VisitBritain launches latest stage of GREAT marketing campaign post Olympics

VisitBritain has launched the next stage of its multimillion-pound GREAT marketing campaign, designed to draw in more overseas visitors, now that the Olympics and Paralympic Games have ended.

The four-year, £125m marketing campaign was launched before the games, with the aim of bringing an extra 4.6 million people to Britain for their next holiday. The tourist board hopes that such an increase will help inject an additional £2.3b to the UK economy by the end of 2015.

The new £13.5m marketing push has gone live with airlines, hotel companies and tour operators offering deals to ensure that, having watched the best of Britain on their screens, overseas travellers decide to experience the country for themselves.

New research released by the national tourism agency has shown that in cities with GREAT activity, 75% of recent travellers would now consider a holiday in Britain. The image campaign - which has targeted 14 major cities in nine countries, including Brazil, the USA, Germany, India and Australia - has reached more than 90 million people so far.

The latest phase of the marketing campaign includes a seven-month run of print advertising in National Geographic, advertorials in Time Out and on Yahoo!. A key component will involve the release of a new TV ad, "Memories are GREAT", which includes imagery from the Olympic opening ceremony, positioned on leading consumer websites across the world.

In partnership with British Airways, £5m will be invested in the USA, India, China, Japan and the Middle East, encouraging people to come to Britain for their Christmas shopping and the January sales - tied to a special British Airways ticket price.

To help capture the youth market VisitBritain has partnered with STA Travel and is working within its retail outlets and university campuses to promote Britain for music, culture and shopping. A digital campaign will also be rolled out with Expedia in the key markets of France, Germany and Italy. A shopping campaign with Virgin Australia is also under way, with a mixture of digital, radio, print and trade advertising.

Laurence Bresh, director of marketing at VisitBritain, said: "The main event may be over, but the hard work begins now.

"Britain's image and reputation around the world is riding high. This next stage of our GREAT campaign aims to convert worldwide interest into increased bookings. We've captured the world's imagination on TV screens over the past few weeks, and now is the time to inspire them to come to Britain."

By Neil Gerrard

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