Ireland, Scotland and Wales – what’s in store?

Representing the length and breadth of the British Isles, we’re thrilled to welcome back our regional pavilions from Tourism Ireland, Visit Scotland, and Visit Wales. Find out what they will be bringing to the 2018 show:

Tourism Ireland – Wild Atlantic Way

Tourism Ireland will be highlighting iconic experiences along the Wild Atlantic Way. This new initiativestretches from Malin Head in Co. Donegal to Kinsale in Co. Cork and is the longest defined coastal drive in the world. Visitors can drive, walk, cycle, horse ride or surf around breath-taking scenery and attractions along the 2,500km trail which takes in six regions; Northern Headlands, The Surf Coast, The Bay Coast, The Cliff Coast, Southern Peninsulas, The Haven Coast.

visitors can take in the most northerly point of Ireland at Malin Head on the Inishowen Peninsula and then can continue the journey to Fanad Head and its famous 200 year old lighthouse. They can navigate around the Slieve League cliffs before heading down through the Surf Coast, a firm favourite of surfers from all over the world and also home to the landscapes that inspired WB Yeats. They can spot dolphins at Killary Harbour, or take in the sunset at the Cliffs of Moher. Or they can also visit Skellig Michael, a key Star Wars filming location, or simply enjoy the vibrant culture and music on offer in one of the many villages, towns and cities along the route.

Stand partners include Select Hotels, Trinity Hospitality, White Hotel Group, Irish Heritage Trust, The Johnstown Estate, Titanic Hotel Belfast, HMS Caroline and Seamus Heaney HomePace.

Visit Scotland – Year of young people

Visit Scotland is promoting the ‘Year of young people’ for 2018. This features 12 months of events, activities and ideas, like adventure breaks, road trips, and music festivals, for young people or those that are ‘young at heart’. New openings also include the V&A Museum of Design, Dundee and the VisitScotland Expo 2018. The latest exhibitors to join the Visit Scotland stand include: Love Loch Lomond, Forth Boat Tours, Strathmore Hotels, Visit Aberdeen, and New Lanark Mills.

New Lanark Mills World Heritage Site will be promoting its new Group Visits Guide that highlights how groups can discover Scotland’s hidden past at this unique visitor attraction located by the picturesque Falls of Clyde. The guide includes details of the 3* New Lanark Mill Hotel that gives groups the opportunity to wake up in a World Heritage Site, and explains how coach operators can use the Mill Cafe as an alternative to the motorway services for a meal or refreshment stop-off.

Visit Wales – Year of the sea

Known for its rugged coastlines and vibrant waterways, Visit Wales is celebrating its ‘Year of the sea’ for 2018. Its latest initiative ‘The Wales Way’ promotes three new national routes on the coast, through castle country, and across mountainous heartland. These can also be crossed by loops and links, so that visitors can create a custom-built ‘Wales Way’ road-trip for their customers.

This new family of national routes lead great journeys through the country. The Coastal Way (180-mile / 290km) travels the west coast around Cardigan Bay, a road-trip between the sea and mountains. The Cambrian Way (185 miles / 300km) journeys between Llandudno and Cardiff, through National Parks and big spaces. The North Wales Way (75 miles / 120km) leads past mighty 13th century castles into the Isle of Anglesey. New travel trade friendly itineraries highlighting these routes are available.

New exhibitors to join the Visit Wales pavilion include: Destination Wales (THG Holidays), South West Wales, Welsh Water Visitor Attractions, Giant Hospitality, Great Little Trains of Wales, Newport, The Metropole Hotel & Spa, and Rhondda Heritage Park. They’ll join returning exhibitors: Slate Caverns, Celtic Royal Hotel, Royal Victoria Hotel Snowdonia, Cadw, Wales Millennium Centre, and Royal Mint Experience.

Find Tourism Ireland on stand C20, Visit Scotland on stand C7, and Visit Wales on stand F32.

British Tourism & Travel Show returns to NEC Birmingham on 21-22 March 2018. For further information and to register, please visit www.tourismshow.co.uk (direct link: https://eventdata.uk/Visitor/BTTS2018.aspx?TrackingCode=BTTSPR)