Some of the Lake District’s top attractions and accommodation providers will head to America next week to promote Cumbria.
Destination Britain North America 2022 is the first large scale international trade mission since the pandemic and has been organised by VisitBritain, the national tourism agency responsible for developing Britain’s visitor economy.
Cumbria Tourism will be among those promoting the Lake District, Cumbria as the ideal destination for American and Canadian travellers.
Businesses involved include English Heritage, Honister Slate Mine, Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, Mountain Goat Tours, Muncaster Castle & Gardens, The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, Windermere Lake Cruises and Wordsworth Grasmere.
Accommodation providers taking part include Classic Lodges Hotels, English Lakes Hotels, Lake District Country Hotels and Langdale Leisure.
Funding from the Department of International Trade’s Internationalisation Fund, which supports those businesses ready to undertake international activity, has enabled businesses to deliver activity such as attending the event to help support critical international recovery.
Prior to the pandemic, the USA was a vital market for tourism in the UK. About 5.4 million North American visitors – including Canadians – came to the UK in 2019, representing over one in every 10 international arrivals. The US accounted for 15 per cent of spend by international visitors spending £4.18 billion in 2019.
Francine Bult, sales and marketing executive with Cumbria Tourism, who is part of the delegation, said: “Before the pandemic, 14 per cent of visitors to Cumbria were from overseas. With two internationally recognised World Heritage Statuses, that is a trend set to increase in coming years. We will be working side by side with all these top-class Cumbrian businesses to cement the county’s reputation as a world-class visitor experience.”
Jennifer Cormack, sales and marketing Director for Windermere Lake Cruises will also be part of the delegation.
She said: “After all the disruption to travel caused by the pandemic, this trade mission offers a perfect chance to gain exposure to extremely valuable and potentially lucrative markets in the USA and Canada. It will give our world class attractions direct access to extremely valuable markets which in turn will help develop the county’s vital visitor economy.”
Peter Frost-Pennington, of Muncaster Castle, added: “For many years Muncaster has worked hard to attract more American and Canadian visitors to this wonderful part of the world. It is an important market for us and we know they love our history and heritage. This trade mission will be the perfect opportunity to renew and strengthen our links with travel operators there and encourage more international visitors to come and experience the place Ruskin described as the gateway to paradise.”
The Destination Britain North America trip will enable businesses to meet face-to-face with up to 60 key travel organisers across the US and Canada. It takes place in Washington DC from September 8 to 11.
