Operator and wholesaler members enjoyed the first CTA Fam trip held since the pandemic which went to the Isle of Wight. The fam trip was inspired by the success of an earlier Johnsons Coaches’ ‘VIP Experience tour’ which Barry Cobb put together with Hovertravel, in 2019 following a successful auction bid at the CTA conference in Cambridge. The tour proved very successful with Johnsons Coaches’ customers who enjoyed the fastest route to the IOW and exploring the Island.

Pat Sowerbutts, Hovertravel, and Geoff Holt, IOW Tours adapted the Hovertravel flight experience for the CTA Fam trip and combined it with visits to attractions across the island supported by Island Coach Services, and Leisureplex Hotels who generously sponsored two nights’ accommodation with dinner and entertainment at The Shanklin hotel.

The trip involved two and half days discovering what the island has to offer, and was made possible by a number of venues and organisations who supported it, including: The Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth; IOW Tours: Hovertravel and the Hovercraft Centre for Excellence; Ryde Walking tour guides Geoff and Pat; Donald Magill Postcard Museum; Island Coach Services; The Shanklin Hotel; Isle of Wight Bus & Coach Museum; Glory Art Glass; Bayshore Hotel, Sandown; Sandown’s Green Town Volunteers; Amazon World Zoo Park; The Needles: Landmark Attraction; Pearl factory, Isle of Wight; Mottistone Gardens and Estate, National Trust; Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary; Osborne House, English Heritage; The Isle of Wight Steam Railway; Island Coach Services; and Stuart Render Tourism who kindly photographed the highlights of the trip.

If you would like a copy of the IOW itinerary, please email helen.bowron@coachtourismassociation.co.uk