Leicester welcome coach tourists

33 of the UK’s leading Coach Tour Operators visited Leicester and Leicestershire last weekend (5-7 September 2008). The trip was organised by Leicester Shire Promotions with support from local tourism partners and presented an ideal opportunity to showcase the city and county as an inspiring choice for future group travel visits.

The itinerary for the trip included guided tours of the University of Leicester Botanical Gardens and Sculptures, Highcross Leicester, Curve theatre, National Space Centre, Belgrave Road, Belvoir Castle, Great Central Railway and Bosworth Battlefield. Accommodation providers and other local partners including the Holiday Inn, Hilton Leicester, Marriott, Best Western Belmont House Hotel and Dickinson & Morris supported the trip.

Gordon Price from Elgar Coaches, one of the coach tour operators attending the trip commented: “We’ve been running coach trips across the UK since 1998 and for the past 3-4 years, have taken parties to the West Midlands for shopping and leisure breaks. It’s been great to see what’s on offer in other destinations and we were so impressed with the wonderful new Highcross development that we’ve already booked a return visit for our group in November, staying at the Holiday Inn in Leicester city centre.”

Martin Peters, Chief Executive of Leicester Shire Promotions, added:
“With more people choosing to stay in the UK for holidays and short breaks, group travel is a rapidly growing market. We have so much to offer group visitors in Leicester and Leicestershire. This trip provided an ideal opportunity to showcase just some of the highlights across the city and county, and hopefully influence a key group of decision-makers in this important sector.”

According to the bi-annual 2007 Mintel Coach Holidays, Leisure Intelligence report, the coach holiday market is predicted to increase by 23 per cent at current prices to be worth an estimated £2.93 billion by 2011 with passenger numbers rising from 8.2 million in 2006 to 8.8 million. The report estimates that UK holiday numbers will reach an estimated six million.

For more information, visit Goleicestershire.com.