The British Tourism & Travel Show hosted top experts, authorities and experienced group tour providers in the Keynote Theatre. The line-up gave show visitors inspirational and expert guidance from across the full spectrum of the group travel trade.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the Keynote presentations on the second day.

Association of Group Travel Organisers (AGTO): How GTOs are Influencing Climate Change

Wendy Hartley-Scarff, CEO at AGTO, opened the second day of the Keynote Theatre with a session on the impact of travel on the environment and how people can make a difference through their travel choices.

“We’re seeing travellers making a conscious choice as to whether they will use a certain company or another based on their sustainability targets,” she said.

Wendy then provided some stark statistics and research on the reality of climate change if we don’t act now. Plus, she highlighted how the industry is already acting, including electric coaches and the Confederation of Passenger Transport’s Zero Emission Coach Taskforce and Coach Route Map to Destination Zero.

Joining Wendy on stage was Commercial Director John Johnson of Johnson Coaches and Beverly Williams Smith, Head of Sales and Partnerships, UK and inbound of Kew Green Hotels, who shared what their organisations are doing to tackle climate change challenges.

John started with how and why the issues the coach industry faces on the road to net zero can be “much more challenging” than bus regarding infrastructure and funding.

While solutions to such problems are found, John believes coach operators and the wider industry should be shouting about and celebrating how sustainable coach travel is.

“We allocate half a page at least in every brochure we produce that talks about the green contributions that coaches are already making and will continue to make until a satisfactory solution can be found in the longer term,” he said.

Next, Beverley talked through some of the eco-friendly measures to make Kew Green Hotels more sustainable in its bid to reduce its carbon emissions to zero by 2040.

“We have a carbon emissions workforce and EV charging stations at our hotels. We have reduced our waste and have recycling bins in all our rooms for separate waste products, and we now use refillable bottles for shampoos and soap in our bathrooms.”

Navigate: Life Beyond Experience Culture

Simon Jones, Managing Director at marketing agency Navigate, opened his Keynote seminar with an introduction to what experience culture is.

“It’s an event or an occurrence which leaves an impression on someone. It’s about getting that emotional connection with people, long-lasting feelings and lifelong memories,” he said.

Experience culture is continuing to grow, and the tourism industry is seeing the development of new attractions that bring the experience to the forefront. However, this level of investment is only possible for some destinations.

“It’s not about being completely radical and changing everything you do, but it’s the relevance of what you already do,” said Simon. “Most attractions already offer great experiences through programming, workshops and exclusive or premium events.

“It’s about how you tell your story, knowing who you want to tell it to and telling it in the right place.”

Simon then presented tips and advice on effective ways businesses can tell their story.

“Tantalise them. Stimulate them. Show them just enough to be curious but not enough to give it away,” he advised.

“You’ve got a couple of seconds to capture people’s imagination and get them interested. So, it’s really important that you do something that stands out from the crowd and gets you noticed.”

Simon also said understanding your audiences and their motivations is key, as is being in the right place.

“Everyone’s got used to using digital channels, not just younger audiences these days. Everybody is used to researching, looking and buying online, so it isn’t just about awareness anymore. It’s about driving conversions through digital channels.”

CTA: Ideas for New Itineraries/Themes to Enhance Tour Programmes

The final seminar of the day was a panel discussion with Coach Tourism Association (CTA) Chair Robert Shaw of coach tour operator Harry Shaw; Lucy Osborne, Senior Product Manager at Leger Shearings Group; Chris Owens, Managing Director of Alpine Travel; Lauren Clark, Marketing Manager at Stuart Line Cruises; and Andrew Niven, Sales Manager at Bodmin Jail.

The session focused on new ideas for tour itineraries and themes. Therefore, a hot topic was balancing retaining loyal customers while attracting new audiences.

Lucy said following trends is one of Leger Shearing Group’s tactics.

“There’s a real resurgence for the Royal Family. So, we work with people like The Royal Collection Trust or Historic Royal Palaces; both are CTA members and have fantastic events every year.”

Another tactic is capitalising on existing partnerships and “looking at what works and seeing how you can do more of that”, added Lucy.

The panellists discussed experiential travel and the importance of offering trips “off the beaten track” that people might not have done before.

Chris said experiential travel “is the way forward” and is key to the industry.

“People don’t want to just see it; they want to understand the culture behind it,” he added, using the National Museum of Wales as an example. “People can split the slates and understand the lives behind it, which just brings another bit of our world to life.”

Lauren talked about the ways Stuart Line Cruises keeps products fresh. One way is through partnerships with local attractions to add “something new” to joint tickets.

“It’s about also listening and having conversations with operators to find out what they’re looking for. And responding to that and being open to trying new ideas,” said Lauren.

The panel also talked about the tourism bounce back, customers’ changing demands, and how businesses have adapted their offerings to remain current.