LONDON — VisitBritain is counting down the days until its annual flagship trade event ExploreGB Virtual, taking place from Feb. 27 to March 3.
The five-day program of virtual events will bring together over 200 global buyers to connect online and conduct business with 320 tourism industry suppliers and destinations from across Britain.
Destinations and suppliers will be able to promote their tourism products and services to buyers from more than 20 countries, including Canada, Australia, China, the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) markets, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United States. More than 10,000 pre-scheduled one-to-one virtual business meetings will take place during the event.
“We are excited to be hosting our flagship trade event, connecting global travel trade buyers with British suppliers to do business, highlighting the latest tourism products, experiences and innovations, as well as promoting our welcome,” said Paul Gauger, VisitBritain’s Executive Vice President, The Americas, Australia & New Zealand.
“Our priority is to build back international visitor value, driving the strong recovery we have seen. ExploreGB is a timely opportunity to work with our travel trade partners to boost bookings now and to broaden travel itineraries, encouraging visitors to stay longer and explore further,” added Gauger.
ExploreGB Virtual accommodates all time zones with a scheduled program of one-to-one virtual appointments for suppliers and international buyers from both short- and long-haul destinations. Delegates can manage their own diaries across the event with the virtual platform.
The event will conclude on March 3 with VisitBritain hosting ‘PR Connect,’ during which Destination Management Organizations across England, Scotland and Wales will have one-to-one meetings with VisitBritain international teams, sharing stories to inspire travel to Britain.
ExploreGB Virtual follows VisitBritain’s ‘Showcase Britain’ event earlier this month, which saw 120 international buyers from 16 markets participate in educational visits across Britain.
NEW CAMPAIGN
Later this month, VisitBritain will also be launching its new multi-million-pound ‘GREAT Britain’ campaign in markets currently seeing strong recovery and growth, including Canada, the United States, the GCC countries and major European markets like France, Germany and Spain. The campaign will encourage visitors to ‘See Things Differently,’ positioning Britain as a fun and inclusive destination and highlighting major events taking place in 2023. These include the Coronation of King Charles III in May, and the Liverpool hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, also in May.
