VisitBritain will lead a five-day trade mission across Sydney and Melbourne from 14-18 September, connecting UK suppliers with more than 300 Australian buyers and advisors, preceded by an Auckland workshop for 150-plus New Zealand advisors from 9 September.
Dozens of British travel trade and industry suppliers will sit down with more than 300 Australian buyers and advisors across Sydney and Melbourne, with one-to-one business meetings the centrepiece of the programme.
The Australian leg runs 14-18 September. It follows an Auckland trade workshop that gets under way on 9 September, with more than 150 New Zealand advisors set to attend.
The face-to-face appointments give top Australasian buyers the chance to connect with British suppliers and destinations, learn about new products and innovations, and explore fresh business opportunities.
Who’s coming?
Llanddwyn Island in Wales is fun for the whole family ©Visit Wales
Destinations joining the mission include VisitScotland, Visit Wales, Marketing Manchester, Visit Birmingham & West Midlands, Visit Lake District and Visit West.
They travel alongside tourism businesses representing attractions, accommodation providers, tour operators and destination management companies from across Britain.
▼ ADVERTISING ▼
The emphasis on regional Britain is deliberate: broadening advisor product knowledge is intended to lengthen itineraries and spread visitor spend beyond London and the major cities.
Alongside the business appointments, VisitBritain is hosting travel advisor engagement events, market briefings and industry roundtables, led locally by travel trade manager Peta Evans.
Why Australia matters
Birmingham Library, England.
Australia is the UK’s fourth most valuable inbound market. VisitBritain’s latest estimates forecast Australians will spend £1.7 billion (about A$3.19 billion) on UK trips this year, across a projected 1.1 million visits.
Meanwhile, New Zealand has been one of Britain’s fastest-growing visitor markets. The 2026 forecast is for 275,000 New Zealand visits, with those travellers tipped to spend £385 million (about A$723 million). Comparing 2019 with the 2026 forecast, New Zealand visits are estimated to be up 47 per cent and spending up 125 per cent.
VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates says the mission is a growth catalyst for both markets.
“This major trade mission brings our very important Australasian markets together with British suppliers to do business, shining the spotlight on the fantastic products and experiences on offer and getting those sold in international markets, boosting Britain’s economy,” she said.
“Travel advisors in Australia and New Zealand shape long-haul travel decisions and hearing first-hand about what visitors want and expect gives our tourism businesses and destinations valuable insights.
“From our vibrant cities and world-class attractions to our history, heritage and contemporary culture, we’re showcasing the very best of regional Britain to the people who influence travel bookings every day.”
Outside Market Halls in London. ©VisitBritain/The Noodles
Screen-tourism backdrop
The mission lands as VisitBritain rolls out its global ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ screen tourism campaign, built around film and television locations.
VisitBritain research shows more than nine in 10 potential UK visitors are keen to see filming and on-screen locations during their trip, an angle advisors can lean into when building itineraries.
What suppliers are saying
Rabbie’s Tours B2B sales manager Amy Sutherland says the face-to-face format is the value.
“Collaborating with VisitBritain on events like the Australia mission and New Zealand workshop ensures we spread the word and reach more international visitors. Meeting with buyers face-to-face in market allows us to understand the needs of the travel trade, develop the right tourism offers and secure new business,”she states.
Alnwick Castle sales manager Caroline Robinson says the mission opens doors a single attraction could not reach alone.
“Attending VisitBritain events like the Australia mission allows us to showcase our attraction to many tour operators, travel advisors, and agents that we would not be able to access on our own. Building relationships with travel trade allows us to effectively grow our business and welcome more international visitors to Alnwick Castle and the North-East of England.”
KARRYON UNPACKS: With Britain the UK’s fourth most valuable inbound market and Australians tipped to spend £1.7 billion there this year, a mission stacked with regional destinations and one-to-one appointments is a chance to load up on the product knowledge that lengthens itineraries beyond London. The screen-tourism thread gives advisors a ready hook for clients chasing on-screen Britain.