Blog Details
BCG: VisitBritain to host top travel buyers & tour operators from India on educational visits
Visit Britain is hosting more than 40 top travel buyers, tour operators and trade media from Australia, Canada and India on educational visits to Birmingham and the West Midlands during the Games, in partnership with the West Midlands Growth Company.The travel trade visits, which range from five-to-eight days will give a chance attendees to witness sporting events at the Games. The international buyers will be visiting destinations and visitor attractions across the West Midlands, from a river cruise exploring Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon-Avon, a culinary course in the heart of Birmingham’s Balti Triangle to a trip back in time at the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley.
The international buyers are also meeting to do business with British travel trade suppliers and destinations during the Games as part of a dedicated ‘Tourism Day’ on August 5. The trade showcase, hosted by VisitBritain in partnership with the West Midlands Growth Company, is part of the programme of events at UK House, The Commonwealth Business Hub, led by the Department for International Trade.
Commenting on the development, Patricia Yates, CEO, Visit Britain, said, “Working with the international trade, building product knowledge, and ensuring they are ready to sell Britain, is crucial to driving bookings and spending. We also want to broaden travel itineraries, encouraging visitors to stay longer, explore further and boost visits across the shoulder seasons, supporting local businesses and economies.
We know there is pent-up demand for travel and major sporting events are a proven tourism draw. The Games, set to be watched by a global audience of hundreds of millions, will also show our hospitality and a warm welcome to the world as well as Britain’s ability to host events of the highest calibre.”
The Commonwealth countries are some of the UK’s largest and most valuable inbound tourism markets. Australia is a billion-pound tourism market for the UK, its fifth most valuable. India is a significant growth market, its value growing 63 per cent in the five years to 2019 to a record GBP 753 million in visitor spending. Canadian visitors to the UK spent a record GBP 734 million in 2019.
Source : Travel World
