The Cumbria Tourism team will be flying the flag for the county at four key trade shows, starting with one of the international cruise industry’s leading events in Lisbon.
Working alongside Associated British Ports (ABP) Barrow, key staff will be attending Seatrade Cruise Med in Portugal next week (Wednesday 19-Thursday 20 September 2018) to help stimulate awareness of Barrow as a visitor gateway to the county as a whole.
As the county’s official Destination Management Organisation, the Cumbria Tourism team will be highlighting the accessibility of the west coast, the Lake District and other Cumbrian gems to cruise ship operators putting together itineraries for their passengers during potential stop-offs at Barrow.
Seatrade Cruise Med is the start of a packed calendar of events over the coming weeks, with Cumbria Tourism also heading to the Group Travel and Leisure Show at Birmingham’s NEC to represent tourism businesses in early October, in partnership with Northern Print Distribution (NPD).
It’s a chance to forge one-to-one relationships with both domestic and group travel operators on behalf of local tourism businesses, and put the Lake District, Cumbria at the forefront of their minds.
That’s followed by VisitBritain’s annual International Business Exchange – better known as VIBE – and then World Travel Market at London’s Olympia in early November. As well as promoting the county, Cumbria Tourism will be gathering information about the latest travel trends and market insights from a range of global tourism specialists.
Sales and Marketing Manager at Cumbria Tourism, Sue Clarke says, “Over the summer, the team were out and about at large-scale visitor events such as Countryfile Live to spread the word about our wonderful county. Now we’re gearing up for high-profile events with the travel trade, to help convince operators that the Lake District, Cumbria, is a ‘must see’ destination. Strengthening relationships with influential contacts both in the UK and overseas is vital for stimulating our £2.9 billion tourism sector’s future growth and prosperity.”
She adds, “To get this autumn’s events underway, we’re thrilled to be working with one of our new ‘Strategic Partners’ ABP Barrow to raise the profile of the town as a cruise destination.”
Divisional Port Manager at Associated British Ports, Carl Bevan, says, “ABP are working with Cumbria Tourism to look to secure further cruise ships into Barrow. With the ‘around the UK’ market growing and with an optimistic future, we want to support visitors coming to Cumbria through the port. We hope more visitors will explore the Furness Peninsula and the quieter part of this fabulous county.”
