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Windermere Lake Cruises is heading “Down Under” for the first time to encourage more tourists from Australia and New Zealand to visit the Lake District, Cumbria.
It’s travelling to the key cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to meet tour operators and highlight the beauty of the region and England’s stunning longest lake.
Jennifer Cormack, Sales and Marketing Director for Windermere Lake Cruises, says: “This is an exciting opportunity because Australian and New Zealand visitors can be a developing and significant part of our visitor economy.
“We know Australians love the English Lake District and we hope this trade mission will encourage more and more of them to make the trip to see us!”
Research has shown that Australian and New Zealand visitors on average stay in Britain longer than other international visitors and spend more so increasing their numbers could give Cumbria’s vital visitor economy a significant boost.
The Australia Travel Trade Mission has been organised by the national tourism agency VisitBritain and takes place from September 8–13. Also joining the trade mission are Cumbria Tourism, Lake District Country Hotels, the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction and the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway.
They will be meeting hand-picked buyers from the Australian and New Zealand travel market with the hope of developing links and business.
VisitBritain says Australia hit an all-time record for its inbound visitor value to the UK in the summer of 2023 reaching the second most valuable market for the British visitor economy.
Jennifer Cormack says: “This first trip to Australia is the latest move in our continuing efforts to encourage international visitors from across the globe to add the English Lake District to their travel itineraries.
“Earlier this year I met with hundreds of travel operators in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand to develop new business links and promote the wider Lake District destination, quality accommodation and key attractions.
“The reaction we get from travel agents in cities around the world is incredible. Many of their itineraries have traditionally just taken overseas visitors to London and Edinburgh. Now they are adding the English Lake District to those itineraries along with visits to quintessentially English attractions like Windermere Lake Cruises and our sister attraction the Lakeland Motor Museum.”
Windermere Lake Cruises has taken a lead in stimulating international visits with a programme of trade missions. In November last year they took a “Come to Cumbria!” message to both India and China having previous visited the USA and Europe.
