When Britain opens its doors to the world, it doesn’t do it quietly, and this time, it’s rolling out the red carpet for the people who matter most: the global travel trade.
VisitBritain is welcoming more than 70 international travel buyers from 11 overseas markets on a series of immersive educational journeys across England, Scotland and Wales, in a strategic push to grow the UK’s inbound visitor economy, forecast to be worth £34.6 billion in 2025.
Running from 30 January to 5 February, the tailored programs will see buyers experience Britain the old-fashioned way: in person, on the ground, and with their notebooks open. From the Roman elegance of Bath to the industrial revival of Birmingham, coastal Dorset to historic Durham, and from the rolling Scottish Borders down to South Wales, the itineraries are designed to sell Britain as it is today: dynamic, diverse, and very much open for business.
The visiting delegation represents a formidable spread of inbound powerhouses, including the UK’s three most valuable markets, the United States, France and Germany, alongside buyers from Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, and the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries. For UK tourism operators, this is not window dressing; it’s frontline sales activity with long-term commercial impact.
By offering firsthand access to new, upgraded, or lesser-known tourism products, VisitBritain expects many of these experiences to be programmed into international itineraries for the first time or given renewed prominence in existing tour portfolios. It’s a classic case of “see it to sell it”, a principle the travel industry has lived by for generations.
A standout feature of the visits is Britain’s growing portfolio of film and television-inspired experiences, riding the momentum of VisitBritain’s ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign. The campaign has already demonstrated commercial impact, generating an estimated £217 million in additional international visitor spending between its launch in January 2025 and June this year. In hard-headed terms, that’s a £20 return for every £1 invested, numbers that make treasurers smile, and marketers breathe easier.
Behind the scenes, VisitBritain’s in-country teams have worked closely with England’s Local Visitor Economy Partnerships (LVEPs), Destination Development Partnerships (DDPs), VisitScotland, and Visit Wales to craft four-to-seven-day itineraries tailored to each market’s travel style and commercial realities. The aim is simple: match the right experiences with the right buyers, and let the product do the talking.
VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said the program is about turning awareness into action.
“We look forward to welcoming international visitors from all corners of the world to build their awareness of Britain’s outstanding tourism offer, boosting the economy by supporting our magnificent attractions and hospitality businesses,” Yates said.
“Our in-country teams have worked with our nations and regions to produce itineraries, which highlight that Britain is full of fresh, exciting experiences to come and enjoy right now. These include fantastic film and TV-inspired activities, which are in the spotlight thanks to our Starring GREAT Britain campaign.”
Before setting off on their regional explorations, buyers will convene in London for the Britain & Ireland Marketplace, held on 30 January at the InterContinental London – The O2. Organised by ETOA in partnership with UKinbound and VisitBritain, the one-day event brings together national and regional destinations, attractions, and suppliers for targeted one-to-one appointments and networking, still the lifeblood of effective travel trade business.
For Britain’s tourism sector, the message is refreshingly straightforward. This is not about glossy slogans or fleeting clicks. It’s about relationships, product confidence, and showing the world, quite literally, what Britain does best.
More information on VisitBritain’s ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign and international travel trade activity is available at www.visitbritain.org.
