The Coach Tourism Association (CTA) winter networking event in Perthshire over 21-24 November attracted 115 members to the business development gathering, including what CTA says are “key stakeholders from the UK coach tourism market.”
It was hosted primarily at the Crieff Hydro Hotel and sponsored by VisitScotland and Perth and Kinross Council, with support from Scotland’s Tay Country.
New product development opportunities were presented to coach tour operators and wholesalers, with familiarisation trips and a showcase exhibition of over 50 suppliers to the sector also staged.
CTA welcomed new members Atholl Palace Hotel, Kents Cavern, McGill’s Group subsidiary Loch Lomond Travel, Radisson Hotel Group, Scottish Canals and Whitbread Premier Inn Group to their first Association event. Loch Lomond Travel and Docherty’s Midland Coaches provided transport across the weekend.
The event began on Friday 21 November with a buyer-only gathering to visit CTA member Abbotsford – The Home of Walter Scott, with an overnight stay at the Peebles Hydro Hotel.
On Saturday, delegates travelled to Forth Boat Tours at South Queensferry. On Sunday, familiarisation trips visited Scone Palace, Peth Museum and The Black Watch Museum, with lunch at Strathmore Hotels’ The Salutation Hotel.
The event wrapped up on Monday 24 April with a supplier showcase. Over 50 of those organisations engaged with coach tour operators and wholesalers in discussions around product development.
Coach Tourism Association Chair Robert Shaw says that high attendance at the winter networking event “is a strong indicator of ongoing confidence in the market,” with good opportunity for buyers and suppliers to do business while enjoying the hospitality of VisitScotland and Perthshire.
“Several operators are actively investigating new tours to the region as a result,” adds Mr Shaw. “Judging by coach operator and wholesaler feedback, CTA winter networking has been a very useful experience to develop new tours to the area, as well as being a focal point to meet suppliers from across the UK and Ireland for business collaboration.”
The next CTA event is its annual workshop, which will be held in Derry-Londonderry on 6-10 February 2026. More information can be found via the Association’s website.
