VisitBritain gears up for NA trade fair in San Francisco

VisitBritain is getting ready for its Destination Britain North America trade event, which will take place from September 7th to 10th in San Francisco.

Roughly 70 suppliers in the industry and around 50 buyers from North America are anticipated to join in the yearly three-day trade exhibition. This event will be spearheaded by VisitBritain Chairman, Nick de Bois CBE, and will encompass a whopping 2,500 individual business meetings.

Travel enthusiasts and journalists from North America will have a valuable opportunity to engage with tourism providers from Britain, uncovering the newest offerings and advancements in the country's vibrant tourism sector.

The suppliers from Britain consist of accommodations, sites of interest for tourists, companies managing destinations, operators offering tours and sightseeing, and various local destinations spread throughout the entire regions and countries.

FIND OUT MORE: Improvement in tourism - Canadian trips to Britain have increased by 3% compared to 2019.

"De Bois expressed his enthusiasm in leading this year's mission during a press release on Tuesday (Aug. 29), stating that the Destination Britain North America trade event organized by VisitBritain has been instrumental in generating new business opportunities for over ten years."

North America is playing a vital role in reviving the tourism industry in the UK. This presents a great chance for British travel providers and destinations to showcase their offerings and engage with influential buyers. By doing so, they can enhance their bookings and stimulate business growth. Moreover, this is an incredible opportunity to spread our message of hospitality and gain insights directly from buyers regarding the factors and patterns influencing North American travelers' outbound journeys.

In addition to displaying the thrilling attractions and advancements in British tourism, our main goal is to expand travel plans, motivating travelers from North America to venture deeper into the country using our various entry points. We also encourage visitors to come at any time of the year and extend their stay, which will help stimulate the local economies.

Paul Gauger, the Executive Vice President for the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand at VisitBritain, emphasized the importance of establishing strong connections with the global travel industry in order to effectively promote travel to the United Kingdom.

"Our main focus at the moment is to further capitalize on the impressive progress we have observed," Gauger expressed.

In addition to conducting business, participants and journalists will also be exposed to discussions on global travel industry trends. They will attend informative sessions conducted by London & Partners, VisitEngland, VisitScotland, and Visit Wales to enhance their understanding of Britain as a desirable holiday spot and create a sense of urgency to explore it.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the number of Canadian tourists visiting the U.K. in 2022 increased by three percent compared to 2019. A staggering 897,000 Canadians made their way across the pond, setting a new record. Additionally, they spent a remarkable total of $1.57 billion CAD, which is a significant 27 percent increase from 2019.

According to VisitBritain, the impressive expansion has persisted throughout 2023.

Flight reservations from North America to the United Kingdom are presently showing a 15 percent increase when compared to the numbers from 2019.

VisitBritain has been taking advantage of this expansion through its extensive GREAT Britain marketing campaign in Canada and the United States, which kicked off earlier this year with a significant investment.

Make sure you don't miss out on any travel stories by subscribing to PAX today! Tap here to stay updated with PAX on Facebook.