Northern England’s visitor offer is taking centre stage in India this October as VisitBritain teams up with Marketing Manchester and industry partners to deliver the tourism programme as part of the landmark North of England Mayoral trade mission.
The ambition is to convert demand from one of the UK’s fastest growing and most valuable inbound visitor markets into economic growth across Northern England, encouraging Indian visitors to travel beyond London, explore more, stay longer and spend more.
The ‘England’s Great North Destination Showcase 2026’ takes place in Delhi (12-13 October) and Mumbai (14-15 October), cities that together account for almost half of all visits to the UK from India.
Destinations including Marketing Manchester, Cumbria Tourism, Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership, West Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership and Experience North East England are joining the showcase alongside tourism businesses and attractions from across the North. They are doing business directly with 150 leading Indian travel buyers and media to convert the growing interest in Northern England into bookable tourism products, new partnerships and expanded itineraries.
The mission forms part of a long-term focus to grow Northern England’s share of the Indian visitor market, broaden itineraries beyond traditional gateways and spread the economic and social benefits of tourism across the region.
VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said:
“We are proud to be working alongside Mayors, destinations and industry leaders from across the North of England to support the tourism programme for the inaugural North of England Mayoral Delegation to India, one of our fastest growing markets.
“Drawing on our in-market expertise and relationships in India, we are telling the story of the North of England’s outstanding tourism offer, from its vibrant cities, rich heritage and spectacular scenery to world-class sporting grounds and visitor experiences. Working directly with the travel trade in India gets our products sold and broadens itineraries, so visitors explore further, stay longer and spend more.
“Strong and growing air connectivity between India and the regional gateway of Manchester is making it easier than ever for visitors to discover more. With India forecast to become a £1.5 billion visitor market for the UK by 2030, our destination showcase event is a timely and valuable opportunity to drive growth and visitor spending across the region and beyond.”
Chair of The Great North, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said:
“The North of England has so much to be proud of and we want more people around the world to come and experience it for themselves. From our great cities and breathtaking coast and countryside, to our music, culture, food and world-famous sport, we have an incredible story to tell – and we want to make it easier for visitors to discover even more of England and everything the North has to offer.
“India is a hugely important and growing visitor market, and this mission is about turning that opportunity into more visitors, new experiences and more money being spent in communities right across the North.
“We want to build a lasting relationship with India – putting the North firmly on the world stage and creating new reasons for people to come here. We’re delighted to be taking the North to India this October, and I’ll be just as proud to welcome our Indian friends back to the North of England.”
Victoria Braddock, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester, said:
“India is a key market for Manchester’s visitor economy. Our region already welcomes 21,000 visitors from India each year, contributing £8.7 million to our economy, but there is exciting potential for further growth. Working with VisitBritain and partners in market offers an important opportunity to showcase our destinations to Indian travel trade and inspire more visitors to experience everything Manchester and the wider North have to offer.
“Manchester’s role as a Global Gateway to the North means we can offer Indian visitors not just a fantastic city-region experience, but a great base from which to explore more of the country. By joining up our offer and taking it directly to the Indian market, we can encourage visitors to discover more, stay longer and support tourism growth across the UK. We’re also looking forward to welcoming Indian travel buyers to Manchester for ‘Spotlight Manchester: Gateway to Northern England and North Wales’, giving them the opportunity to experience the destination first-hand and discover the breadth of experiences available.”
Complementing the one-to-one business meetings, the ‘England’s Great North Destination Showcase 2026’ includes destination presentations, product seminars and networking events, providing a deeper dive for buyers into the North’s visitor offer and experiences that resonate with Indian visitors.
Delegates are showcasing bookable products spanning cricket, football and sporting tourism, culture and music, screen tourism, heritage attractions and premium travel experiences, converting interest in Northern England into bookings.
Building on connections made during the showcase, VisitBritain and Marketing Manchester are hosting Indian travel buyers and media in November for the ‘Spotlight Manchester: Gateway to Northern England and North Wales’ event, including educational visits. Promoting bookable experiences expands itineraries and strengthens trade partnerships to drive visits and visitor spending across the North.
It comes as VisitBritain’s research shows that those who have visited are 12% more likely to invest in the UK’s businesses, products and services.
VisitBritain continues its global ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ screen tourism campaign in India, using the powerful draw of film and TV locations to inspire visitors to come now. With its research showing that 94% of Indian travellers are interested in visiting film and TV locations during their trip, the campaign is driving visitor spending into destinations including the North of England. It also supports growing links between tourism and the creative industries, including major Bollywood productions being filmed in Britain from 2026 by India’s Yash Raj Films, strengthening the UK-India “Living Bridge”.
VisitBritain’s latest forecast is for 597,000 visits from India to the UK in 2026, with visitors estimated to spend £865 million during their trips. India is forecast to become a £1.5 billion inbound visitor market by 2030, increasing by 71% between 2026 and 2030, making it one of VisitBritain’s fastest-growing inbound tourism markets.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Quotes from India travel trade who will be meeting the destinations and suppliers:
Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited said:
“India and Britain share longstanding historical and cultural connections, which continue to shape strong travel ties between the two countries. The Great North offers an exciting opportunity to showcase a different side of the UK to Indian travellers, with destinations such as Manchester, Yorkshire, Liverpool, Newcastle and the Lake District bringing together rich heritage, culture, gastronomy, sport and exceptional experiences. We are delighted to work alongside VisitBritain and the Great North delegation to build greater awareness of these destinations among Indian travellers. As travellers increasingly seek more immersive, experiential and personalised holidays, the region holds strong potential, particularly among our premium and luxury travellers. We look forward to strengthening this partnership and bringing the Great North closer to Indian travellers.”
Jasmeet Singh, Chief Business Officer, Holidays and Experiences, MakeMyTrip, said:
“Indian travellers are increasingly looking to explore a destination in depth rather than only visit its best-known sights. The North of England is well placed to meet that demand, with its castles and historic cities, national parks, regional food and rail journeys. The visit by the Great North mayors is a timely opportunity to broaden the traditional UK itinerary beyond London. Through focused campaigns and curated holidays, we aim to make the North’s destinations more familiar to Indian travellers.”
Loveleen Multani Arun, Founder Director - Panache World, Bangalore said:
“The UK is and has always been a very significant destination for Panache World’s discerning clients. It has been a delight to notice a new found interest in Indian High Net Worth Individuals (HNI) to delve deeper into other places such as Manchester and Liverpool. Sporting events, better train connectivity, direct flight connections have all added to the demand. I was especially impressed by some of the luxury accommodation in the Lake District and we have already had clients stay in these manors! The new focus, that we sense, by VisitBritain’s team is definitely in the right direction and will become very productive in the coming years.”
Further information:
- For more information about the wider programme for the North of England Mayoral trade mission to India please read the press release link: ‘North of England Mayoral Delegation to India.’ North of England unites for the first-ever joint trade mission to India
- Further information about VisitBritain’s inbound tourism forecast for 2026 is on its website here: UK Inbound Travel & Tourism Statistics | VisitBritain.org
- For destination inspiration see: The Official Website For UK Tourism | VisitBritain
- The ‘Living Bridge’ is a term coined by the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi. It refers to the flow of people, ideas and culture between the UK and India.