There’s something rather reassuring, almost old-fashioned in the best possible way, about regions pulling together instead of pulling apart. And last week in Birmingham, North East England did precisely that, stepping onto the national stage not as a collection of competing voices, but as a single, well-drilled chorus.
At the British Tourism and Travel Show, the UK’s premier gathering for group travel professionals, the region debuted as a united front under the Destination North East England banner. It was a move that felt less like a marketing exercise and more like a statement of intent.
Held annually in Birmingham, the show draws more than 2,000 travel buyers and over 200 exhibitors, a marketplace where itineraries are shaped, deals quietly struck, and reputations either built or forgotten. This year, North East England made sure it was firmly in the former category.
The stand itself was a who’s who of regional heavyweights: Visit County Durham, Visit Northumberland, NewcastleGateshead Initiative, alongside standout attractions including Alnwick Castle and The Alnwick Garden. Add in Beamish, Kynren, The Auckland Project, and a growing accommodation base, and suddenly the region isn’t just a stopover, it’s a fully-fledged itinerary.
The strategy was simple, but effective: make it easier for buyers to connect the dots.
And it worked.
Alex MacKenzie, Travel Trade Manager for Destination North East England, put it plainly:
“This was a great opportunity to bring the region together on one stand and be able to showcase the fantastic array of experiences; products and attractions we have to offer in the North East. By working in partnership, we were able to deliver a strong proposition for the region.”
There’s a quiet truth in that statement. Travel buyers, particularly in the group sector, don’t have the luxury of piecing together fragmented offerings. They want cohesion, clarity, and above all, ease. By presenting multiple partners side by side, North East England effectively removed the friction.
MacKenzie continued:
“The feedback we had on the day from buyers was fantastic saying it was great to be able to chat with more than one partner from the North East in one place and helped them piece together itineraries much easier.”
It’s not glamorous work, this business of trade shows. There are no sunsets or sweeping drone shots, just conversations, brochures, and a fair bit of shoe leather. But it remains one of the most reliable engines of tourism growth, particularly in the group market, which continues to rebound with quiet confidence.
And that market matters.
“The group travel market is a really important area of growth for the North East with more attractions and accommodation providers able to work with group travel organisers and we hope that the contacts we made at BTTS will bring new and exciting opportunities in the future,” MacKenzie added.
In other words, this wasn’t a one-off appearance; it was groundwork.
For a region often overshadowed by the usual UK tourism heavyweights, the message was clear: North East England is not waiting to be discovered. It is organising itself for choice.
For trade partners keen to tap into that momentum, the door is already open. Enquiries can be directed via the official travel trade platform: https://traveltrade.destinationnortheastengland.co.uk/.
In an industry that occasionally overcomplicates things, North East England’s approach feels refreshingly straightforward: collaboration over competition, substance over noise.
And if last week’s showing in Birmingham is anything to go by, it’s a strategy that’s already paying dividends.
by Bridget Gomez – (c) 2026.
Read Time: 2 minutes.
About the Author.
Bridget has never been built for stillness. Of Portuguese heritage, she began as a nurse, tending veterans at the Repatriation Hospital, listening to stories as colourful as the life she was yet to live. It was worthy, steady work, but wanderlust, as always, proved louder than routine.
So, she traded starch for a backpack and disappeared for a year, chasing trains, sunsets and the occasional regrettable glass of wine. She wrote everything down: the dust, the laughter, the missteps, the magic. Those notebooks became a travel blog, then a habit, then a calling.
Eventually, she found Global Travel Media, or perhaps it found her.
Today, Bridget writes with heart, humour and a dash of mischief, still travelling, just now with words.
