The Coach Tourism Association (CTA) has reported a record number of one-to-one business meetings at its 2026 annual workshop, following the rollout of a new-look format for its flagship business development event.
Held from 6-10 February in Derry Londonderry, the event included a day of pre-arranged meetings at its Buyer Workshop, in which CTA says 1,296 appointments were held.
Almost 180 industry stakeholders attended the workshop, including coach tour operators and supplier members in the hotel, attractions, destinations, ferry and cruise operator and service provider spaces.
CTA says such networking forms a key aspect of its events, providing a platform to create solutions to shared challenges.
“The record number of meetings at the Buyer Workshop highlighted the ongoing confidence in the market and the quality of experience that coach tourism provides,” comments CTA Vice Chair Jason Edwards of Jason Edwards Travel. “It was very positive to see many new members coming to CTA’s flagship annual event for the first time, and many new business agreements have been made as a result of the face-to-face meetings.”
In addition to the workshop, the CTA conference included a fam trip programme across Northern Ireland and County Donegal in Ireland, sponsored by Tourism Ireland with travel provided by J&K Coaches and Irish Ferries.
At the networking dinner, which took place at the city’s Guildhall, an address by Ruairí McHugh, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane, highlighted the importance of coach tourism spend to the local economy.
Caroline Mulligan, Tourism Ireland, adds that the CTA Annual Workshop was helpful in presenting the benefits of Northern Ireland, Donegal and the surrounding area to leading coach tour operators. “Coach tourism is very important to the island of Ireland,” she says. “However, the Great British market continues to be of critical importance, being our largest source market by volume, where in 2024 we welcomed four million visitors generating €1.8 billion in revenue for the island or Ireland.
“Group travel within that mix is vitally important where many visitors travelling stay longer, travel regionally away from the honey pots, and stay during shoulder seasons. This business supports local economies and communities across the island, which is why we were delighted to sponsor CTA’s flagship annual event.”
