UKinbound Teams up with Visit West for Exclusive Discover Workshop in Bristol and Bath

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

UKinbound was thrilled to host 25 top tour operator buyers from its network in the vibrant cities of Bristol and Bath this past weekend, in collaboration with Visit West, as part of its esteemed Discover Workshop programme.

These workshops serve as a crucial link, connecting trade buyers nationwide who specialize in selling UK holidays to international visitors with a diverse array of local enterprises, including attractions, sightseeing firms, and hotels, all eager to draw more international guests.

Arriving in the region via Great Western Railway, the buyers engaged in over 400 appointments, participating in a morning filled with speed dating-style meetings with local businesses. Additionally, they explored various local attractions, such as Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Wake the Tiger Amazement Park, The Roman Baths, and Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein.

Inbound tourism to the UK stands as a vital export sector, as international visitors tend to extend their stays and contribute significantly to the visitor economy. In 2022, the Visit West region welcomed an estimated 800,000 international staying trip visits, injecting over £370 million into the local economy and sustaining numerous jobs within the industry. Although this figure marks a decline from the record high of 1.1 million international staying visits in 2019, which generated £400 million in spend, further insights into inbound visits during 2023 are anticipated with the release of additional International Passenger Survey (IPS) data expected later this year, offering valuable perspectives on the industry’s trajectory.

Joss Croft OBE, CEO UKinbound said: “Bristol and Bath have so much to offer international travellers looking to visit the UK, and I’m really pleased that we were able to bring this fantastic group of buyers to the region, giving them opportunity to see what’s on offer and how they can incorporate theses cities into the itineraries they sell to international visitors.”   

Kathryn Davis, Managing Director, Visit West said: “I am delighted that the Discover Bath and Bristol event has been a huge success.  We have been able to showcase some of the region’s key trade ready businesses to buyers representing global business and support local organisations to develop new routes to market through the travel trade. Working with the trade opens huge opportunities and our membership of, and close working relationship with UKInbound, is critical to this success.”

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