� IN FOCUS l WTM LONDON VisitBritain and VisitEngland highlight return on investment
VisitBritain/VisitEngland will share its stand at WTM London with inbound tourism agency UKinbound and 30+ other exhibitors. Fellow stand-sharers include Blenheim Palace, British Airways i360, Canterbury Cathedral, Kia Oval Cricket Ground Tours, Pinpoint Britain, Tourism South East, Waddesdon Manor, Westminster Abbey, Windermere/The Lake District and the Zoological Society of London.
VisitEngland will be showcasing the many projects that have been made possible over the past three years thanks to the £40 million Discover England Fund. The fund aims to support bookable tourism products to encourage more visitors to explore England. VisitBritain will be highlighting
its recent annual review which showed that visitors to Britain
spent more than £1 billion in 2017. The statistics from the review
show that for every pound invested in the agency, visitors spent £25 in Britain. Furthermore, VisitBritain forecasts that it will reach its target of 40 million inbound visits this year – two years earlier than originally forecast. Steve Ridgway, chief executive of the British Tourist Authority – which runs VisitBritain/VisitEngland – hailed tourism as a “£127 billion powerhouse” but warned of “significant challenges”, with Brexit being the most important. “We want to ensure that the
VisitEngland and VisitBritain will join forces with UKinbound to highlight attractions such as the Lake District and Waddesdon.
future relationship keeps our borders as frictionless as possible for visitors, our aviation as connected as ever, and our economic stability on track – because tourism depends on this,” he said.
visitbritain.org
UKinbound stand to showcase 60+ partners Anglo-American Connections project to unveil tours
UKinbound will be joined at WTM by more than 60 exhibiting companies, including tour operators, destination marketing companies, attractions and hotels. Hundreds of meetings are scheduled to take place on the stand and the organisation will be hosting its annual WTM Gala Dinner at the Imperial War Museum on November 5. Mark McVay, chairman of UKinbound, said: “This year has been a busy and rewarding year for many of our members, due in part to the long, hot summer and the Royal Wedding effect. “However, we know that confidence levels are still lower than they should be due to the uncertainty surrounding Brexit. “Our London attractions are also
keen to attract more visitors. “We are very much looking
forward to welcoming Joss Croft as our new chief executive at the end of the month. “His arrival comes at a crucial
time for our industry and his knowledge and experience of working with the travel trade
18 TravelGBI | November 2018
and within government will be invaluable to the association.” The trade body’s latest business
barometer results also showed a surge in growth from China, and a record 30% of members highlighted China as their main growth market.
ukinbound.org Stands UKI1200, UKI400
A major collaboration between 13 destinations will launch bookable tourism products at WTM London, in the build-up to the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s voyage. Called US Connections, the partnership is led by Destination Plymouth and has developed a series of English-themed visitor experiences specifically for the American market. It aims to attract more
Americans to England in the lead- up to 2020; a year which marks the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower’s historic voyage from Plymouth to the New World. The products and themes
DID YOU KNOW There is a history of royal connections at WTM.
Back in 1980, the Duke of Kent opened the first WTM, and Diana Princess of Wales opened the event in 1985, not long after giving birth to Prince Harry. Princess Anne opened the 10th show in 1989.
Stand UKI200
Pilgrims Point, above the Mayflower Steps at the Barbican, Plymouth.
tap into the many connections between England and the US including the ‘Special Relationship’; Ancestral Tours of England; Old Stories of the New World; and The Origins of Faith. Bristol, Cambridge, Cornwall, Essex, Gloucester, Hampshire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire, Plymouth, the English Riviera and Worcestershire have all showcased their destinations with products that tour operators can use in their own itineraries. US Connections is one of several
projects to benefit from the £40 million Discover England Fund that is administered by VisitEngland.
visitplymouth.co.uk
Stand UKI400
travelgbi.com
©VisitBritain/Ben Selway
©VisitBritain/Simon Winnall
©VisitEngland/Andy Fox
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