Cardiff-based tour operator adeo Travel has completed a major VisitBritain trade mission to Australia aimed at growing inbound tourism and encouraging more international visitors to explore Britain's nations and regions.
Managing director and founder Darryl Walters represented the independent Welsh travel business during the mission, which took place in Sydney and Melbourne from 13 to 18 September.
The programme brought British tourism businesses and destinations together with more than 300 Australian travel buyers and advisers through a series of trade meetings, networking sessions and agent events. Adeo Travel and Visit Wales were among the organisations taking part.
Australia is already Britain's fourth most valuable inbound tourism market. VisitBritain forecasts that Australian visitors will make around 1.1 million trips to the UK during 2026, spending approximately £1.7bn, while latest forecasts presented during the mission suggest spending could reach £1.86bn in 2027.
For adeo Travel, which was established in 2012 and operates from its Cardiff city centre base, the mission provided an opportunity to develop relationships with Australian tour operators and travel advisers while promoting holidays across England, Scotland and Wales.
Darryl Walters said:
“Australia has always been an important market for Britain, but what really stands out is the way Australian visitors travel once they get here. They tend to stay longer, explore beyond London and want to experience different parts of the country, which fits extremely well with the type of holidays we create.
“The mission gave us the opportunity to meet directly with the people who are advising customers and developing UK programmes for the Australian market. Those face-to-face conversations are invaluable, both in building new relationships and in understanding what travellers are looking for over the next few years.
“For us as a Cardiff-based business there was also a really important Wales element. Wales has an enormous amount to offer international visitors, but awareness can still be lower than for some other parts of Britain. Being able to talk directly to the Australian travel trade about how Wales can form part of a wider British itinerary – or be a destination in its own right – was a particularly valuable part of the week.”
Adeo Travel's participation in the mission was supported by funding from Visit Wales, helping the company take its Wales and wider Britain tourism products directly to one of the UK's most valuable long-haul visitor markets.
The business used the event to showcase its growing programme of independently curated holidays across Britain, including tailor-made rail and self-drive itineraries, private driver-guided travel and its boutique small-group touring programme.
Its 2027 programme includes an increased number of departures for its Enchanting Wales small-group tour following strong demand. The itinerary is designed to showcase Wales' landscapes, historic sites, towns and lesser-known destinations through a relaxed small-group format.
VisitBritain said Australian travellers are particularly important in supporting tourism outside London, with the market characterised by longer stays and a willingness to explore Britain's regions. Its trade mission formed part of a wider strategy to strengthen relationships with the travel trade and turn demand for Britain into future bookings across the country.
Darryl added:
“We came away from the mission extremely positive about the potential in the Australian market. There is a real appetite for Britain and, importantly for us, for the kind of slower-paced, multi-destination travel which allows visitors to get beneath the surface of England, Scotland and Wales.”
“As a small independent Welsh business, having the opportunity to take our product directly into an international market like this is hugely valuable. We're very grateful for the support we received from Visit Wales in helping us participate.”
