WELCOME TO BIRMINGHAM & THE WEST MIDLANDS

WELCOME TO BIRMINGHAM & THE WEST MIDLANDS

WELCOME TO BIRMINGHAM & THE WEST MIDLANDS

THE HEART OF ENGLAND

OTHER TOP DESTINATIONS SURROUNDING THE WEST MIDLANDS

THE WEST MIDLANDS CONSIST OF 7 DESTINATIONS

CONNECTIVITY- BY AIR TO BIRMINGHAM

AIRPORT - (BHX) – UK’S 5TH LARGEST AIRPORT

Serves over 400 direct or one stopconnectionswithover 50 airlines – airlinesfrom India include,Air India, Emirates & several more

• Most Accessible airport by road and rail

• Arrive in Birmingham City centre in less than 10 minutes

CONNECTIVITY – BY RAIL AND ROAD

FANTASTIC RAIL CONNECTIONS INTO THEREGION – JUST OVER 1 HOUR FROM LONDON WITH AVANTI TRAINS& LONDON NORTH-WESTERNRAILWAYS

GREAT ROAD CONNECTIVTY WITH 90% OF THE UK WITHIN A 4 HOUR DRIVE TIME OF OUR REGION

Birmingham New street Station

Connections from Birmingham to West Midlands Destinations simple & easy

• Coventry 20 mins

• Solihull 30 mins

• Wolverhampton 30 mins

Avanti West Coast Train – approx. 4 trains per hours from London Euston to Birmingham New Street

Tram lines from the City to destinations including

• The Jewellery Quarter District

• The Black Country Destination

THE WEST MIDLANDS DESTINATIONS

KEY FEATURES AND ATTRACTIONS

BIRMINGHAM THEUK’SSECONDCITY

Head to the cosmopolitan city of Birmingham to indulge in England’s world-class culture and heritage. Stay in stylish canalside hotels, enjoy parks and gardens, dine in restaurants and pubs loved by the locals and discover historic houses and museums.

BIRMINGHAM – Heritage - A City of a

thousand trades

• The Coffin Works – producing some of the world's finest coffin furniture, including the fittings for the funerals of Churchill,Chamberlain and the Queen Mother.

• Pen Museum – 75% of the worlds steel pen were created here in the 19th century, links to Walt Disney

• The Roundhouse – formally a working stable, now offers tours including, kayaking or heritage boat tours on our city's canals

• Back-to-Backs – see how ordinary people lived during the industrial revolution

Other Heritage attractions include;

• Thinktank Science Museum – 1 of our 30 museums in the City, featuring the world’s oldest steam engine

The Coffin Works

The Pen Museum

The Roundhouse

Back to Backs

BIRMINGHAM - Experiences

• Walking tours of the city, including learning more of our industrial revolution, Film scene locations, including scenes from - Mission Impossible, Graffiti art in Digbeth

• Gin and Whiskey making; The Distillery and Grain and Glass

• Vintage Steam Train Ride; Shakespeare Express

• Chocolatier Afternoon Tea at Cadbury World

• Visit to the Jewellery Quarter where 40% of UK’s gold created here – attend a jewellery making workshops and classes

• Discover the UK’s only 360c Ocean Tunnel at National Sea life Centre (Merlin West Midlands at DBI)

Walking tour of the city

Grain & Glass

Cadbury World National Sealife Centre

Birmingham’s – Famous for world class culture

• Birmingham Royal Ballet, one of the five major ballot companies in the UK. Currently showcasing its first ever heavy metal ballet, after Ozzy Osbourne band, The Black Sabbath

• Symphony Orchestra - Only opera house outside of London

• Birmingham Rep – longest established of Britian’s theatre companies

Other theatres include;

• The Hippodrome

• Alexandra Theatre

• Symphony Hall

• Town Hall

• Midlands Art Centre

Birmingham Royal Ballet Symphony Orchestra

The Rep Theatre Hippodrome

More than 30 Museums & Galleries

• Barber Instituteof Fine Arts, featuring collections from Monet and Rubens

• Ikon Gallery – internationally acclaimed contemporary art venue

• Lapworth Museum of Geology – featuring fossils, dinosaurs and diamonds

• Royal Birmingham Society of Artist (RBSA) –featuring contemporary crafts and features from Midlands based designers

Other Museums include;

• Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery – part of the Birmingham Museum Trust – currently has 9 properties in Birmingham (currently closed for renovation – open 2024)

• Sarehole Mill, home of the early years of JRR Tolkien –Author of Lord of the Rings

Link for more museums & Galleries

Barber Institute of Fine Arts

Ikon Gallery

Lapworth Museum

Royal Birmingham Society of Artist

Historical House, Parks and Gardens

• Aston Hall - Grade I listed & one of the last great Jacobean houses

• Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses–covering 15 acres of greenspace, with over 7,000 plants, including the first original lawned tennis court (West Midlands supplier at DBI India)

