England Originals launches travel trade guide with new Norman heritage and wellness itineraries
20th October 2026
England Originals have launched a 4th edition Travel Trade Guide, providing inspiration, new products and practical information for the trade to help them develop new multi-city England itineraries for 2027 and beyond.
This new travel trade guide gives tour operators, wholesalers, DMCs and travel advisors the tools to create bookable multi-city programmes for groups and FIT, across 11 of England’s Historic Cities. They include Canterbury, Cambridge, Carlisle, Chester, Durham, Greenwich, Lancaster, Lincoln, Salisbury, Stratford-upon-Avon and York.
The new edition highlights new product across the cities, alongside a wealth of established attractions, experiences and accommodation, with trade-focused information including group sizes, trade rates, coach parking, transport connections, duration, opening information and booking details.
New travel trade experiences featured in the guide include Canterbury Castle’s Norman motte and bailey and The Normans at Canterbury Cathedral, alongside Old Sarum in Salisbury – particularly timely additions for programmes celebrating the Year of the Normans in 2027.
In Durham, discover Kynren & The Storied Lands and guided tours of the historic Redhills miners’ hall building, while new additions in other cities include Storyhouse Theatre in Chester, David Parr House and King’s College tours in Cambridge, and a Butterfly Farm, Old Bank Pottery & Gallery and the Shakespeare Express steam train experience in Stratford-upon-Avon.
There are also new accommodation options for trade programmes, including Moxy Hotels in York and Chester, giving operators even more choice when building multi-city tours.
Two new themed itineraries for 2027
A key feature of the new guide is the introduction of two new suggested multi-city itineraries, created to provide ready-made building blocks for travel trade product development.
Follow in the Footsteps of the Normans is particularly timely for 2027, when Europe marks 1,000 years since the birth of William the Conqueror. The six-day itinerary connects Carlisle, Durham, Lancaster, Chester, Lincoln and Canterbury, taking travellers through castles, cathedrals and historic landscapes that reveal the enduring legacy of the Norman Conquest. The itinerary can also be extended or adapted, with York and Salisbury suggested as additional destinations.
For operators responding to growing demand for slower, experience-led travel, A Journey of Wellness & Curated Experiences combines heritage with wellbeing, creativity, nature and exclusive experiences. The five-day journey links York, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cambridge and Salisbury, with experiences ranging from spa treatments and artisan workshops to river experiences, gardens, cultural attractions and behind-the-scenes tours.
The guide also features 11 reasons to visit England’s Historic Cities, demonstrating the breadth of experiences available across the collection – from Roman and Viking heritage, UNESCO World Heritage Sites and magnificent cathedrals to Shakespeare, royal and maritime history, food, culture, gardens and spectacular landscapes.
Designed to make product development easier
England’s Historic Cities offer a particularly strong proposition for multi-destination touring, with compact, walkable city centres and extensive rail connections between destinations. This guide can be used to help create itineraries for escorted group tours, FIT and tailor-made holidays, rail itineraries, educational programmes and special-interest journeys.
Florence Wallace, Head of Travel Trade, VisitWiltshire on behalf of England’s Historic Cities, said “Our new guide is intended to go beyond inspiration, providing practical information for travel trade partners looking to develop new multi-city programmes for 2027 and beyond.
“The 11 cities offer an extraordinary range of experiences, and by connecting them together operators can create programmes with a strong sense of story and place, while giving travellers the opportunity to see a much broader picture of England.”
Melanie Sensicle, Chairperson for England’s Historic Cities said “The inclusion of new products and suggested itineraries in this guide, demonstrates just how flexible multi-city visits to England’s Historic Cities can be. We’re constantly focused on product development and inspiration for tour operators to adapt for different markets, trip lengths and travel styles, to showcase these beautiful historic cities and grow the visitor economy .”
England’s Historic Cities/England Originals also offer trade partners product development advice, 1;1 support for itinerary planning, destination introductions, trade-ready content and imagery, sales training, marketing support and assistance with educational and familiarisation visits. Find out more at heritagecities.com and englandoriginals.com
