Stratford-on-Avon MP Manuela Perteghella has given the thumbs-up to a local guided tour firm’s record growth after hosting guests from 79 countries.
Go Cotswolds welcomed a bumper 6,300 visitors in 2024 – up by 75 per cent on 2023 – and the business is breaking new ground again after reaching half of 2023’s bookings before the end of March.
The surge in custom comes with around 40 per cent of last year’s visitors coming from the US, followed by India, Canada and Australia among others. Only five per cent of those visitors have been from the UK.
The family-run firm is now in its 11th year and provides a range of fun, friendly tours of The Cotswolds from its pick-up points in Stratford-upon-Avon and Moreton-in-Marsh.
Manuela Perteghella MP paid a visit to Go Cotswolds founders, Tom and Lisa Benjamin, to mark English Tourism Week – which is a VisitEngland initiative celebrating the contribution tourism businesses make to local communities, and is being supported locally by south Warwickshire’s tourism board, Shakespeare’s England.
Explaining the rise in demand, Tom said: “The social media reels of pretty Cotswold villages, combined with popular TV shows such as Clarkson’s Farm, Rivals and Downton Abbey are undoubtedly driving demand from overseas – and for us it is about having the capacity to meet this demand.
“Last year we invested around £100,000 in a new minibus to expand our fleet to four buses, and we have also recruited and trained three new driver guides to take our team of guides to 8 to cater for the rising demand.
“Lisa and I initially started Go Cotswolds borne from our passion for independent travel and an adventurous spirit that we wanted to pass on to others, so to see where the business is now is a dream come true.”
Manuela Perteghella MP added: “Tourism is a vital part of our local economy, and it’s fantastic to see a Stratford-upon-Avon business thriving on the global stage.
“Go Cotswolds is not only showcasing the beauty of our region to visitors from around the world but also creating jobs and investment in our local community.
“Their success story is a testament to the hard work and passion of independent businesses, and I’m delighted to support them during English Tourism Week.”
Shakespeare’s England facilitated the meeting between Go Cotswolds and Manuela Perteghella MP as part of English Tourism week, whose theme this year is ‘supporting people and places to drive growth.’
Darren Tosh, Operations and Marketing Director at Shakespeare’s England, commented: “Go Cotswolds’ ongoing growth is a refreshing reminder of how popular our region is with overseas markets, and the crucial role they play alongside domestic and local visitors in supporting our tourism businesses.
“We are gearing up to welcome another bumper influx of visitors to our region this Summer – and services such as Go Cotswolds are vital at helping those visitors to stay and explore the area for longer.”
Read more on this story in the press:
- Route One Magazine: Go Cotswolds celebrates 75% rise in passenger volume
- Insider Magazine: Stratford tourism firm’s growth applauded by MP
- Punchline Gloucester: Cotswold tour company sees huge rise in business