• Winterbourne House & Gardens – A unique heritage attraction, featuring a rare surviving 20th century suburban villa (West Midlands supplier at DBI India)

• Soho House - Home of Matthew Boulton and meeting place of the Lunar Society

Other properties include;

Selly Manor - Tudor house and gardens in Bourneville, Blakesley Hall - Tudor house and museum

See link for more parks and gardens & Heritage & Historical

Aston Hall Birmingham Botanical Gardens

Winterbourne House and Gardens

Soho House

Food & Drink – Home to the Balti and fine dining experiences

The largest number of Michelin stars outside London

• 4 Michelin-starred restaurants in Birmingham

See the link to our Michelin restaurants

• 8 Michelin Plate restaurants in the West Midlands

• Cookery School’s include Eureka Kitchen at Simpsons

• Birthplace of the Balti Balti Experience – Shabab’s Restaurant, an original Balti house founded in 1987, is one of four authentic Balti restaurants left in Birmingham

• Street Food Heaven

Hockley Social Club

• Craft Breweries

Brewing clusters in Digbeth and Stirchley Birmingham Brewery Co

Eureka’s Kitchen

Glynn Purnell – Michelin star chef

Hockley social Club

Birmingham Brewery Co

Visit Coventry

UKCityofCulture2021-2022

Home to rich history and ancient legends, two internationally renowned universities, three Cathedrals and an abundance of unique arts and culture. From music, theatre and festivals, to museums, and medieval history, Coventry has an abundance of unique arts and culture.

Coventry

– Homeof Lady Godiva, the 13th century legend, who rode naked through the city in protest of taxation rise

• Coventry Cathedral, was bombed in World War II during the Coventry Blitz; today the ruins remain next to the New Cathedral.

• Visit the Coventry Transport Museum. Home to the first bicycle, the Penny Farthing, Triumph Motorcycles and the fastest car in the world – Thrust II.

• Visit and stay at the wonderful Coombe Abbey Hotel, a 12th century abbey, with 4-star hotel set in 500 acres of parkland. Enjoy afternoon tea or a medieval banquet feast at one of their themed evenings.

Family attraction Go Ape. Onsite of the grounds – enjoy tree top adventures, including; high ropes, zip wires and axe throwing.

• St Mary’s Guildhall, one of the finest guildhalls in the country, which once housed the crown jewels, been the prison of Mary Queen of Scots and hosted famous literary figures, such as George Eliot.

Other attractions include;

FarGo Village – Part of VisitBritain - seeing things differently campaign, Herbert Art Gallery & Museum, currently featuring Dippy the Dinosaur.

Coventry Transport Museum Coventry Cathedral Ruins

Coombe Abbey Hotel St Mary’s Guildhall

VISIT SOLIHULL TownintheCountry

Welcome to Solihull – a mix of thriving urban centres alongside idyllic rural villages, providing fine dining, magnificent hotels, quaint B&Bs, events and top of the range shopping experiences. If your clients are looking to relax and unwind, Solihull boasts a number of scenic and historic walks through its parks and villages.

Solihull – home to 16 Green flag areas, awarded gold Standard for public spaces in the UK.

1500 acres of parks and open spaces - Walking and cycling routes connecting accommodation, attractions and villages, includes;

• Knowle Elizabethan Knot Garden – a 16th century Chester House

• Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens - 10 acres of a unique 350-year formal garden design

POPULAR ATTRACTIONS;

• Resorts World Arena - An outstanding entertainment centre built for music, comedy, sport and family events next to Birmingham airport. Regularly plays host to international artists with over 100 shows per year

• National Exhibition Centre - the UK’s largest event space (18 exhibition halls and 32 conference suites) and home to your favourite shows including Crufts & the Good Food Show.

• Land Rover Driving experiences – from taster sessions to half day drives and young off roader sessions - navigating challenging terrains including steep inclines, daring descents, muddy side slopes and wild streams, testing Land Rover's capabilities and your own.

• Follow the footsteps of Narendra Modi, Vicky Kaushal or Aksay Kumar at Bear Grylls Adventure (Merlin attractions). Activities includes; Shark Dive, Ifly, High Ropes and Escape rooms.

• National Motorcycle Museum; holds the worlds largest collection of British Motorcycles such as BSA, Triumph and Norton

FINE DINING RESTURANTS

• Enjoy an 8-lunch menu or 15 course taster menu Grace and Savour is an immersive Michelin star dining experience with cookery schooland luxury accommodation based at the Hampton Manor Hotel.

• Experience mouthwatering a la carte menu at Michelin starred Cheal’s Restaurant and Warrens bar in Knowle

Resorts World Arena Castle Bromwich Hall Gardens

Land Rover Experience

Bear Grylls Adventure

Explore The Black Country

Another wonderful combination of urban and rural destinations. Home of the famous Peaky Blinders, destinations include Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell and Dudley.

