The 2025 Coach Tourism Association (CTA) Conference & Workshop brought members to Stratford-upon-Avon for a long weekend of ideas and the chance to network.
The annual event took place in early February and attendees were welcomed at Vine Hotels’ Clarion Charlecote Pheasant hotel before transferring to the main host venue, Crowne Plaza Stratford-upon-Avon by Valor Hotels.
The main action in Warwickshire kicked off with members enjoying a fam trip to Shakespeare’s Birthplace and a tour of Shakespeare’s houses, including Anne Hathaway’s Cottage, led by Blue Badge Guide Roger Bailey.
There was also a tour and guided tasting session at Shakespeare Distillery, home to production of gin and rum. The Shakespearean theme continued in the evening with a 20-minute version of Romeo & Juliet.
After a range of networking sessions, on the last day the event concluded with a fam trip to St Mary’s Guildhall in Coventry. Home to over 700 years of history and a one-time host of The Crown Jewels, St Mary’s Guildhall is one of the finest surviving medieval guildhalls in the country.
CTA chair Robert Shaw said: “Record attendance at the CTA Conference is a demonstration for the travel trade of the power of face-to-face discussions with a dedicated, business development focus.”
A day of networking
In-between tours of the local area, the Meet The Buyer Workshop was attended by coach operator and wholesaler buyers for pre-arranged meetings with industry suppliers, from hotels to insurance providers.
Moving to the Conference session, transport correspondent and former BBC reporter Peter Plisner engaged well-travelled TV presenter Anthea Turner in an interview.
A coach operator panel then faced a Q&A session, focussing on issues around attracting a younger audience to coach travel and the industry’s workforce, service levels at hotels and ports, as well as changing the coach tourism image.
The CTA’s membership of around 300 is evenly split between coach tour operators and tour wholesalers, with the other half of the membership consisting of hotel groups, DMOs / tourist boards, visitor attractions, ticket agencies and ferry operators, as well as professional advisers and B2B companies.
Next year’s CTA Conference is scheduled for Derry-Londonderry from 7th - 10th February 2026.
For more information go to coachtourismassociation.co.uk.
