British Tourism & Travel Show confirms final line-up for 2016
The UK and Ireland's leading event for the domestic tourism and travel industry opens at the NEC next week
Representatives from ALVA, Visit Wales, Tourism Ireland, the National Trust and London & Partners are set to appear in The Tourism Society’s annual Question Time panel discussion at next week’s British Tourism & Travel Show; taking place at the NEC Birmingham on 16-17 March.
The session kicks off the 2016 Keynote programme at 10.30am on Wednesday 16 March, with a lively debate into the future of the domestic tourism sector – chaired by Bernard Donoghue, chairman of the Tourism Alliance and director of Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA). Mari Stevens, director of Marketing at Visit Wales, Gordon Innes, CEO of London & Partners, Vanessa Markey, head of Great Britain at Tourism Ireland, and Steve Brown, chairman of the National Trust’s Midlands Region Advisory Board are among the panellists adding their insights into the key challenges and opportunities ahead.
As in previous years, Donoghue will be inviting questions from the audience to put to the panel. Topics are likely to include: ALVA members’ visitor figures for 2015 (which revealed a 3.2% increase in visits across the UK, earlier this week), new tourism initiatives for 2016 (including Ireland’s Ancient East, Northern Ireland Year of Food and Drink, Wales’ Year of Adventure campaign), customer experience, the staycation market, and the referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union.
With around one in five visitors citing ‘group travel organiser’ as their primary job function, the pleasures (and pains) of facilitating group visits is the key focus for the panellists of Hudson’s ‘heritage attractions’ session, which opens the show’s second day of seminars (Thursday 17 March).
Examining the question ‘what makes a good heritage visit?’ will be Ian Lacey, who runs the visitor operation at the Houses of Parliament, Nick Moorhouse, director of operations at Hatfield House (one of the Treasure House of England) and Ray Biggs, access manager at Grimsthorpe & Drummond Castle Trust, and chair Sarah Greenwood, publisher of Hudson’s Historic Houses & Gardens. Representatives from the National Trust and National Trust for Scotland will also be in attendance.
Previously confirmed Keynote speakers include former MP and cabinet minister Michael Portillo, Countryfile presenter Adam Henson, and British Army veteran Simon Weston CBE. Nick Greenfield, head of tour operator relations at ETOA, Anthony Rawlins, founder of Bristol-based digital agency Digital Visitor, Alf Scrimgour, operations & tourism executive at the CPT, and walking expert Andrew White complete the 2016 seminar programme.
For full timings and seminar summaries, please visit www.tourismshow.co.uk/education.
The very best of Britain and Ireland
From its vibrant cities and historic towns to beautiful countryside and rugged coastlines, the UK and Ireland’s tourism product has been called “the envy of the world”. And British Tourism & Travel Show’s eclectic menu of exhibitors for 2016 – including over 260 leading visitor attractions, venues, destinations, hotels, transport providers, associations and DMOs showcasing the best of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – certainly offers its 3,000+ visitors plenty of choice for their customers.
Confirmed exhibitors include The Abbey and Central Hotels, ADS: Smart Tourism Solutions, Bletchley Park, The Clarendon Hotel, Chatsworth Hotel, The Churches Conservation Trust, Exciting Education, Expandasign UK, Great National Hotels & Resorts, Great Scotland, The Hamlet Court Hotel, Queensway Hotels, Visit Lichfield, Merlin Entertainments, MV Balmoral – White Funnel, Papa Sam’s Food, Puratech, Destination Wales, tosay.co, and Winnock Hotel.
To view the exhibitor list, please visit www.tourismshow.co.uk/who-exhibits.
British Tourism and Travel Show takes place at the NEC Birmingham on 16-17 March 2016. For more information and to register for a free trade ticket, please visit www.tourismshow.co.uk and enter priority code BTTS200 (direct link: www.eventdata.co.uk/Visitor/TourismShow.aspx?TrackingCode=BTTS200).
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