Leading travel trade association UKinbound is pleased to announce Greater Manchester as the host destination for its Annual Convention 2026.
Marketing Manchester submitted the winning bid. The two-day flagship event will take place on 25 and 26 February next year.
Annual Convention is the UK’s leading inbound tourism event, and in 2026, over 400 delegates are expected to attend. Over the last five years the event has grown considerably in size, 250 delegates attended in 2021, highlighting the value and growth potential of this sector. Covering the breadth of the UK, attendees will include tour operators and trade buyers responsible for bringing many international visitors to the UK from valuable key markets such as the USA, Asia and the Middle East.
The event schedule will include a dynamic keynote speaker address, industry insights and forecasts, B2B workshops, an evening networking dinner and an industry award ceremony.
Working in collaboration with Marketing Manchester, UKinbound will coordinate a range of familiarisation trips for delegates. These trips will allow them to experience the diverse tourism offering of not only the city but also the surrounding region. This will help foster and develop key relationships between buyers and local industry.
Joss Croft OBE, CEO, UKinbound, said, “We are excited that Greater Manchester will be the host destination for our Annual Convention in 2026. “The city presented an impressive bid that not only highlighted its exceptional track record of hosting events but also its real passion for collaborating with the travel trade and desire to grow international visitor numbers further.
“I am confident that this partnership will result in an exceptional and valuable event, and we look forward to showcasing to our delegates what Greater Manchester has to offer.”
Victoria Braddock, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester, said, “It is such an exciting time to hold an event in Greater Manchester, and there has never been a better time for inbound international visitors to come here, so I am delighted that UKinbound will be hosting their 2026 annual convention in the city, allowing us to showcase the destination – and lots of fantastic new developments – to influential buyers and suppliers who support the UK’s inbound tourism sector.
“Here in Greater Manchester, we have recently launched a new strategy for the visitor economy, identifying an increase in inbound international visitors via Manchester Airport as one of five key targets to achieve between now and 2025. I look forward to sharing more detail on the vision and thinking behind the strategy, as well as the steps that we, as a sector, will be taking to meet our targets.”
For the last four years, UKinbound’s Annual Convention has been held in September, but from 2026 onwards, it will be held in February. The event historically took place each February until 2021, when COVID restrictions put a pause on all events. Moving the event to earlier in the year will provide attendees with greater networking and business development opportunities, as February is a more accessible month for businesses to attend events.
As the Annual Convention will be taking place during the UK’s low season, delegates will also have the opportunity to see attractions and products that are available to international visitors all year round, giving them the insight to sell visits to the city at all times of the year.
