Day 1 - 29th October

TMI Convention Tours

STUDY TOUR OPTION 1

‘A Taste of Love’   The Ribble Valley Tour

Wednesday 29th October 2025, 12.30pm – 5pm

Study Tours will meet - TBC

Delegates will discover why Ribble Valley has gained a reputation as one of the tastiest food destinations in UK and why it is often referred to as the ‘Capital of Love’

The tour will include a selection of taste experiences and visits to businesses.

Delegates will hear about how food tourism continues to evolve in this destination as well as learn about the area’s unique and highly successful approach to developing wedding tourism. 

The tour will leave Preston by minibus and travel up the valley to Clitheroe, (30 mins) the heart of Ribble Valley, and home to Holmes Mill. Here delegates will learn about the development of this unique tourism development, which includes food hall, brewery and one of the longest bars in Britain. To achieve a true sense of the Ribble Valley landscape, delegates will also visit the iconic landmark Clitheroe Castle  

On the return journey to Preston , delegates will also visit a number of other food related tourism businesses.

STUDY TOUR OPTION 2

Preston Walking Tour

Credit: Preston City Council

Join a fascinating walking tour of Preston to hear about the latest regeneration initiatives, highlighting the key government funded projects, investment opportunities and development projects along the way, the future vision and priorities for Preston, and how it all fits together.

The tour will start from Chew’s Yard and take in the following points:

•     Head to historic Harris Quarter via recently refurb Friargate North, and inc. current works on Frigate South
• Animate - £45+m purpose built, newly opened leisure and entertainment destination
• Preston Markets – celebrating 150 years in 2025
• Amounderness House – old court building being refurbished into flexible working office space  
• Vault – Preston’s new £16m+ youth zone
• Preston Bus Station one of the largest in Europe and an award-winning, grade listed, brutalist structure – love it or hate it!
• Nod to the Guild Lounge events programme and future of Guild Hall
• Flag Market and short history
• The Harris Museum and Art Gallery - £19m reimagining of the building, will have been very recently reopened in October (end Sep opens)
• Winckley Square and coffee and doughnut stop at Holy Grind coffee shop
• Grade listed Avenham & Miller Parks and op in to see exhibition and progress of Tram Bridge
• Return to Chew’s Yard

Credit: Preston City Council

Please note that we are limited spaces per tour, so bookings are on a first come, first serve basis.

If you would like to book on to any of these tours, please contact Graham Haynes secretary@tmi.org.uk