Latest News (Meet Bristol & Bath) - Visit West

Hoteliers in Bristol are cautiously optimistic that 2026 will be a better year for their businesses despite continuing financial challenges.

After a phenomenal 2025, Bath will continue to flourish in 2026, with plenty of new developments making it a vibrant city for visitors and residents alike. 

Bristol is gearing up for an unmissable 2026! The city shines as the only UK city in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel, welcomes its first 5-star hotel, and unveils the African Forest at Bristol Zoo Project. 2026 promises celebrations, milestones and unforgettable experiences in Bristol.  

Ashton Gate Stadium continues to be recognised as a leading international sports venue by being included in the UK’s bid to host the 2035 Women’s Football World Cup.

Bristol is set to lead the world in the powering of major public events by establishing a Clean Power Hub for its summer programme that guarantees renewable energy for music festivals, high attendance cultural events – and film & television productions.

Hopes of Bristol hoteliers that the Autumn budget wouldn’t adversely affect a promising end to 2025 have been dashed by a higher-than-expected wage increase for the under-21s.

£18 million investment programme begins tomorrow as businesses back new model of delivery

Visit West are running two Visitor Surveys and we are inviting our members and other stakeholders to help share the survey with your own audiences so we can gather richer insights which can help us all understand more about visitors to our region.  

Bristol is the only UK city to be named by Lonely Planet as one of the top destinations in the world to visit in 2026, thanks to its incredible street art.

As the guide says: “No city in Britain uses its urban landscape as a canvas quite like Bristol,” with “some of the best street art anywhere in Europe”.

British Art Show 10, the UK’s largest recurring exhibition of contemporary art, will visit Bristol in June 2027 as part of a national tour of five cities.  

After coming 6th in 2024, Bath has been revealed today as the ‘Best UK City’ in Condé Nast Traveller magazine's 2025 Readers' Choice Awards, beating landmark cities including London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Cambridge and Liverpool to the no. 1 spot.