VISITBRITAIN, VISITENGLAND AND THE COACH TOURISM COUNCIL ANNOUNCE MAJOR NEW PARTNERSHIP AROUND DOMESTIC COACH TOURISM AND BoBI 2010
[London, 3 July 2009] Britain’s coach tourism businesses are to benefit from new initiatives agreed today (3 July). National tourism organisations VisitBritain and VisitEngland have joined forces with the Coach Tourism Council (CTC) to raise the prominence of domestic coach tourism, worth £2.4bn to the UK’s economy.
The coach industry will now have a stronger voice in the future development of the domestic tourism industry through close engagement with the recently created VisitEngland particularly through its policy-making and marketing functions. The plans will help ensure a high profile for the coach operating community in Best of Britain & Ireland (BoBI) 2010, the UK’s national showcase for domestic tourism being staged at Olympia, London from March 17th –20th 2010, as the centrepiece of British Tourism Week (15 – 21 March 2010).
As part of this strategic link-up, CTC will work closely with the show organisers of Best of Britain & Ireland to support their Hosted Buyer Programme, similar to VisitBritain’s current Overseas Buyer scheme, whereby up to 200 senior volume buyers from the largest coach operators and group travel organisers will be offered tailored packages including accommodation, familiarisation trips, dinner and entertainment during Best of Britain & Ireland Travel Trade Forum – the trade-only element of BoBI, which will run on the Wednesday (March 17th) and the Thursday (March 18th) of British Tourism Week.
These VIP Buyer invitations will include an exclusive evening reception for the Coach Industry at the House of Lords. Hosted by VisitBritain and National Tourist Boards with senior political representatives from Westminster and the GLA, the event will allow coach operators to talk to minsters and others about the key issues affecting coach tourism in London and the UK.
CTC will also be working closely with its members to raise the public profile of modern coach tourism on the two consumer days of BoBI, which this year will be held on Friday (March 19th) and Saturday (March 20th) 2010.
Lady Cobham, Chairman of VisitEngland said: “Following on from the recent appointment of Denis Wormwell, CEO of Shearings, to the VisitEngland Board, these initiatives further recognise the value of coach tourism to the domestic tourism market and reflect a commitment to work closely with the CTC to ensure that coach tourism takes its place within our policy, marketing and PR agendas. We recognise the coaching industry as a key partner in developing our emerging policy agenda for an environmentally sustainable and economically successful English visitor economy.”
Sean Taggart, Chair of the Coach Tourism Council said “Today’s announcement heralds a new era of close cooperation between the coach tourism community and the National Tourist Boards which will help us much more effectively promote and importance of our industry within government, and the policy and marketing issues affecting us”.
“We recognise the importance of a strong national showcase for domestic tourism and the CTC is delighted to be wholeheartedly and actively involved in helping to deliver a major presence from the coach operating community at British Tourism Week and BoBI 2010”.
Sandie Dawe, chief executive of VisitBritain said: “Coach tourism and group travel have long been popular ways to experience a destination and they remain so today. Like other sectors of our varied industry, operators and organisers have very specific needs and deserve our support and encouragement through the current downturn. The measures we announce today will help ensure their voice is heard at the highest levels and give them the access they need to ensure their customers enjoy a quality experience time and again.”
Chris Wales, CEO of the Coach Tourism Council said: “We applaud Best of Britain & Ireland’s highly innovative Hosted Buyer programme for senior figures from the major coach operators, which gives proper recognition to the stature and buying power of the coach industry. We will be working closely with the BoBI organisers to ensure the Hosted Buyer scheme is accurately tailored to fit the needs of our members.
This is just one in a series of new initiatives we will be developing with the organisers to ensure that the BoBI 2010 exhibitor line-up and visitor content has maximum appeal for the coach operating community and will so deliver a strong attendance at BoBI 2010 from our industry as a whole.”
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