With U.S. visitors contributing 7.2 billion pounds to the United Kingdom’s economy this year, the United States is Great Britain’s most important inbound tourism market. And the three-day Destination Britain Americas trade event (previously Destination Britain North America), hosted by VisitBritain from September 11-14, 2025, provided opportunities for nearly 50 buyers to meet with more than 50 British tourism industry suppliers to broaden their destination knowledge.
“We have a huge commitment to the American market … but the size of our delegation shows the enthusiasm from British suppliers to hear firsthand about the motivations and trends driving travel to Britain,” said Patricia Yates, VisitBritain CEO.
Here’s what’s new for clients heading to the region in 2025 and beyond.
Nearly 50 buyers and more than 50 British tourism industry suppliers participated in over 1,000 one-on-one meetings during the three-day trade event.
Credit: 2025 VisitBritain/Timeless PhotographyThe Set-Jetting Trend Continues With VisitBritain’s “Starring Great Britain” Campaign
The event’s overarching theme reinforced VisitBritain’s global "Starring Great Britain" campaign, which launched in January to showcase the television and film locations across Britain that inspire travelers to visit.
Starring Great Britain also aims to inspire visitors to discover “more of Britain,” an extension of the “London Plus” messaging that has been VisitBritain’s priority for several years.
“We are shining the spotlight on the fantastic products and experiences across Britain,” Yates said. "Building product and destination knowledge broadens travel itineraries, so visitors can explore more of Britain.”
Building product and destination knowledge broadens travel itineraries, so visitors can explore more of Britain.
Yates points to the upcoming “Peaky Blinders," filmed in the West Midlands; “Wuthering Heights," set in Yorkshire; and “Frankenstein," set in Scotland, as new drivers for screen tourism.
“The strength of the campaign is that the destination is center stage,” she said. “But it’s the emotional connection that makes people want to come and be a part of that.”
"Starring Great Britain" showcases television and film locations across Britain that inspire travelers to visit.
Credit: 2025 Samantha Davis-FriedmanPromoting Under-the-Radar Destinations
New experiences are allowing clients to see familiar destinations differently and discover under-the-radar regions, such as the Peak District, which has eluded many American travelers despite being only 90 minutes from London by train.
"The Peak District is a relatively undiscovered destination, but that means visitors get a really authentic English experience,” said Amy Noton, public relations and travel trade manager for Visit Peak District and Derbyshire. “It’s like the real England, and you get a little taste of everything — countryside, culture, heritage, beautiful towns and villages.”
Chatsworth House in The Peak District was the inspiration for Mr. Darcy’s country estate of Pemberley in “Pride and Prejudice.”
Credit: 2025 VisitBritain/Tomo BrejcAmong the area’s highlights is the opportunity to craft jewelry with Blue John (also known as Derbyshire Spar), a unique semi-precious stone that isn’t found anywhere else on Earth.
“Derbyshire is known for its limestone landscapes,” Noton said. “In one of the ice ages, the limestone combined with something else to create this purply-blue mineral, and the Blue John mine has been in the same family for 150 years.”
The Peak District also has a strong connection to author Jane Austen, with the nearly 500-year-old Chatsworth House as the inspiration for Mr. Darcy’s country estate of Pemberley in “Pride and Prejudice.” Chatsworth even portrayed Pemberley in the 2005 film adaptation of Austen's novel, starring Kiera Knightley, but the new six-part Netflix series is also filming in the area, Noton notes, extending “Pride and Prejudice”-themed activities into 2026 and beyond.
Noteworthy Tours
The London Transport Museum recently launched a collection of 75-minute tours, offering exclusive guided access to no-longer-used London Tube stations.
These "Hidden London" tours include Baker Street: The World's First Underground, taking clients into the station that launched the then-revolutionary idea of carrying passengers under Victorian London’s streets, and Charing Cross: Behind The Silver Screen, offering a behind-the-scenes look at a filming location for “Skyfall” and “Paddington.”
The London Transport Museum offers exclusive guided access to no-longer-used London Tube stations.
Credit: 2025 London Transport Museum"When you go into Aldwych [station], it's like stepping back in time," explained Alexandra Rocheteau-Hason, the museum’s groups and travel trade manager. “It was used for refuge for Londoners during World War II, but the National Gallery and British Museum also kept their artwork there.”
Additional tours coming soon include Down Street: Churchill's Secret Station, providing a look at the station that covertly transformed into the Railway Executive Committee's bomb-proof headquarters, and where Prime Minister Winston Churchill secretly took refuge during the Blitz.
Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire provides the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive a supercar around the U.K.'s only Formula One track. No driver’s license? No problem. Drivers as young as 6 years old can experience Europe’s biggest outdoor go-karting circuit, which opens at Silverstone on Dec. 1, 2025. Visitors of all ages can walk the circuit for a unique view of the home of the British Grand Prix, and a newly-launched tour takes clients to filming locations for "F1" starring Brad Pitt.
“Everyone wants to drive the Grand Prix F1 circuit,” said Haley Smith, head of sales for Silverstone Circuits Limited. “You can drive an Aston Martin, a MacClaren or a Ferrari, but North American clients want a Ferrari — and they want it red — so we’ve done it.”
Silverstone Circuit provides the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to drive a supercar around the U.K.'s only Formula One track.
Credit: Silverstone CircuitThe 184-room residence-style Escapade allows clients to spend the night just meters from the iconic track.
New Regenerative Tourism Initiative
In his keynote presentation, Gavin Landry, international director for VisitBritain, announced that an all-new Tourism Cares Meaningful Travel Map is being developed for England, which will launch during U.S. Tour Operator’s Association’s Annual Conference in December. The collaborative project builds on the Meaningful Travel Map developed by VisitScotland, and aims to inspire a similar map for Wales, creating a "three-nation story to tell when it comes to regenerative tourism."
Gavin Landry, VisitBritain international director, announced a Meaningful Travel Map is being developed for England.
Credit: 2025 VisitBritain/Timeless PhotographyLandry described regenerative tourism as the next step after sustainable tourism — or, doing the least harm—to doing the most good. In other words, he said, regenerative tourism is the “better looking and more intelligent sister of sustainability.”
VisitBritain is working with destinations, attractions and experiences at the forefront of sustainable tourism, with 10 partners already onboard, including The Eden Project in Cornwall, The National Forest in Leicestershire, Strawberry Field in Liverpool and the International Dark Skies Reserve in Northumberland, all approved by Tourism Cares, an organization dedicated to advancing meaningful travel in the tourism industry.
Among the ten partners already participating in England’s Meaningful Travel Map is Strawberry Field in Liverpool.
Credit: 2025 Visit LiverpoolAdvisors can support VisitBritain's regenerative tourism efforts by encouraging travel outside peak seasons, highlighting products and destinations that have a positive impact and incorporating lesser-known experiences and hidden-gem destinations into client itineraries.
“When Henry Ford was asked why he was making an automobile, he said if he asked his customers they would have asked for faster horses,” Landry said. “So, in our case, let’s anticipate our customers’ needs, let’s go where the future is going, and let’s be part of this regenerative space.”
