Taking Bath and Bristol to the world this autumn

The Visit West team are gearing up for a busy autumn promoting the Bath and Bristol region to international travel trade buyers across a series of high-profile events. In general, international visitors stay longer and spend more than domestic visitors. Visit West targets key inbound markets that are already important to the region and also those which have the possibility of significant growth in the next few years.

Key themes for 2025 include Austen250, the Women’s Rugby World Cup and Gromit Unleashed, in addition to the fabulous array of attractions, tours, experiences, places to eat and drink and, of course, places to stay. We will also be showcasing key developments taking place in 2026 and beyond. If you have yet to tell us your news and plans for 2025, now is the time to do it so we can take that information to the travel trade this autumn.

Australia Travel Trade Mission

Visit Britain have organised this travel trade mission, their first in-market since 2016, to take place from 8-13 September across three cities; Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Visit West will meet product managers and travel agents from each of these regions in a series of one-to-one meetings, group meetings and networking events.

2022 figures show that visiting Australians spend an average of 17 days in the UK (vs the 8 days UK average), spending more than double the global average (£1,547). Australia hit an all-time record for its inbound visitor value to the UK in Summer 2023.

Visit West hosted a group of Australian travel trade buyers on a familiarisation trip to Bath and Bristol in January 2024, so we are looking to build on this work and capitalise on this important market for our region.

UKinbound Annual Convention

This annual event is a key event in the calendar to reinforce relationships with UK-based contacts, particularly DMCs in a series of one-to-one meetings and networking events, as well as hearing from inspiring industry speakers. This year’s event is being held in Liverpool. Visit West is also on the long-list for two ‘Awards for Excellence’; Destination of the Year and Sustainable Tourism Provider of the Year. We will find out who has won at the end of event Gala Dinner to be held in Liverpool Cathedral.

Great West Way Marketplace

This two-day event in October sees a full day of online one-to-one meetings with official Great West Way tour operators followed by an in-person networking day at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. Bath and Bristol form an integral part of England’s Great West Way and this enables us to promote our aim of encouraging visitors to slow down and see more, exploring our destinations and the surround areas in more depth.

World Travel Market

Working in partnership with Cotswolds Plus LVEP, we are sharing a high-profile pod at this key industry event in early November. Over 50,000 industry colleagues attend WTM at London's ExCel each year and perhaps not surprisingly the Great Britain stand, organised by UKinbound, is one of the busiest. The three-day event enables us to meet buyers and media from across the world whilst also holding meetings with key DMC and industry contacts based in the UK.

Destination Britain MEA (Middle-East and Asia)

This new event sees hand-picked buyers from GCC, China, Japan, India and South Korea take part in a series of one-to-one meetings with destinations, attractions, hotel groups and DMCs alongside networking events. The event is being held in Bengaluru, India’s silicon valley, in late November.

Visit Britain forecasts expect that £1 in £5 spent by international visitors in the UK in 2024 will be contributed by visitors from these markets, a total value of £6.8 billion in spending. Visitors from this region spent on average £1,778 per visit in the UK, more than double the all market average of £830, based on the latest available reported data for January – September 2023.

Working with Visit Britain, we are also helping to host a familiarisation trip of eight luxury buyers from the Bengaluru area in September 2024, giving us a great head start with some key contacts.

Other ongoing activity

We also continue our ongoing work with English Heritage Cities, partnering with destinations across the country, and Great West Way, a touring route from London to Bristol, headed up by the team at Visit Wiltshire (more above).

Domestic groups

Alongside regular communications with our contacts, Visit West are organising a shared stand at the Group Leisure and Travel Show in Milton Keynes at the start of October. Any members wishing to stand-share under the Bath & Bristol banner should contact us as soon as possible.

More information: https://www.visitwest.co.uk/working-with-us/travel-trade-sales-and-marketing/latest-opportunities.