Visit Manchester and independent travel specialist Avanti Destinations have launched a joint campaign to educate advisors and their FIT clients about the appeal of Manchester and how convenient it is to use the northern English city as a hub for multi-destination British vacations to the Lake District, York, Liverpool, Chester, Wales, Scotland and other scenic and historic U.K. locations. As part of the campaign, Avanti has added three new customizable vacations, eight hotels and 20 new experiences and excursions in and around Manchester.
The centerpiece of the campaign is a new 36-page downloadable e-brochure, Manchester: Gateway to Northern England. Tip: A webinar is being held April 20, and travel advisors will earn a $25 gift card for each passenger booked to Manchester in 2021 and 2022 (details of the incentive available on Avanti’s advisor portal). Additionally, as with all Avanti vacations, there are no fees for changes made 15 or more days prior to departure.
New Customizable Vacations, Experiences and Excursions
Designed to be shared with clients, the new e-brochure includes background information on Manchester, points out some of the main city sights, provides direct air travel times from several U.S. gateways, and lists upcoming 2021-2022 events, such as the opening of the first craft beer hotel and a new Royal Horticultural Society Garden (Bridgewater).
Manchester's People's History Museum
Avanti’s three new customizable itineraries include one that combines Manchester and Liverpool (“Best of Northern England”)—and could easily include the Lake District or York—and two that are focused on food and drink (“British Bites”)—one that pairs Manchester with London; the second, Manchester with Edinburgh. The three vacations include a choice of accommodations, sightseeing tours, transfers and experiences. Clients can choose how long they stay in each city and whether other destinations are added to their vacation.
Among the 20 new experiences and excursions: A walking tour of street art, for which Manchester is renowned; walking tour of Salford Quays—a former industrial area filled with ships, warehouses and cranes, today redeveloped to reflect the city’s reinvention as a media, theater, film and football powerhouse; river sightseeing cruise from the heart of the city; three different football-focused tours, including the National Football Museum and a behind-the-scenes tour of Manchester City stadium; “Ancoats Taster” walking tour of the city’s hottest, eclectic gastronomic neighborhood, formerly a gritty industrial area, with samples along the way; craft beer tour (with tastings) of the city’s finest breweries and microbreweries; award-winning Spirit of Manchester gin distillery tour with guided tastings; and private daytrips to other nearby destinations—including the Lake District, Peak District, Northern Wales, and the heritage city of Chester, founded by the Romans.
Paul Barry, Avanti’s CEO, recommends summer as the best time to visit Manchester and surrounding areas. Not only because the weather is best, but because accommodations are even more affordable and available then. With a compact center, Manchester is walkable and easy for tourists to navigate, although renting a car is recommended for daytrips to other nearby cities and regions.
For more information, log onto the advisor portal book.avantidestinations.com.
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