If your idea of a UK holiday begins and ends with London, the North of England would like to have a word. Manchester, Liverpool, Yorkshire, Cumbria and the North East are joining forces to make a stronger case for Indian travellers to head further north and stay longer.
The campaign brought together Northern mayors, tourism organisations and businesses for the first joint North of England Mayoral trade mission to India. There is much more to a UK holiday than London. For Indian travellers, the North offers a rather tempting mix. There is Premier League football, international cricket, music, heritage, castles, coastline, countryside and plenty of screen tourism. Then there are cities such as Manchester and Liverpool, each with a very different personality and plenty to keep visitors busy for several days. The bigger idea is to make it easier for Indian travel companies to sell Northern England as part of a longer UK holiday. Instead of spending most of the trip in one city, visitors could combine several Northern destinations into one itinerary.
In New Delhi and Mumbai, the group met around 150 Indian travel buyers and media representatives, with one clear message.
5 reasons your next family holiday should be to Hong Kong: From easy flights and Indian food to Disneyland fun The push will continue in November, when Indian travel buyers and media will visit the region for Spotlight Manchester, Gateway to Northern England and North Wales. The event will give them the chance to experience the destinations first-hand and meet local tourism businesses. For The Great North, the aim is to turn those conversations in India into actual bookings and longer-term partnerships. For Indian travellers, it could mean more reasons to look beyond the usual UK holiday route and give Northern England a bigger place on the itinerary.
