That’s a wrap! The set has come down for the Destination Britain Americas conference, which took place in Riviera Maya, Mexico, and brought together 53 British tourism suppliers, 47 buyers from the U.S., Canada and Brazil, as well as media representatives from the U.S. and Canada. Throughout the conference, international buyers and media heard from an array of destinations—from Oxfordshire, Manchester, Bath, the Peak District and Liverpool to Wales and Scotland, among others—as well as top-tier experiences, getting the 411 on the diverse vacation offerings travelers can expect when traveling to Great Britain. A top draw for vacationers? The power of the small and big screen, with Britain offering a treasure trove of opportunities for visitors to explore the locations where iconic films and TV shows were brought to life.
The 3-day Destination Britain Americas included one-on-one meetings, educational breakfast presentations, interactive networking opportunities such as a Manchester tart-making class, dine-arounds throughout the host hotel, Paradisus La Perla, and a Hollywood-style gala dinner that paid homage to VisitBritain’s newest campaign, “Starring GREAT Britain,” with a red carpet and a British-inspired “Hollywood Walk of Fame.”
“This major trade mission brings our incredibly important Brazil, Canada and USA markets together with British suppliers to do business and drive economic growth,” said VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates. “We are shining the spotlight on the fantastic products and experiences on offer across Britain, making sure those are sold internationally, boosting Britain’s economy.
“Building product and destination knowledge broadens travels itineraries, so visitors can explore more of Britain, spreading the economic benefits of visitor spending across our nations and regions and supporting local jobs and businesses.”
It’s looking beyond the “honeypot destinations,” Paul Gauger, VisitBritain’s Executive VP, The Americas, Australia & New Zealand, told Recommend during a quick chat. There’s so much to see in Great Britain, he mentioned.
“The challenge for Britain is half of our international visitors don’t go outside London,” Yates added. “You don’t want people to think, ‘they’ve seen London, they’ve seen Britain.’ As a government agency, we want to encourage people to explore more of the nations and regions. ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ has absolutely given us a handle to do that because the destinations can all tell a story [around this]. We’ve committed two to three years to this campaign and that’s given both destinations and the travel trade the confidence to build products that can then be sold to tell that story and I think that’s a real success.”
The Destination Britain Americas conference also put the spotlight on the newly coined term, “regenerative travel,” which goes beyond sustainable travel to put the focus not on simply “treading lightly,” but on having travelers leave a destination better than when they arrived.
During a presentation on this topic, Gavin Landry, VisitBritain’s International Director, pointed to extensive research the tourism organization has conducted to make sure that they’re at the forefront when it comes to regenerative travel.
Their newly commissioned research highlights the social value of tourism, with 79 percent of the British public living in host communities—people who live and work in communities most impacted by tourism—proud that visitors come to the UK from around the world. That same research showed that nearly 60 percent of the public say that when they travel, they try to leave the place better than when they found it and nearly 80 percent of people surveyed felt more positive after traveling in the UK and more than 70 percent felt healthier and more replenished.
As VisitScotland’s Katie Bell, Assistant Market Development Manager, North America, told the audience, regenerative travel is about “turning intention into action.” Scotland is offered as a model of this movement within Britain as it has partnered with Tourism Cares, participating in its Meaningful Travel Map, an interactive global map that showcases sustainable, community-led organizations, products, services, accommodations and tours.
Not lost in the equation is the importance of travel advisors to the success of Great Britain’s tourism industry, with Yates telling Recommend that “the travel trade has become more important post-COVID. There’s so much information isn’t there, so when you are thinking about going to a destination, how do you make the choice and how do you think about some of the practicalities, you know? [Travel advisors] are even more important now.”
We’ll be doing more extensive coverage on Great Britain, touching on what’s new, hidden gems and where to book so your clients can walk the same “set” of their favorite TV show or film’s characters. Be sure to check back online and in our upcoming print editions.
