England’s Historic Cities (EHC) have unveiled a brand-new edition of the England Originals Travel Trade Guide.
EHC represents a consortium of 12 of England’s most iconic destinations – Bath, Cambridge, Canterbury, Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Greenwich, Lancaster, Oxford, Salisbury, Stratford-upon-Avon, and York.
This new resource was developed following growing demand from the travel trade, and is designed to inspire and support tour operators, wholesalers, and travel agents in creating engaging multi-city itineraries across England. This latest edition has been expanded by almost 40%, featuring over 40 new trade-ready products. The guide showcases a rich collection of attractions, activities, guided experiences, and accommodation providers, offering international visitors deeper access to England’s living history and cultural heritage.
The guide introduces three new themed bookable itineraries – Quintessential England, Literary, Film & TV, and Faith & Religion – each featuring four or five historic cities. These sit alongside additional online itineraries such as Northern Cities by Rail and Southern Cities, as well as the original England Originals themes: Western Wonders, Thinkers & Writers, Time Travellers, Treasure Trove, and Wall to Wall, each offering trade partners the flexibility to ‘pick and mix’ destinations and experiences for tailor-made touring programmes.
York’s presence within the newly expanded England Originals Travel Trade Guide reinforces its visibility among international tour operators and travel agents, supporting efforts to drive growth in overseas group and touring markets. By spotlighting bookable experiences and itineraries designed for the travel trade, the guide opens up new pathways for Visit York members to be included in multi-destination programmes, generate group business, and forge stronger connections with global trade partners as future itineraries are developed.
Sarah Loftus, Managing Director of Make It York, said: “We’re proud to be included in the latest edition of the England Originals Travel Trade Guide. Collaborating with England’s Historic Cities enables York to feature within inspiring multi-city journeys that appeal to international audiences, while further strengthening the city’s position as a world-class destination on the global stage.”
Florence Wallace, Head of Travel Trade at VisitWiltshire and EHC lead for trade engagement, said, “We’re delighted to launch this expanded resource for the travel trade, helping support product development and promote new bookable programmes. Our partnerships with international intermediaries continue to grow, particularly in North America, where multi-city touring remains a strong focus for travel planners.”
Melanie Sensicle, Chair of England’s Historic Cities, added, “This guide is a cornerstone of our travel trade strategy and an invaluable tool to showcase our remarkable cities. England Originals remains a leading brand for international trade engagement and a testament to more than a decade of collaboration between destinations that have so much to offer to the international and domestic visitor.”
The England Originals Travel Trade Guide provides detailed information for 164 tourism businesses, including trade rates, group sizes, parking facilities, and direct trade contacts. It also includes destination profiles, travel information, and access to an extensive image library, making it an essential tool for intermediaries creating bespoke English itineraries for 2026 and beyond.
Download the 2026 edition of the England Originals Travel Trade Guide.
Explore all the cities and itineraries at englandoriginals.com
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NOTES TO EDITORS
PRESS RELEASE: 18 December 2025
Issued by VisitWiltshire on behalf of England’s Heritage Cities. For further information, images or to arrange a press visit or meeting please contact Florence Wallace, Head of Travel Trade, flowallace@visitwiltshire.co.uk Tel: 07436 588860.
About England’s Heritage Cities
England’s Heritage Cities is a partnership of destinations brought together by common product and interests. Its purpose is to exchange knowledge, find solutions to shared challenges, benchmark performance, raise the profile of England’s heritage product and facilitate joint activity, all with the intention of maximising the potential of the cities’ visitor economies. Its geographical footprint spans the length and breadth of England and membership comprises 13 of the country’s premiere heritage locations: Bath, Canterbury, Cambridge, Chester, Carlisle, Durham, Greenwich, Lancaster, Lincoln, Oxford, Salisbury, Stratford and York. heritagecities.com
About Visit York
Visit York is a part of Make It York and is the leisure tourism brand. Under the brand Visit York, Make It York’s aim is to market York as a must-see world-class destination to the leisure and business visitor and ensure investment to develop the quality of tourism in York. Activity covers all aspects of tourism marketing and PR, including market intelligence, as well as providing business support through the membership programme. Visit York operate the Visit York Pass, York’s city-sightseeing card, and run the Visitor Information Centre. VisitYork.org
About Make It York
Make It York’s purpose is to develop and promote the city and its surroundings – nationally and internationally – as a vibrant and attractive place to live, visit, study, work and do business. Its mission is to grow the economic prosperity and wider wellbeing of York and its citizens. In practice, this means delivering a range of projects and programmes based around our corporate strategic priorities. These are: City positioning and profile-raising; Ensuring an exciting city centre; Delivering the city’s ground-breaking Cultural Strategy. MakeItYork.com
