Annual figures reveal surge in international group visitors

As 2016 draws to a close, Cumbria’s most popular visitor attraction has revealed a massive increase in group visits – mainly due to more overseas groups choosing the Lake District for a quintessential lake cruise.

In total, there are 1.5 million passenger journeys on Windermere Lake Cruises annually. End-of-year analysis shows that group visits have grown by more than 9% in the last 12 months. They are also an impressive 23% up on 2014 figures.

At the same time, latest data from the company’s online shop reveals that passengers from more than 30 countries around the world have bought tickets online for the popular attraction in the past year, with travellers from China, Australia and the USA leading the way.

The figures follow a major marketing drive by Windermere Lake Cruises to attract new international visitors. Most recent activity includes participation in trade missions to Japan and China/Korea alongside other Lake District businesses, as well as ongoing office visits, meetings and presentations with overseas tour operators.

Sales & Marketing Manager for Windermere Lake Cruises, Jennifer Cormack, says, “The growth in our group business continues to be driven by international markets, particularly from South East Asia. Despite a challenging start to the year, we are continuing to work hard to strengthen our international partnerships and develop business in emerging markets as we move forward into 2017.”