Lake District business leaders to visit Asia for 11-day trade mission

A Cumbrian business delegation is jetting off to China and Hong Kong next month to strengthen the Lake District’s ties with fast-growing markets in Asia.

Representatives of nine businesses will use the visit, taking place November 14 to 25, to meet airlines, tour operators, press and other influencers to help make the Lakes a destination of choice for Chinese holidaymakers in 2018.

The companies attending the trade mission are English Lakes Hotels, Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, Lindeth Howe Country House Hotel, Mountain Goat, Muncaster Castle, Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway, The World of Beatrix Potter, Ullswater Steamers and Windermere Lake Cruises.

Windermere Lake Cruises and English Lakes Hotels will represent the Lake District China Forum for three days of meetings in Beijing and two in Hong Kong.

The World of Beatrix Potter and Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, meanwhile, are heading to Taiwan for similar sessions.

All four attractions will then join the other Cumbrian businesses for VisitBritain’s three-day Destination China event in Guangzho, where they will help to promote British destinations, products and suppliers to around 100 buyers.

A day of one-to-one appointments on the Chinese mainland will round off the trip.

Jennifer Cormack, chair of the Lake District China Forum and sales and marketing director at Windermere Lake Cruises, said: “This trade mission is all about building fantastic relationships with some very large and influential companies, and laying the foundations to bring more visitors here from China and Hong Kong.

“Working together as part of a strong delegation of businesses from the Lake District, we are confident we can continue building the region’s reputation internationally and win new business to help develop and grow our tourism sector.”