Leicestershire welcomes leading UK coach tour operators on exclusive famliarisation trip

Some of the country's leading Coach Tour Operators visited Leicester and Leicestershire this weekend to discover some of the destination's many highlights for group travel visitors.

Organisations including Woods, Sapphire Coach Holidays, Johnsons, Crookham Travel and Wayahead Travel attended the ‘Tastes of Leicestershire' weekend visit from 2-4 December 2011. The weekend was arranged by Leicester Shire Promotions with support from key local tourism partners and enabled these coach tour operators to sample an inspiring destination choice for future group travel visits.

With accommodation at the Hilton Leicester hotel, the trip included tours of, and visits to: Belvoir Brewery, the history & heritage of Leicester, Curve theatre, Belgrave Road, Melton Mowbray's Victorian Christmas Fayre and Christmas Tree Festival, Ye Olde Pork Pie Shoppe, Melton Cheeseboard, afternoon tea at Stapleford Park Hotel, as well as meals at Mercure Leicester City Hotel and Feast India restaurant.

Toni Fox-Griffith from Crookham Travel said: "I have found the familiarisation visit both useful and interesting. There are definitely some places I would look at bringing groups to."

Julie Roberts from Johnsons added: "Really enjoyed the weekend and found it very helpful. Always need new ideas!"

Martin Peters, Chief Executive of Leicester Shire Promotions added: "Leicester and Leicestershire offer a great deal for group travel visitors and this trip gave us the opportunity to present some of these highlights to a group of influential coach tour operators. The aim of the trip is to familiarise these operators with what the destination has to offer for their groups and encourage them to include the city and county in their own itineraries for clients."