Mayor Kim McGuinness led the North's first joint tourism pitch to India, where VisitBritain expects visitor spending to reach £1.5bn a year by 2030.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has led a pitch to Indian travel firms to send more of their customers north, as the region’s tourism bodies try to win a bigger share of what VisitBritain expects to become a £1.5 billion market for the UK by 2030.
The trip was the first joint North of England mayoral trade mission to India, run from 12 to 16 October under The Great North banner, the partnership of northern mayors that Ms McGuinness chairs. Mayors, VisitBritain and tourism partners presented the North’s visitor offer to 150 Indian travel buyers and journalists at events in New Delhi and Mumbai, according to The Great North.
Experience North East England, which markets the region to visitors, was one of the destination bodies on the trip, alongside Marketing Manchester, Cumbria Tourism, Marketing Liverpool and the West Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership.
What the numbers say
VisitBritain forecasts 597,000 visits from India to the UK this year, with those visitors spending an estimated £865 million. Its forecast is that India becomes a £1.5 billion inbound market by 2030, which The Great North describes as a 71% increase on 2026. VisitBritain publishes the detail in its inbound tourism forecast.
The aim, the partnership says, is to make it easier for Indian tour operators to sell trips that take in several northern destinations, so that more of those visitors come north, stay longer and spend in more places.
What the North East Mayor said
Ms McGuinness said:
“We want Indian visitors to enjoy everything Britain has to offer, but to travel further, stay longer and experience more. From our great cities and spectacular landscapes to Premier League football, international cricket, castles, culture and coastline, the North has an incredible amount to offer.
“The North East is a place I’m incredibly proud to call home, and our greatest strength is the warmth and hospitality of our people. We’ve experienced that same wonderful welcome in India, and I want us to return it to many more Indian visitors.
“By bringing our regions together through The Great North, we’re putting the North of England on the international stage. Now we want to work with the Indian travel trade to turn that opportunity into unforgettable journeys, more visitors and bookings, and lasting economic benefits for our communities.”
The other mayors and VisitBritain
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, made the case for his own area:
“The Liverpool City Region has so much to offer Indian visitors. We’re the UK’s cultural capital, home to The Beatles, two Premier League football clubs and an internationally renowned music, arts and cultural scene.
“As the UK’s third most visited region by international visitors, our visitor economy generates almost £7 billion a year and supports more than 58,000 local jobs. And beyond the world-class attractions, there’s nowhere quite like Liverpool when it comes to the warmth of our welcome.
“India’s growing tourism market presents a fantastic opportunity for the entire North, and through The Great North, we want to showcase the very best our regions have to offer, encouraging visitors to explore more, stay longer and experience the distinctive character of the North.
“Our message is simple: come and discover a city region with the ambition, infrastructure and connectivity to make every visit memorable.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:
“From Bronte Country to bustling nightlife, Hepworth to Hockney, West Yorkshire has so much culture at its heart. Across Yorkshire, tourism, including screen tourism, is worth a whopping £9 billion every year. As the partnership of the Great North, we can showcase our spectacular sights, vibrant culture, and encourage more people to explore our regions.”
Patricia Yates, chief executive of VisitBritain, which ran the tourism programme for the delegation, said:
“We are proud to be working alongside Mayors, destinations and industry leaders from across the North of England to support the tourism programme for the inaugural North of England Mayoral Delegation to India, one of our fastest-growing markets.
“Drawing on our in-market expertise and relationships in India, we are telling the story of the North of England’s outstanding tourism offer, from its vibrant cities, rich heritage and spectacular scenery to world-class sporting grounds and visitor experiences. Working directly with the travel trade in India gets our products sold and broadens itineraries, so visitors explore further, stay longer and spend more.
“Strong and growing air connectivity between India and the regional gateway of Manchester is making it easier than ever for visitors to discover more. With India forecast to become a £1.5 billion visitor market for the UK by 2030, our destination showcase event is a timely and valuable opportunity to drive growth and visitor spending across the region and beyond.”
Francine Bult, senior marketing executive at Cumbria Tourism, said tour operators were already planning beyond next year:
“This collaborative Indian trade mission is another fantastic opportunity to showcase our destination to a fast-growing global visitor market. Working together across the North, it’s vital to forge direct one-to-one relationships and ensure tour operators have the right information at the right time to plan their schedules for 2027 and beyond. Key markets like India are vital to sustaining a thriving visitor economy, and we will continue working hard with our Northern partners to put relationships with inbound operators and product development at the forefront of our international marketing activity.”
Angela Hodson, commercial director at Lancashire Cricket, pointed to India’s return to Emirates Old Trafford for international fixtures in 2028 and 2029:
“India is an incredibly important market for Lancashire Cricket and Manchester, and we are proud of the strong connections we have built with cricket in India over many years.
“With India set to return to Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground for major international fixtures in both 2028 and 2029, we have a fantastic opportunity to welcome even more visitors from India to the City. We also have Manchester Super Giants playing in The Hundred at our venue as part of our joint venture with RPSG Group, who also own IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants.
“From matchday hospitality and events to our on-site Hilton Garden Inn hotel at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground, there is a real opportunity to showcase Manchester and the North as a destination in its own right. Working collectively through The Great North gives us an opportunity to build on that appeal, create experiences for Indian visitors and encourage them to stay longer and return in the future.”
Who went, and what happens next
Besides the five destination bodies, the businesses and attractions listed at the showcase were Harewood House, Muncaster Castle, Northern Secrets Ltd, Manchester City Football Club, Lancashire County Cricket Club and Therme Manchester. The mayoral delegation took in Greater Manchester, the Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire, York and North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Hull and East Yorkshire, and the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority.
Indian travel buyers and journalists are due in the North in November for Spotlight Manchester: Gateway to Northern England and North Wales, hosted by VisitBritain and Marketing Manchester, where they will see the region for themselves. The partners hope to turn the contacts made in India into bookable itineraries and longer-term trade deals.
The mission was delivered with the Department for Business and Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and sponsored by HSBC. The Great North calls it the UK’s first joint mayoral-led mission to India and the first major regional response to the UK-India Free Trade Agreement, which came into force on 15 July 2026; the government’s impact assessment of the agreement is published on GOV.UK.
The Great North was set up in May 2025 as the UK’s first mayor-led collaboration, bringing together combined authorities, councils, businesses, universities and government across the North.
What it means for you
For anyone running a hotel, guest house, café, tour or attraction on the coast, the pitch is that more overseas visitors will be sold trips that take in several northern places rather than a single city. The North East’s route into that work is Experience North East England, which was in the room in Delhi and Mumbai. Whether any of it turns into extra visitors at the coast will depend on what the Indian operators actually put on sale for 2027 and beyond.
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