Visit West has experienced staff who have been working with the travel trade and forging relationships with key operators to attract groups and independent visitors to our region for many years. We would encourage all member businesses who wish to attract international visitors and domestic groups to work in this sphere. We can help your business become ‘travel trade ready’ by working with you to understand some of the key points to consider when entering this market:
- What does the industry look like and how does it work?
- Do you have the systems and staff in place to be able to effectively take the bookings?
- Is your pricing strategy agreed?
- Who are your target markets and why?
- Are you prepared to work collaboratively with other businesses?
- What does the welcome look like for international visitors?
We can advise on current trends and pass on ‘warm’ sales leads. We also host familiarisation trips throughout the year, often as part of a travel trade event, where you are able to showcase your business direct to buyers.
Working with the travel trade can be long-lead project as parts of the industry work on an 18-month to two-year lead time from initial conversations to inclusion in itineraries and then welcoming visitors. We can help you learn more about the travel trade sector, find out how to make the most of missions, exhibitions and events and give tips on hosting familiarisation trips (often called 'educationals') and introducing buyers to your products.
Useful links:
Launched in 2023 by Visit West and b2me Tourism Marketing. Travel Trade Ready is a platform designed to support any business looking to work more effectively with the Travel Trade. It provides a combination of learning through video and a comprehensive jargon buster. A series of short tests analyse how your business aligns against the ten key criteria of a variety of buyers that you would like to consider working with. Travel Trade Ready is a unique and powerful tool - and completely free!
An overview of what the travel trade is and how it works, as well as links to country profiles with research for those looking to engage with the international trade.
A huge resource to enable businesses to research the industry and become travel trade ready broken down into 22 different themes for easier bite-size research.
Established in 1977, the only trade association that represents the interests of the UK’s inbound tourism sector by lobbyin government on key industry issues and running an events programme on behalf of its members.
The European Tour Operators Association, a pan-Europe trade association with over 1,200 members providing a powerful voice at local, national and European levels. They also run eight flagship travel trade events.
Please get in touch if you are interested in attracting international visitors and working with the travel trade.
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Find out about what Visit West do, who we are and how we support Bristol, Bath and the region.
