Visit Peak District & Derbyshire boosts international tourism connections in China and Northeast Asia

Visit Peak District & Derbyshire has recently returned from a successful international travel trade mission in Chengdu, China, where the team showcased the destination’s world-class tourism offer to leading travel buyers from China, Japan and South Korea.

VisitBritain’s Destination Britain China & Northeast Asia (DBCNEA) mission provided a significant opportunity to raise the international profile of the Peak District and Derbyshire, supporting Visit Peak District & Derbyshire’s wider work to attract high-spending global visitors, extend the tourism season beyond peak months, and deliver long-term benefits for the local visitor economy.

During the event, Visit Peak District & Derbyshire engaged in over 50 one-to-one meetings with tour operators and travel buyers from China, Japan, and South Korea – highlighting the region’s tourism offer to inspire future itineraries and drive new business.

The team also delivered educational seminars showcasing local attractions, accommodation and activity providers which closely align with emerging Asian travel trends for high-end, small-group, and immersive travel experiences.

Derbyshire is attracting growing interest from Chinese visitors, who are drawn by the area’s rich cultural heritage and beautiful landscapes. Chatsworth, well known among many international travellers for its role in the 2005 Pride & Prejudice film, remains a major draw, while the wider Peak District offers ‘soft adventure’ opportunities such as hiking and star-gazing that appeal to a new generation of nature-inspired travellers.

Both the ‘Peak District’ and ‘Chatsworth’ also currently feature among the most popular trending searches on RedNote, one of China’s largest social platforms with over 300 million users, underlining Derbyshire’s strong potential as a must-see UK destination.

Spending by visitors from China, Japan and South Korea, when combined, is forecast to be worth £1.4 billion to the UK economy this year, with an average visitor spend from these markets of £1,528 per visit, more than double the all-market average of £818.

Visit Peak District & Derbyshire’s attendance at DBCNEA strengthened the destination's ongoing engagement with the Chinese market, which includes a dedicated cultural tourism friendship between Derbyshire and Anhui Province, facilitated by Make It China. This established collaboration provided valuable momentum for trade discussions at the event.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, said: “VisitBritain’s Destination Britain China and Northeast Asia mission offered us an invaluable platform to present Derbyshire’s unique blend of heritage, nature and immersive experiences to top buyers from China, Japan and South Korea. By bringing our region directly into the spotlight at a global event, we build the relationships and confidence needed for tour operators to book the Peak District as an essential stop on future itineraries - making a powerful case for the region as a “must‑see” destination beyond the typical London circuit. Growing awareness among these influential buyers is key to unlocking the full potential of inbound tourism for our communities and economy.”

As part of its international tourism strategy, Visit Peak District & Derbyshire has been working extensively to ensure local tourism businesses are ‘travel trade ready’. Over the past year, the organisation has supported more than 40 businesses to become trade-ready through targeted development workshops and the launch of a new Travel Trade Brochure.

Businesses can find out more about Visit Peak District & Derbyshire’s business support activity at: www.visitpeakdistrict.com/industry