CTA Spring Networking, the Coach Tourism Association’s (CTA) annual Spring business development meeting, gathered 106 industry stakeholders in Cardiff with the event sponsored by Visit Wales and the Welsh Government, supported by Southern Wales Tourism.

Taking place between taking place 9-11 May and staged at the Majestic Hotel Cardiff, coach tour operators, wholesalers, and suppliers to the sector attended the event to develop new product and partnerships.

“Cardiff and the surrounding area has a great deal to offer coach groups, and the weekend was well planned by Visit Wales and Southern Wales Tourism to present classic attractions alongside new highlights not previously visited by CTA members,” said CTA Chair, Robert Shaw. “High attendance of members at the event reflected the demand to create and present new product. While current global uncertainty is impacting, including the volume of in-bound visitors, CTA operator members are generally reporting strong bookings for the year ahead, both for UK and continental tours.”

Alongside the business development opportunities, the organisation also staged its Annual General Meeting during the weekend event. The meeting included a buoyant outlook on the sector presented by the Chair, and it also welcomed Geoff Holt, Managing Director of IOW Tours and long-standing CTA member, as a new Director on the CTA Board. Andrew Guthrie also attended his first CTA event in his role as the newly appointed CEO of the CTA.

The event began on Saturday 9 May with fam trips to Tredegar House, Caerphilly Castle, National Museum Cardiff, and the Museum of Cardiff. On Sunday, delegates experienced a guided tour of Cardiff Castle, followed by a guided tour of The Royal Mint Experience in nearby Llantrisant, culminating with a gin-tasting experience and tour of Hensol Castle and its gin and rum distillery. The day closed with a drinks reception and networking dinner, which featured Welsh folk music and singing with a theatrical and comedic twist.

Coach transport was kindly provided by Jason Edwards Travel, taking delegates on Sunday’s fam trips to The Royal Mint Experience and Hensol Castle. Vox Tours also provided audio sets for the guided tour of Cardiff Castle.

The main Supplier Showcase on Monday presented 50 coach tourism suppliers from across the UK and Europe, providing an additional business session and the opportunity to consolidate product development from discussions over the weekend.

The event concluded with the organisation’s AGM, which also featured a summary on group tour planning for the region, presented by Kim Colebrook of Southern Wales Tourism.

“The excellent variety of fam trips on offer, combined with the opportunities for face-to-face discussion with fellow industry stakeholders, demonstrated once again the benefit of CTA’s live events,” said Robert Shaw. “If you’re an operator, the most effective way of enhancing your product is by attending CTA events, while for suppliers, meeting operators in-person is the best way to build trust.”

CTA’s next main event will be CTA Winter Networking, 22-23 November, with the location to be confirmed. Full details will be available here on the CTA website in due course.

Image credit: Stuart Render Tourism.