Visit Bath

Eighty US Tourism Summit delegates to visit Bath

Some 80 US travel trade representatives will descend on Bath on Monday 27th February, when delegates at a US Tourism Summit in Bristol visit the city as part of their conference itinerary.

The visitors are attending a high profile conference being held in Bristol from Sunday 26th February - Thursday 2nd March by 'Travel Trade' magazine, one of the most influential travel journals in the US. The Tourism Summit is an annual event organised by the publisher of Travel Trade Magazine, annually attracting key figures in the US travel industry.

Funding for the bid to attract the 2006 Tourism Summit to Bristol and the South West Region was secured from the South West Regional Development Authority (RDA) in 2005, and the decision to finally locate the summit in Bristol will give the region and the new Continental Airlines air route between Bristol and New York high profile exposure to an extremely influential audience. The full conference itinerary has been organised by Destination Bristol with assistance from Bath Tourism Plus for the Bath 'leg' of the visit.

Delegates are due to arrive at the Royal Crescent Hotel in Bath at lunchtime on Monday 27th February, where they will be welcomed by the hotel's General Manager, Sharon Love. Also attending the lunch will be Bath and North East Somerset Council's Executive Member responsible for Tourism, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Nicole O' Flaherty; Cllr Martin Veal; Cllr Matt Davis; Robin Bischert, Chief Executive of Bath Tourism Plus; Peter Rollins, Sales and Marketing Manager for Thermae Bath Spa and Patricia Dunlop, Commercial Manager for the Council's Heritage Services Department.

After lunch, the US visitors will be offered the choice of a visit to the new Thermae Bath Spa, a tour of the Roman Baths or simply the chance to enjoy Bath's fine shopping opportunities, before they return to Bristol.

Robin Bischert, Chief Executive of Bath Tourism Plus says:

'We are delighted to welcome this highly influential group to Bath. The opportunity to showcase some of our finest attractions to some of the most important people in the US tour and cruise industries provides a great platform for extension business to the region. As well as providing a main gateway to the South West, Bristol International Airport is also a major regional hub. Our focus is to ensure that one message which is carried back across the Atlantic is that Bath and the surrounding area with its splendid heritage and major attractions, is easily accessible from Bristol and is an essential part of any visit to the region.

'I am sure that our US visitors will enjoy their brief time in Bath today and we look forward to welcoming both them and their customers back in the future.'

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