.English Riviera Welcomes Travel Trade.
4/2/2019
Business Improvement District Showcases Resorts.
02.04.19
The English Riviera shone and shimmered like a true Riviera
should last week as the UK travel trade made a bee-line for this iconic
destination.
The
English Riviera Group Buyer Showcase – arranged by the
English Riviera BID Company [Business Improvement District] – attracted coach
and tour operators and GTOS from all over the country for a three day familiarisation
visit in the sunshine [26-28 March.]
With group bookings in mind for the many tourism
businesses there and coordinated by group travel specialists Steve Reed Tourism
Ltd, the seaside towns of Torquay, Babbacombe and Paignton joined forces to
give the tour buyers an experience to relish.
The hotels involved in hosting the tour buyers
included The Carlton Hotel; the Grand Hotel; Abbey Sands Hotel, the Livermead
Cliff Hotel and the Redcliffe Hotel.
Attractions opening their doors to the buyers included
the Babbacombe Theatre; The Dartmouth Steam Railway; Kent’s Cavern; Torre Abbey
and Gardens; Bygones Museum and the Babbacombe Model Village.
Attendees were many and included for example Norman
Allen Group Travel from Hereford; Simply Groups from Yorkshire; Albatross Group
from Kent; Cabin Coaches from Essex and Miki Travel from London. Some top group
travel organisers from around the country joined this group helping to provide
some combined buying power.
The group also participated in the annual English Riviera Show also arranged by
the BID Company and housed in the English Riviera Centre. There the attendees
had another opportunity to meet and talk bookings directly with tourism
businesses in a special face to face workshop session.
And this year’s Gala Supper took place in the unique
setting of Kent’s Cavern. Stalagmites, stalactites and some curious bats added
to the convivial atmosphere at this iconic attraction.
The group also
took in a feedback session with the delegates at the Babbacombe Hotel.
Carolyn Custerson is the CEO of the
English Riviera BID Company:
‘This was the
second successive Group Buyer Showcase we have had in Torbay and our initial
findings are that the event is sure to bring bookings for our partners in the
BID,’ Says Carolyn.
‘We are so glad that many tourism businesses hosted
the attendees so well and gave them food for thought when booking their group
tours.’
Anyone wishing
to find out more of the English Riviera group travel offering should contact
Angela Wright:
Email: angela@englishrivierabid.co.uk;
Tel: [01803]
296296
Ends.
Please see attached photograph:
·
Some of the delegates at the English
Riviera Centre in Torquay.
·
Some of the delegates at Babbacombe
overlooking the seafront.
·
Bookings under discussion at the workshop
session.