A NEW generation of attractions and tourism projects will be vying for business at this year’s British Travel Trade Fair, being held at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre from March22-23.
There will be representatives from the Millennium Dome, the London Eye, Edinburgh’s Dynamic Earth, @Bristol, the Glasgow Science Centre, the National Space Science Centre in Leicester and the new-look Portsmouth Harbour.
Exhibition manager Andy Watts said: “BTTF 2000 will provide them with the best showcase so far for updating the travel industry on the status of the projects and on rates and facilities on offer.”
The Dome has promised to provide the trade with more information on its evening openings this summer, while the London Eye will have news of its timed Admission Booking System. The Dynamic Earth stand will have details on group facilities and rates, and delegates from the hi-tech millennium project @Bristol will be talking about the phased openings of its attactions this summer, the first of which will be an IMAX cinema in April.
Exhibition director Fiona Jeffery said the new millennium projects had forced established attractions to invest in their own products and services. “The millennium projects have transformed the marketplace, making it far more competitive,” she added.
“As a result, we are seeing the emergence of a more dynamic, streamlined and marketing-focused industry.
“While heritage still has a major role to play, it is the diversity and the innovation on offer throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland that will be celebrated at BTTF 2000.”
Destinations planning to promote new products at BTTF include Derbyshire and the Peak District, Drayton Manor Park, Birmingham Marketing Partnership, Cardiff, The Heart of England Tourism Board, Bournemouth and Shakespeare’s Globe theatre.
Jeffrey said: “We are also seeing increased promotion and packaging of short breaks, hotels adding more leisure, health and beauty facilities and offering a wider choice of activity breaks, and a big increase in shopping-related tourism.”
More than 30 of the 500 companies participating in BTTF 2000 are first-time exhibitors, including the Royal Yacht Britannia, now permanently moored in Leith in Edinburgh, Althorpe House, Ascot Race Course, Bicester Village and Westonbirt Arboretum.
TABLE: Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh: one of the new generation of attractions exhibiting at this year’s BTTF