The Great West Way has officially opened at World Travel Market London today. Funded by the Discover England Fund, this new bookable touring route encompasses a 500-mile network of road, rail, river, canal and paths from London to Bristol, and has been brought to market by over 300 local tourism businesses and 23 Official Tour operators.
Great West Way Director David Andrews said, “As well as joining up many of England’s most iconic attractions, including Hampton Court Palace, Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Bath’s Roman Baths, the Great West Way also enables and encourages visitors to venture off the beaten track, explore more of the region and stay longer.
“As a multi-modal touring route, the first of its kind, the Great West Way offers a wealth of bookable itineraries that will attract a multitude of tourists from around the world and across the UK, so working closely with the travel trade is vital to maximize the potential this project has for bringing new visitors to our part of the world.”
The extensive travel trade outreach programme includes:
- A Great West Way Ambassador Network Scheme, which invites destinations and businesses along the route to invest and collaborate in the project in exchange for a presence across all platforms and promotional activity. Over 160 Ambassadors to date have signed up, including National Trust, Bristol Airport and Great Western Railway, whose support will contribute to the success and connectivity of the route.
- A Great West Way Official Tour Operator Scheme, which has 30 members to date, including key UK DMCs plus USA, Canadian, German and Dutch tour operators, all committed to selling a range of themed tours and itineraries along the Great West Way
- A Great West Way Travel Trade Directory which lists over 300 tourism businesses along the route and has been specifically designed to highlight bookable trade product, including suggested itineraries
Head of Travel Trade, Florence Wallace said, “The Great West Way has had a fantastic response from the travel trade so far, but our outreach continues. On 23 November, we will host our Marketplace networking event to bring suppliers and buyers together and we will have a presence at the trade shows in our key markets of Germany, the Netherlands and USA, with stand-sharing opportunities for our partners. We have also launched our extensive Travel Trade Directory and in Spring 2019 the route will host a global press invasion. It’s not too late to get involved in this exciting project.”
For more information please go to greatwestway.co.uk/traveltrade, or visit the UKinbound stand at World Travel Market, UKI400, pods 54 and 55.
