Home / Press and Media Enquiries /

Bristol on show at BTTF

Destination Bristol is preparing for the British Travel Trade Fair (BTTF), which takes place at Birmingham NEC on Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th March 2008.

The British Travel Trade Fair is an established exhibition dedicated to showcasing travel and tourism products and services from the UK and Ireland to both domestic and overseas visitors. It forms the centrepiece of British Tourism Week (10th to 18th March 2008).

This year the two-day event will be officially opened by Bristol-based celebrity, Tony Robinson, best known for playing Baldrick in the BBC series Blackadder. He will be joined by Margaret Hodge, Minister for Culture, Creative industries and Tourism and Christopher Rodrigues, Chairman of VisitBritain, the UK's national tourism agency.

Destination Bristol, the tourism partnership for Bristol and South Gloucestershire, will be exhibiting at stand SW446. Partners on the Destination Bristol stand will include the popular attractions of Bristol Zoo Gardens, soon to launch its latest butterfly house, Explore-At-Bristol, one of the UK's leading science centres and Brunel's ss Great Britain, Enjoy England's 'Large Visitor Attraction of the Year 2007'.

Bristol's representatives will include 'Mr Brunel' (actor Martin Williamson) from Brunel's ss Great Britain and a surprisingly talkative 'penguin' from Bristol Zoo Gardens. Both will be handing out copies of the city's new 2008 Pocket Guide and Short Breaks Guide as well as all the latest attractions' leaflets.

Visitors to the Bristol stand will also have the chance to enter a competition to win a weekend break for two, staying at the City Inn with complimentary tickets to some of the city's favourite attractions.

Destination Bristol will also be distributing copies of 'Bristol for Groups', a brand new newsletter dedicated to group travel organisers and the travel trade, covering everything from group friendly accommodation and new developments to events listings, coach parking and feedback from groups who have previously visited the city.

One of the key events Destination Bristol will be promoting is the autumn opening of 'Cabot Circus', the city's new state-of-the-art shopping complex. The expansion of the Broadmead area represents a £500m city centre renaissance of Bristol. The scheme includes a new Harvey Nichols outlet and a new four-level House of Fraser department store as landmarks of the development accompanied by 16 other major stores, a further 104 smaller retail units, 240 city centre apartments plus a continental-style square, a 2,616 space car park, a new hotel and a Cinema de Lux, with 13 screens, and 12 casual dining restaurants. The shopping area will also be covered with a huge glass roof, protecting the streets below from the worst of the weather.

This year Bristol will also play host to the 30th Anniversary of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. This world-class event is one of the largest outdoor events in the UK, attracting visitors and balloon enthusiasts from all over the globe. It will take flight this year from 7th -10th August.

Destination Bristol will also be promoting the ongoing developments to the city's group travel website launched last year at www.visitbristol.co.uk/grouptravel.

Kerrie Grist, Travel Trade Marketing Executive of Destination Bristol, said "The site provides a useful tool to assist with the efficient planning of day trips and short breaks to the city. Bristol is a wonderful destination for groups to explore with outstanding attractions, great shopping, a historic harbour, fantastic events and a location that is in close proximity to both coast and countryside. The British Travel Trade Fair has always proved a very successful event at which to showcase the city and its tourism developments."

Following the highly successful Readers' Club trip that Destination Bristol ran with Group Leisure Magazine in October 2007, attendees at BTTF will also have the opportunity to sign up for future familiarisation trips to Bristol and discover what the city has to offer for themselves.

For further information or details on setting up a group itinerary for Bristol, go to www.visitbristol.co.uk/grouptravel, e-mail grouptravel@destinationbristol.co.uk or call Kerrie Grist on 0117 946 2205.

- ENDS -

Notes to Editor

1. Destination Bristol, formerly the Bristol Tourism and Conference Bureau is a not for profit partnership between Bristol City Council and Business West. Destination Bristol is the destination management partnership for Bristol and South Gloucestershire and leads the marketing of the area as a travel destination. The aim of the organisation is to work with members and partners, to increase business competitiveness, support employment and economic growth, and raise the profile of the Bristol city-region as a European-class travel destination.

For more information please contact:

Kerrie Grist

Marketing Executive

Destination Bristol

Tel: 0117 946 2205

Email: kerrie.grist@destinationbristol.co.uk