National tourism agency VisitBritain is gearing up to host more than 120 international travel trade on educational visits across the UK as part of its flagship ‘Showcase Britain’ event.
With VisitBritain set to launch its global screen tourism campaign ‘Starring GREAT Britain’, many of the educational visits include film-and-tv inspired experiences, showing international travel buyers and media the real destinations at the heart of the on-screen action.
Travel trade from across 17 international markets will be undertaking tailored visits to destinations across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The educational trips shine the spotlight on the latest products and experiences on offer, getting those sold in international markets and on to the itineraries of future visitors, driving growth from tourism across the nations and regions.
Buyers set to attend ‘Showcase Britain’ include travel trade from the USA, the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound visitor market, as well as from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Nordic countries and South Korea.
Tourism Minister Sir Chris Bryant said:
“Thanks to our stunning scenery, heritage and world-class screen industries, many of the unforgettable moments that have taken our breath away at the cinema were filmed in the UK.
“We want more visitors from home and abroad to immerse themselves in British destinations made famous thanks to film and TV, and events like this will help drive growth in our £74 billion tourism industry.
“Through our Plan for Change we want to welcome 50 million international visitors a year by 2030, while creating opportunity in local communities and setting the scene for the UK’s thriving visitor economy for years to come.”
VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said:
“With the upcoming launch of our ‘Starring GREAT Britain campaign, now is the perfect time to roll out the red carpet and welcome international buyers to Britain. Building product and destination knowledge broadens travel itineraries so visitors explore more, including through our regional gateways, driving visitor spending into local economies.
“From exploring our vibrant cities, world-class attractions and stunning countryside, to enjoying our exciting contemporary culture and hospitality, international buyers will have a front row seat experiencing first hand why Britain is the real star of the show. I know that they will return home inspired to sell more British destinations this year.”
VisitBritain’s in-country teams have worked in partnership with Tourism Northern Ireland, VisitEngland, VisitScotland and Visit Wales to develop tailored itineraries* for each inbound market.
The three-to-five-day hosted visits are part of the national tourism agency’s ‘Showcase Britain’ trade mission, which gets underway with a networking event for international buyers and travel media hosted at Hampton Court Palace in Surrey, on 23 January.
The buyers are set to be officially welcomed by Tourism Minister Sir Chris Bryant, VisitBritain Chairman Nick de Bois CBE and its CEO Patricia Yates. VisitBritain’s trade teams will be updating delegates on its latest market research and insights with presentations also from VisitEngland, London & Partners, VisitScotland and Visit Wales on the latest products, experiences, hospitality and accommodation on offer across the nations and regions.
Before heading off on their educational tours, the buyers are attending the ‘Britain & Ireland Marketplace’ (BIM) trade event on 24 January, held at the Intercontinental London – The O2, with a full day of business appointments and networking with tourism suppliers and destinations.
Inbound tourism is one of the UK’s most valuable service exports, worth an estimated £32.5 billion to the economy in 2024 in visitor spending, showing an annual growth of 5 percent.
