VisitBritain’s flagship Destination Britain North America trade event kicks off today in San Francisco with more than 50 top buyers from Canada and the US on hand to meet 70 British suppliers touting the message that Britain is the “must-go-now destination.”

Travel Industry Today will be on hand (stay tuned for news) for the latest version of the roaming event, which has been a catalyst for new business for more than a decade – last year it was held in Washington, D.C., though interrupted by the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

More than 2,500 one-to-one business appointments are set to take place during the three-day trade fair, being held in the Golden Gate city from Sept. 7 to 10 as North American travel buyers and media connect with British tourism suppliers to learn about the latest products and innovations on offer from across Britain’s tourism industry.

The British suppliers include hotels, visitor attractions, destination management companies, tour and sightseeing operators and local destinations spanning the length and breadth of the nations and regions.

“North America is driving tourism’s recovery in the UK and this is a timely opportunity for British travel suppliers and destinations to get their tourism products and services in front of top buyers and do business, boosting bookings,” says VisitBritain Chairman Nick de Bois. “It is also a valuable chance to promote our messages of warm welcome and to hear first-hand from buyers on the motivations and trends driving outbound travel from North America.”

“As well as showcasing Britain’s exciting tourism products and innovations, our focus is on broadening travel itineraries, encouraging visitors from North America to explore further through our regional gateways, come year-round and to stay longer, boosting local economies,” added VisitBritain Executive VP for the Americas, Australia, and New Zealand Paul Gauger. “Working closely with international travel trade is crucial to selling travel to Britain and our priority now is to build on the strong recovery we have seen.”

As well as doing business, delegates and media will hear about international travel market trends alongside seminars from London & Partners VisitEngland, VisitScotland, and Visit Wales to boost knowledge of Britain as a visitor destination and drive urgency to visit.

Canadian visitors set a record for spending in the UK – £934 million in 2022 – up 27% on 2019. This strong growth has continued into 2023. Flights bookings from North America to the UK are currently tracking up 15% compared to 2019.

VisitBritain has been harnessing this growth with its multi-million-pound GREAT Britain marketing campaign in Canada and the US launched earlier this year.

Destination Britain North America has been running since 2008 and has been a leading event in VisitBritain’s international trade show calendar.