Bristol Airport has partnered with Destination Bristol to promote the city’s attractions to airlines from across the globe at the World Route Development Forum, an annual aviation industry event.
The World Route Development Forum, which is taking place from October 5 to 8 in Las Vegas, provides airports and tourism authorities with the opportunity to meet with airlines to make the case for new air services. More than 3,000 delegates from over 100 countries are expected to attend, enabling airlines to evaluate a range of new route opportunities.
The partnership comes after Destination Bristol had teamed up earlier this year with Bristol Airport at the Routes Europe event in Budapest. Bristol will also feature prominently on Visit England’s stand, which will promote regional airports as convenient gateways to the UK.
Shaun Browne, aviation director at Bristol Airport, said: ‘Competition for routes is intense, with airports and cities across the world recognising the value air links deliver to local economies by encouraging trade and facilitating inbound tourism.
‘Tourism and aviation are inextricably linked. By working closely with Destination Bristol we can ensure we make the best case for new services, demonstrating how the city’s attractions, and those of the surrounding region, can attract tourists and help fill flights.’
Kathryn Davis, head of tourism at Destination Bristol, said: ‘Developing new routes and maintaining existing routes into Bristol Airport are critical for the long term success of Bristol’s visitor economy, worth over GBP1 billion. Bristol has continued to maintain its position as one of the UK’s top ten cities for international travellers with overseas visitors contributing over GBP143m to the local economy.
‘At the same time, Bristol is gaining a reputation as a great short break destination as well as having the potential to deliver more international conferences and events. By working in partnership, we are able to deliver a really strong message about the city’s ambition to be one of Europe’s key destinations for business and leisure travel.’
The promotional efforts come as Bristol Airport has been experiencing a rise in foreign passengers over the last decade, with Bristol and the South West emerging as a key destination for both pleasure and business. Foreign nationals using Bristol Airport have almost trebled in the last decade, with over a million journeys made by overseas visitors from 82 different countries in 2012. According to the Civil Aviation Authority Passenger Survey data, 18 percent of the Airport’s 5.9 million passengers in 2012 were resident outside the UK.
Destination Bristol and Bristol Airport have teamed up at trade shows for conference and business tourism in the last twelve months, attending the IMEX and EIBTM events. The two organisations have also worked closely to promote Bristol to the travel trade and tour operators in Germany, following the launch of new routes by bmi regional.
