to be able to offer this to [...]
CTA partner Towergate has provided an update on the importance of cyber insurance: The role of cyber/data and crime/fraud insurance in an overall insurance portfolio has never been as important as it is at the current time. It is widely agreed that we could have never reasonably foreseen the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak and the impact [...]
VisitScotland has launched a £3million marketing campaign with an emotive film welcoming back Scottish tourism and reminding us what a beautiful country we have right on our doorsteps. The film, which is covered on TV and radio stations across Scotland has the clear message that ‘Only in Scotland can travelling so little make such a [...]
The Scottish Government has confirmed that it has now moved to Phase 3 of its route map out of the Covid crisis, and accommodation and attractions (who are able to and who are following hygiene and distancing guidance) will re-open from 15 July. Over 3,000 Scottish businesses have signed up to the ‘Good to Go’ scheme [...]
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has given provisional dates for phase 3 of releasing the lockdown in Scotland. This is when tourism businesses can reopen, but VisitScotland’s Lauren Hogg points out that its marketing plan approved by government only allows for the promotion of day and overnight trips to Scottish residents during this period. Day and overnight [...]
VisitScotland invites you to their premier business to business travel trade event, VisitScotland Expo, to be held at the new P&J Live conference centre in Aberdeen on the 1st & 2ndApril 2020. The combination of pre-scheduled appointments and trade show provides an ideal platform for you to develop your Scotland programmes. It gives you the [...]
The latest travel trade update from VisitScotland highlights Manderston House in the Scottish Borders which welcomes groups all year round. An Edwardian country house, Manderston was designed by Scottish architect John Kinross in the 1790s and is today home to the 4th Lord Palmer and sits in 56 acres of formal and informal gardens. Another [...]
Recent travel firm failure highlights trust account operation, says Towergate Following the sad news of a south coast operator’s sudden and unexpected closure, CTA partner Towergate Travel is reminding operators about the changes to trust accounts which were included in the last year’s new Package Travel Directive. The new regulations continue to allow third party-administered [...]
