New programme to showcase the county kicks off with major event in Germany
Cumbria Tourism will be helping to showcase the county at one of the international cruise industry’s leading events in Germany next week, as a busy autumn of large-scale trade events gets underway.
Working alongside Associated British Ports (ABP) Barrow, Cumbria Tourism staff will be attending Seatrade Europe in Hamburg next week (Wednesday 11- Friday 13 September 2019) to help stimulate awareness of Barrow as a visitor gateway to the county as a whole.
It’s hoped that securing further cruise ships into Barrow would have major knock on benefits for tourism by attracting higher-spending visitors not only to the Furness Peninsula, but also to the West Coast, the Lake District and beyond.
As the county’s official Destination Management Organisation, the Cumbria Tourism team will be highlighting the accessibility of ‘hidden gems’ to cruise ship operators, who will be planning itineraries for their passengers during potential stop-offs at Barrow over the next couple of years.
Seatrade Europe is just the start of a packed calendar of events over the coming weeks, with Cumbria Tourism also heading to VisitBritain’s annual International Business Exchange (better known as ‘VIBE’). Then it’s the Group Travel and Leisure Show, where Cumbria Tourism will be representing tourism businesses in partnership with Northern Print Distribution (NPD).
That’s followed by World Travel Market in early November – a huge three-day event at ExCeL London, which brings together almost 5,000 exhibiting companies and more than 51,000 visitors including both domestic and group travel operators.
The events are opportunities to forge one-to-one relationships on behalf of local tourism businesses and put our region at the forefront of their minds. 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.
It also comes hot on the heels of Cumbria Tourism launching the ‘English Lake District India Forum’ this summer. The organisation has also hosted a series of VIP overseas visits, with more than fifty top travel tour operators, travel agents and influencers visiting the county so far this year.
Sales and Marketing Manager at Cumbria Tourism, Sue Clarke says, “We rounded off a summer of large-scale visitor events at the prestigious Chatsworth Country Fair last week, where we promoted the Lake District, Cumbria, as a ‘must see’ destination. The focus over the Autumn will now be on the travel trade and strengthening our relationships with influential contacts both in the UK and overseas.
She adds, “This activity is vital for stimulating the future growth and prosperity of Cumbria’s tourism sector. Working with one of our ‘Strategic Partners’ ABP Barrow to raise the profile of the town as a cruise destination is just one small part of the work we are doing to actively engage with decision-makers who could help futureproof our £3billion tourism industry in challenging times.”
Divisional Port Manager at Associated British Ports, Carl Bevan, says, “Seatrade is a hugely important industry event. Cumbria Tourism and ABP working together as Strategic Partners, need to showcase Cumbria and get in front of the decision makers so that we can influence itineraries. There is strong growth expected for the round the UK cruise market in future years and the Port of Barrow is a great entry point for the west of the region as well as the National Park. This is a great opportunity to market the region and support the plan to bring more cruise ships into Barrow.”
