Marketing Manchester and Avanti Destinations have joined forces on a campaign to educate travel advisors about the potential of this northern English city as a gateway for independent travelers. Manchester has, in fact, emerged as an ideal hub for multi-destination British vacations, allowing travelers to easily access the Lake District, Peak District, Chester, Liverpool, Yorkshire Dales and Wales.
“Increasingly, FIT clients are looking for less-touristed destinations, as well as including several destinations on the same itinerary,” said Paul Barry, Avanti’s CEO, in a press statement. “With its international airport offering direct and nonstop flights on Aer Lingus and Virgin Atlantic, Manchester provides an appealing alternative to flying into London when your client has been to London several times before and is interested in exploring the towns and countryside in the north of England, Wales and Scotland.”
Avanti: Manchester is the Northern England Gateway for FITs
The campaign centers around a 36-page e-brochure titled “Manchester: Gateway to Northern England & Wales,” now available on Avanti’s travel advisor portal. Advisors can access this resource along with a recorded webinar for deeper insight into selling the destination.
Summer is an ideal time to visit Manchester, thanks to its favorable weather conditions and more affordable, readily available accommodations. The city’s compact center makes it easily walkable for tourists exploring its attractions.
Avanti currently offers three customizable vacation packages that include Manchester, with access to 12 hotels and 24 private and small group experiences. Seven of these experiences focus on food, wine, beer, or spirits, while eight offer excursions to surrounding regions, including the Lake District, Derbyshire, Peak District and Wales. Advisors can adjust stay durations in each location and modify destinations, tours and transfers to create personalized itineraries that match client interests, whether they focus on history, film, art, food or football.
The shareable e-brochure contains valuable background information on Manchester, detailing numerous city sights—many with no entrance fees—and providing direct air travel times from several U.S. gateways. It outlines three customizable 6-day, 5-night itineraries, eight 4- and 5-star hotels, and 15 tours and experiences in and around the city.
The Best of Manchester city stay includes a 3-hour private Locationist tour of TV and movie filming sites, a 3.5-hour private Eat the City food tour, and a 3-hour private city highlights tour, along with accommodation options and daily breakfast.
Best of Northern England combines Manchester with Liverpool via rail, featuring private transfers in both cities, a small group Spirit of Manchester distillery tour with gin tasting, the private Eat the City tour, a hop-on, hop-off bus tour, Beatles attractions in Liverpool including The Beatles Story exhibit and a private Mad Day Out Beatles taxi tour, plus an 11-hour small group excursion to Windermere, Lancaster and the Lake District.
For culinary enthusiasts, “British Bites” connects Manchester with Edinburgh, Scotland, though it can be modified to include York, London, or other UK destinations. This package includes rail travel between cities, craft beer and whisky experiences, food tours, the “Locationist” filming sites tour, a Manchester hop-on, hop-off bus tour and a private Edinburgh tour by Mini Cooper.
The 15 featured experiences range from a walking tour of the reinvented Salford Quays—once an industrial area now transformed into a hub for media, theater, film and football—to a river sightseeing cruise through the city. Football enthusiasts can choose from three different tours, including the National Football Museum and a behind-the-scenes experience at Manchester City’s stadium.
Food and beverage options include a 3-hour small-group Ancoats Taster walking tour through a former industrial area now renowned for its eclectic food scene, a 3-hour private Afternoon Tea Taxi tour featuring traditional treats, a 3.5-hour craft beer exploration of local breweries and an award-winning gin distillery tour.
For clients interested in exploring beyond the city, private day trips are available to nearby destinations including the Lake District, Peak District, Wales and the historic Roman city of Chester.
For more information, visit book.avantidestinations.com.
