The UK Domestic Market Conference – Manchester

This major event will bring together 80 + attendees including top selling UK travel agents, domestic tour operators, attractions and transport providers, Government representatives and other industry partners. 

Attend informative conference sessions, hear from a panel of expert speakers who will cover the changing landscape of the UK holiday market, evolving trends, and effective marketing and sales strategies. Learn about key themes such as skills and sustainability and the impact for sales of domestic tourism.  Hear about Government priorities for tourism and travel. Take part in interactive roundtable discussions designed to improve your product knowledge and increase your domestic market sales. 

The event will be followed by networking drinks at Cloud 23, a roof top bar with a panoramic view on top of the Manchester Hilton hotel. 

• What will the UK holiday market look like in 2020 and 2021?
• Product trends, destinations and growth areas 
• Collaboration and how the industry can work together to boost UK domestic tourism
• Reaching and marketing to the domestic customer, including use of social media and digital channels
• Sustainability in the UK travel market and responsible tourism as a selling point for UK tourism
• Marketing different types of domestic holidays e.g. city breaks, adventuring, luxury
   

• Moderator: Jane Atkins, Managing Director, Shearings
• Oliver Yeates, CEO and Founder, Clicky Media 
• Clare Jenkinson, Senior Sustainability Manager, ABTA
• Sally Henry, Sales Director, Hoseasons, part of Awaze UK
• Emma Wilkinson, Head of England Marketing, VisitBritain
• Victoria Bacon, Director of Brand and Business Development, ABTA
• Stephen Darke, Head of Tourism, DCMS
• Beryl Towne, Regional Manager, Althams Travel Services
• Geraldine Sproston, Personal Travel Consultant, Hays Travel
• Neil Hardy, Digital Director, Specialist Leisure Group 
• Richard Slater, Owner, Henbury Travel
• Kelly Cookes, Leisure Director, Advantage Travel Partnership
• Erman Housein, Head of Trade Sales and Marketing, Bourne Leisure 
• Georgina Holmes-Skelton, Head of Government Affairs, National Trust 
• Sarah Barton, Head of Trade, Visit Jersey 
• Jonathan Godson, Head of Trade Sales, Condor Ferries 

Additional speakers will include domestic tour operators, UK attractions, marketing experts and ABTA.

• Take away new ideas and expand your knowledge on UK holiday market products
• Hear from the experts on how to reach and engage new customers
• Understand the new trends and growth areas from a panel of expert speakers 
• Listen to the important trends for 2020, learn about innovations and identify opportunities in the market 
• Take part in small group sessions – choose the most relevant topics for your business and discuss common issues with your industry peers

The event is primarily for travel agents and UK tour operators that sell domestic travel in the UK. We also expect attendance from:

• Transport providers – coach, airports, airlines, rail providers and ticket providers 
• Hotel and accommodation providers
• Marketing and PR agencies 
• UK tourist boards 
• Attractions and ticketing providers.

A limited number of complimentary tickets will be available for top selling UK travel agents, as chosen by event partners Shearings, Hoseasons, Bourne Leisure, Visit Jersey, Airways Holidays and Condor Ferries. These VIP invitations will be sent out in due course. To request a place, please email events@abta.co.uk. 

ABTA Member/ABTA Partner* rate – £255 plus VAT 
Non-Member rate – £375 plus VAT 

This includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day, all delegate materials, presentations and an attendee certificate. 

Make payment by credit or debit card. ABTA Members and Partners can request an invoice.

View our booking terms and conditions here.

Discounts

• Book three places and get 50% off the third place.
  ^{(This discount will be automatically applied when you book online.)}
• If you are looking to book for a larger group please contact events@abta.co.uk for a bespoke discount.

*To qualify for the ABTA Member/Partner discount you must have a current ABTA Member/Partner number or your application must be in progress when the event takes place.

Non-Members are welcome to attend. For information about becoming a Member click here.

Event partners

Bourne Leisure has over 40 years’ experience with over 4 million holidaymakers each year.  We operate Butlin’s, Haven and Warner Leisure Hotels, providing ideal UK holidays for families and adults.
Butlin’s 3 coastal resorts each deliver that family sparkle providing top entertainment with great value accommodation.
Haven’s 36 UK coastal holiday parks offer families escapism from everyday life to fresh open air with a variety of activities from archery, fencing to Nature Rockz.
Warner Leisure Hotels 14 beautiful country retreats and relaxing coastal locations are perfect for an adult only break with daily leisure activities, live entertainment & fresh dining.
 

Discover a fantastic choice of self-catering holiday accommodation with Hoseasons – with the widest choice of UK holidays, from luxury lodges with sumptuous bubbling hot tubs & quaint, quirky cottages to boating on the broads or breaks at traditional seaside caravan resorts - we have something to suit every occasion, taste & pocket too! Many of these accommodations are Pet Friendly too so now you can take the whole family away.
Whatever your reason to getaway, whether it’s a romantic break, birthday celebration or just time to relax and unwind, a short break away in the UK with Hoseasons is perfect for any occasion.
 

Shearings is the UK’s largest escorted tour operator, offering a broad range of holidays and hotel breaks to more than 200 destinations worldwide. With over 100 years’ experience, we provide an unrivalled range of expertly planned itineraries, with everything from 2-day weekend breaks to 17-day escorted tours.
Winners of three 2017 British Travel Awards for Best Coach Holiday Company, Best Singles Holiday Company and Best UK Midscale Hotel Brand (for Coast & Country Hotels), Shearings prides itself on offering great value breaks with flexible travel options.  
Our knowledgeable experts ensure everything is organised for our customers, and our dedicated travel trade team are on-hand to support travel agents and their customers too. 

Airways Holidays is part of C. I. Travel Group, the largest specialist holiday operator to the Channel Islands and fully bonded members of ABTA and the CAA.
We have been exclusively providing holidays to the Channel Islands for over 30 years. Our experience and size allows us to secure the very best deals for our clients. We deal with all air and sea carriers and have exclusive access to several air charter routes. In this way we are able to combine the lowest available fares with accommodation prices and special offers, to create great value packages. We are trade friendly and offer our agents price parity and support in selling our products.

Co-sponsor

Clicky is a leading digital agency, partnering with clients to deliver digital growth strategies spanning web development, site performance and conversions, combined search, content and paid media. Founded by Oli Yeates in 2007, Clicky has offices in Chester & Nottingham with a fifty-plus strong team and are a Premier Google & Microsoft Advertising Partner. With over ten years of experience working with some of the largest travel brands, Clicky has become synonymous with driving digital performance forward for travel. Whether it’s for global travel operators, UK staycation companies or franchise businesses, Clicky know precisely how to accelerate your business in the market.

Media partner

The relaunched ABTA Magazine is a bi-monthly publication with a new size, format and design, distributed to 20,000 ABTA Members and UK travel industry contacts.

With an unrivalled distribution and a renewed focus on industry news, the magazine represents the interests of the entire travel sector. It is the vital publication for those working in the travel industry.

Forming part of a wider portfolio, which includes ABTA Golf, ABTA Guides and the ABTA Handbooks, the magazine provides contains in-depth destination features, analysis, comment, big-name interviews, competitions, games and much more.
 

For details on how to promote your company at this event, contact Matt Turton on 02036930194 or mturton@abta.co.uk. 
To view our commercial opportunities brochure click here.