Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey was the setting for a quality and memorable tourism get-together this week. An event commissioned by Daish’s Holidays for groups and organised by Steve Reed Tourism Ltd, it helped serve up the bubbles for GTOs and tour operators.

The very latest – although still an acknowledged vintage! – the Group Buyer Roadshow allowed top attractions and tourism businesses to meet active buyers face to face. These included RHS Garden Wisley; Arundel Walking Tours; Ena Mill Retail; The Bush Hotel Farnham; Norman Allen Group Travel; Painshill Park; Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens; Classic Lodges Hotels; Yarn Market Hotel Exmoor; Holiday Club Staycation and French Brothers River Cruises of Windsor.

Although the choice of venue and the glorious seasonal weather in deepest Dorking heralded a corking event, the tour planners and exhibitors also enjoyed a special wine tour with tastings as well as a land-train trip through the replete and tempting bunches of grapes. Factors which underline why Denbies is the country’s biggest and most scenic vineyard.

Daish’s Holidays conducted a prize draw and two group travel organisers were deemed to be the lucky winners. They also informed the tour planners of their next big GTO fam event – Scarborough and North Yorkshire from 7-11 April.

‘We always put a lot of fizz into our events and this one was no exception. Those ingredients seemed to provide for a top class event of value to both sellers and buyers,’ says Steve Reed of Steve Reed Tourism.

‘We’re now on the lookout for suitable venues around the country for group buyer roadshows to take place during 2024.’