A delegation representing the North East, as part of Destination North East England, will travel to Holland; Spain and Sweden in January and February next year to attend a series of major travel trade shows.

Meeting with key suppliers, buyers and tour operators the events will further establish the region as a place of choice for future trips and packages.

The first event is Vakantiebeurs, held in Amsterdam on Jan 7th and 8th, is the largest travel trade event in Netherlands with almost 10,000 travel professionals attending the event.

Destination North East England is partnering with DFDS and North York Moors on a stand at the event.

Later in January we are attending, for the first time, Fitur 2026 in Madrid, Spain’s annual global tourism trade fair, connecting 9,000 exhibitors from 150+ countries. The event also showcases new technologies, travel trends and sustainable practices shaping the future of tourism. Destination North East England will be on a stand with travel experts Abbey Tours UK.

At the end of January, we will also be part of the Britain and Ireland Marketplace event held in London, delivered by the European Tourism Association (ETOA) on behalf of UKinbound and VisitBritain. The event brings together nations and destinations across the UK and Ireland with over 200, global buyers.

Following this event the North East will host buyers, tour operators and travel agents in the region from Canada and Spain as part of VisitBritain’s Showcase Britain 2026 event.

They will be taken on a series of educational visits of key products and experiences in the region, including Bowes Museum; Raby Castle; Victoria Tunnels; Blackfriars; Alnwick Castle; Hadrian’s Wall and Bamburgh Castle .

In February we will be attending a Nordics Workshop, organised by VisitBritain, to connect with buyers in another key market for the region. Operators from Denmark, Norway and Sweden are invited to attend the workshop in Stockholm, Sweden to discover all about the UK.

The event will consist of pre-booked meetings, allowing the opportunity to meet with Nordic operators.

These events are key to delivering a Travel Trade strategy for the North East and helping to grow the international visitor economy of the region.