Leading travel experts have experienced a taste of Warwickshire’s tourism industry
Leading travel experts have experienced a taste of Warwickshire’s tourism industry, and been encouraged to bring more visitors to the area.
Representatives from the Association of Group Travel Organisers (AGTO) spent two days in Warwickshire for their annual Showcase Weekend.
Working with Shakespeare’s England, the DMO for the region, they were given new ideas to help shape upcoming itineraries to the area and network with other industry leaders.
Over 100 organisers visited Stratford, Warwick, and Kenilworth to experience the top tourist attractions, hotels and restaurants in each town.
The trip also included a table-top expo held at Ettington Chase Hotel, where Shakespeare’s England Members were able to showcase their products to the AGTO Membership and provided a networking session for local tourism businesses, to present their offerings to industry professionals and draw more business to the area.
Helen Peters, Chief Executive of Shakespeare’s England, said: “We were delighted to be the host region this year for AGTO’s annual Showcase Weekend, enabling us to arrange familiarisation visits for these important Group Tour Organisers, highlighting the rich diversity of all that Warwickshire has to offer.
“The delegates were split into groups and were taken across the region to experience an exclusive guided tour of Warwick Castle, visited the Market Hall Museum in Warwick and took a look at the incredible collections at the British Motor Museum.
“The tour also included a visit to Shakespeare’s Birthplace, Kenilworth Castle, Shakespeare’s Schoolroom and Guildhall, the costume store at the RSC, Compton Verney and the Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick.
"Johnsons Coaches, another Shakespeare’s England Member, kindly sponsored the ground transportation and delicious lunches were provided by some of our top restaurants including the Almanack in Kenilworth, Brethren’s Kitchen at Lord Leycester and the onsite cafes at Warwick Castle and the British Motor Museum.
“Warwickshire has such a rich offering with so much history, it is always a popular location for visitors, something we are keen to promote further.
“We were delighted by the response from our Membership, with so many wanting to be involved and promote the region as a top tourist destination for both domestic and international visitors.
“The AGTO Members were able to enjoy the very best of what Warwickshire has to offer as a place to visit for groups so it was definitely a successful weekend.”
For more information on Shakespeare’s England, visit https://shakespeares-england.co.uk/