The Black Country – Dudley

• Black Country Living Museum – Home of famous TV series, The Peaky Blinders. open air museum, compelling of the lives of workers of the industrial revolution, this museum features – schoolroom, vintage cinema, 1930’S fish & chip shop and even a spit a sawdust pub (West Midlands supplier at DBI)

• Dudley Canal & Caverns – Explore the fascinating caverns and limestone underground mines of Dudley. Here you be guided by a knowledgeable skipper to learn more about the history dating back 428 million years ago.

Guided tour around the heart of the Stourbridge Glass Quarter attractions include;

• Stourbridge Glass Museum that proudly hosts a globally significant glass collection alongside interactive digital displays. Glassblowing demonstrations offered at all sites

• Ruskin Glass Centre, featuring 23 independent studio and glass outlets

• Here the story behind glassmaking at the Glasshouse Heritage Centre

• Visit the 100ft Red House Glass Cone, one of the four left in the UK

• Stourbridge Glass Museum that proudly hosts a globally significant glass collection alongside interactive digital displays. Glassblowing demonstrations offered at all sites

Other attractions include; Dudley Zoo and Castle and Merry Hill Shopping Centre

Visit: www.discoverdudley.org.uk/group-travel/ or email Tourismtourism@dudley.gov.uk for FIT and group rates

Guided tour at Black Country living museum

Dudley Canal and Caverns

Stourbridge Glass Museum

Red House Glass Cone

The Black Country – Sandwell & Walsall

SANDWELL

• Award-winning, green flag Valley Country Park

• Forge Mill Farm & Sandwell Park Farm, restored Victorian working farm, featuring a historic farmyard, welled kitchen and tea room

• Oak House Museum – built in the 1620s, featuring, a belvedere (tower), chimney stacks and a 1650s-old barn

• Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick is Europe’s largest and first Sikh place of worship.

WALSALL

• New Art Gallery - home to the distinguished Garman Ryan Collection. This unique collection is displayed on two floors and consists of 365 works of art including Sir Jacob Epstein, Van Gogh, Monet, Turner, Renoir, Constable and Freud.

• Leather Museum – discover Walsall famous leather trade, were once makers of the late Queen’s handbag

Sandwell Valley Park Forge Mill Farm Guru Nanak Gurdwara Smethwick

Walsall Art Galley Walsall leather Museum

The Black Country – Wolverhampton

WOLVERHAMPTON

Home to 2025 Kabaddi World cup final.

• Molineux Stadium, home of Premier League Football Club, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Guided tours are available.

• Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, one of the country’s leading regional theatres

• Wolverhampton Art Gallery, situated in the heart of the city, is famous for its collection of pop art as well as a major collection of works relating the Troubles of Northern Ireland and one of the most significant collections of works by Black British artists.

• Wolverhampton Racecourse, one of Britain’s busiest racecourses, hosting horse racing fixtures and music events throughout the year.

Wolverhampton Destination video

Molineux Stadium Grand Theatre

The Art Gallery Wolverhampton’s AnnualVaisakhi celebrations inWestPark, WolverhamptononSunday7 May 2023

Places to stay

Places to Stay - Everything from luxury, budget and boutique, and international brands through to individual properties.

Bed spaces available:

• Birmingham: over 51,000

• West Midlands: 121,000

Wide range of high-end luxury accommodation options:

• 126 hotels rated 4* and above across the region

Average room rate (2022):

• In Birmingham: £82.42

• Across the West Midlands region: £78.40

Please refer to our Travel Trade guide for listings

The Grand Hotel Birmingham

New Openings for 2023-4

Continuous development:

27 hotels either in planning or construction process which will bring over 3,000 further bedrooms in future years.

The Telegraph Hotel, Coventry

Resources to help you sell!

Birmingham & the West Midlands

RESOURCES

TRAVELTRADEGUIDE

Discover more about Birmingham and the West Midlands & use this guide to find the perfect experiences & accommodation for your clients.

SAMPLE ITINERARIES AND MAPS

Ready made itineraries to be inspire and discover all the things you can see and do in the West Midlands, plus useful maps of Birmingham and the region.

CONTENT

You can access imagery and videos of the West Midlands that are approved for all uses, including our cities, waterways, attractions, and more.

HELP AND SUPPORT

Our dedicated travel trade team are here to help, please get in touch with them for more information and support.

Whether you are planning group or FIT travel programmes, please contact me direct for free advice and support.

I would be happy to provide information and assistance on:

* Introductions to local ground handlers, attractions, and accommodation providers

* Destination information and support

* Itinerary planning

* FAM trip support for staff and B2B clients

Samantha Ward - Travel Trade Manager

Email: samantha.ward@wmgrowth.com

Website www.makeitwm/trade