Today sees the launch of a bid to establish Britain as the short breaks destination for European travelers. VisitBritain – the authority for tourism in Britain – launches a …
Today sees the launch of a bid to establish Britain as the short breaks destination for European travelers. VisitBritain – the authority for tourism in Britain – launches a £4million campaign to showcase the very best of 19 British cities in 11 European countries and further boost the millions of European visitors who already come here.
While Brits have been flocking to take advantage of the glorious summer weather here at home, our continental cousins will arrive this autumn to enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and cultures of UK city-life, as well as the shopping, theatre, museums and galleries, nightlife and general sightseeing which make for a great short break.
In 2002, over 14 million visitors came to Britain from the eleven countries in the campaign – Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland – arriving via the increasing number of low cost travel routes into our regional cities and gateways. Today, city breaks are the fastest growing sector in the European travel market and the signs are already good that the UK is in poll position to lead the field: nearly two-thirds of the total number of visits made this year were from Western Europe.
The 19 cities in the campaign cross the length and breadth of the UK and feature in press advertising, direct mail, roadshows and publicity, while consumer enquiries will be driven to VisitBritain`s contact centres across Europe for verbal, print and online information. A dedicated website for each country, features special offers from over 40 partners including national and regional tourist boards, airlines, ferry operators, accommodation and hospitality providers, tour operators, and on-territory and commercial partners from Avis, American Express and British Waterways to MG Rover, the Society of London Theatre and Sweden`s DFDS.
“Over the last few years millions of pounds have been invested into regenerating our cities,” explains Deirdre Livingstone, VisitBritain`s Head of Partner Marketing.
“With award winning attractions, newly opened hotels and our cultural reputation, we now have some of the best city destinations in Europe. Given the increasing popularity of shorter breaks, our new partnership campaign emphasises easy-to-book, value for money products and encourages visitors to spoil themselves with a well-deserved short break holiday.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
