The UK Tourism Board's largest tourism trade fair (ExploreGB) was held from May 8 to 10 in England. TravelPulse Quebec was there and brings you the latest highlights of the event.

The fifth edition of ExploreGB, which was held this year in Harrogate, the second most visited city in Yorkshire County, in the north of England, ended on a positive note as some 600 suppliers and buyers from 22 countries, including Canada, had the opportunity to meet and forge new partnerships.

"For this fifth edition, 25,000 business meetings were held between the different buyers and suppliers," VisitBritain President and CEO Sally Balcombe said at the opening ceremony of the event.

During her presentation, she claimed that 2019 would be a great year for tourism in the UK, as the destination will celebrate the fact that several movies and TV shows have been shot in the country, including the must-see Games of Thrones and Harry Potter.

"About a third of the people who visit us do so because of what they saw on television or on the big screen," she said. A lot of exciting things will happen in 2019, from a cultural and sporting point of view as well as product development. "

While the theme of 2018 was "The Year of the Sea," 2019 will be "the year of the discovery of Wales", its beautiful landscapes, culture and ziplines, said Ms. Balcombe, exhorting visitors to the fair to visit Scotland to discover its world-class attractions.

"Across the country, we have new hotels, new products, and an unparalleled gastronomic offer," she told the crowd of journalists, suppliers and buyers gathered at the convention center of Harrogate, where the event took place.

Canadian market growth

In 2018, 37, 8 million tourists visited the United Kingdom, mostly French, which is the destination's main international market.

In the Canadian market, 897,000 visitors are expected in 2019, an increase of 6% from 2018, said Patricia Yates, Director of Communications and Strategy for VisitBritain.

Ms. Yates attributes this growth to the increased capacity of WestJet and its new flights from Calgary to London.

England off the beaten track

"Great Britain is an interesting destination for Canadians, particularly because of the historical links between the two countries and the linguistic connection," she said, adding that VisitBritain's goal was to attract more Canadians visitors outside of London to show them the cultural and gastronomic diversity of the country.

"Food and beverages are very popular with Canadians and that's why we decided to organize a familiarization trip to areas in southwestern England, such as Devon and Cornwall, other lesser known regions such as Yorkshire, "said Yates.

"We have delicious local specialties in the Yorkshire area; gin also creates a boom in the industry now, so we take the opportunity to introduce visitors to local gin, local cakes as well as afternoon tea, which is something very British and that allows the visitors to easily learn more about our culture."

During 2020, 40 million tourists are expected in the United Kingdom.

VisitBritain's Director of Trade in Canada, Lynda Falcone, explained that once again, the event was a great success for the 17 tour operators present.

"This allowed them to give them different perspectives on the different products offered in Britain and they all left feeling confident and motivated to add new products to their offer," she said.

"It allows me to discover new ideas for my customers who have been to London several times and want to discover something different," said Julie Garnett, Travel Agent for Freedom Tours, who participated in ExploreGB for the second time. This is the perfect opportunity to broaden their horizons as well as mine,” she concluded.

To find out more about the UK's tourism offering or product development for the trade, click here.