GREAT campaign aims to attract extra four million visitors to UK
London : A tourism campaign that showcases the best of Britain has been deemed a success that will add £250 million to the economy over the next two years.
The GREAT initiative, launched before the Olympics in 2011, targets nine countries, with adverts appearing in 14 key cities including Beijing, Sydney, New York and Rio de Janeiro.
The campaign was developed by the Department for Culture Media and Sport and will run until 2015. It aims to attract an extra four million visitors to Britain over the next four years.
Speaking at the World Travel Market in London, Culture Secretary Maria Miller said the campaign could contribute an additional £2 billion to the economy, creating 50,000 new job opportunities in the process:
“Early forecasts on the financial returns from our investment in the GREAT campaign are really encouraging. Alongside our campaigns we’re also working hard across Government to reduce any perceived barriers to tourism; to make clear that not only is Britain a great place to experience but also a great place to visit; to create the right conditions for both inward and outward tourism to thrive.”
The Government has spent £510,000 developing the brand. Adverts have appeared in 18 airports, and it is thought that 70 per cent of the population within the target cities will see the advertising on billboards, the television or in the cinema. The brand has also been used by VisitBritain, UK Trade and Investment and the British Council.
It is hoped that the campaign will keep Britain in the spotlight, following the Olympics, Paralympics and Diamond Jubilee of 2012.
Speaking at the campaign’s launch last year David Cameron said: “We want to extend an invitation to the world to take a fresh look at everything we have to offer. Britain today is simply a great place to visit, study and work. A great place to invest and do business.” Source: telegraph.co.uk
