Overseas Visitors Encouraged to Holiday in Blackpool

Hundreds of tour operators are heading to Blackpool to encourage overseas visitors to holiday in the resort.

UKinbound, one of the leading trade associations and the only one which focuses solely on the interests of the UK’s inbound tourism sector, is holding its annual convention in the resort in February.

The Business Tourism team at VisitBlackpool successfully secured the conference after taking part in a bidding process with other UK destinations and cities.

And it is now hoped the two-day event will encourage operators to spread the word about Blackpool with the view of welcoming many more overseas visitors to the resort.

Coun Graham Cain, Blackpool Council Cabinet Member for Tourism and Leisure, said the UKinbound conference is incredibly important for Blackpool.

He said: “This is a great opportunity to showcase our fantastic resort to tour operators from all over the UK who, in turn, will then pass the word on to their international clients helping us to attract overseas visitors.

“We already attract tourists from overseas every year with our major events such as dance festivals, the World Matchplay Darts, Showzam! and the annual Magic Convention.

“It is very easy for people to think of Blackpool as a holiday destination purely for UK residents but this is not the case and by welcoming UKinbound to the resort we would hope to see a rise in the number of international visitors.”

The annual convention promises to be a pivotal forum in which to discuss the future of the inbound tourism industry, looking at opportunities and potential obstacles that could impact upon visitor numbers to the UK. It provides a well balanced mix of business opportunities, staff development, political debate and celebration and will be attended by more than 200 key industry figures.

Speakers at the Blackpool conference include Graham Pickett (Global Leader of Aviation & Travel, Deloitte), Tom Buncle (Yellow Railroad Ltd), Nigel Huddleston (Head of Travel at Google) and Sandie Dawe (VisitBritain).

Rita Beckwith, Chairman of UKinbound, said: “I am delighted that our main flagship event of the year is taking place in Blackpool.

“Since the re-generation of Blackpool, we are excited to invite our members and industry colleagues to experience the beloved seaside resort and we are encouraging delegates to take a fresh look at Blackpool, famous for its Tower and Promenade, seven miles of golden beaches, the magic of the Illuminations and its warm and friendly welcome.”

UKinbound is holding its conference over two days at Blackpool’s Hilton Hotel from Wednesday February 5. While in resort the delegates will also take part in a familiarisation visit taking in attractions including BlackpoolPleasureBeach and The Blackpool Tower.

Cllr Cain added: “The best way to sell a destination is to show people just how much you have to offer and these tour operators and agents will be able to see first hand how Blackpool caters for every visitor and how the resort has changed with increasing regeneration and investment in recent years.”