The tourism industry toolkit allows hospitality businesses to tailor adverts and newsletter templates to their own liking. It has already been welcomed by the British Hospitality Association (BHA) and key industry figures.
Launching the campaign, Tourism Minister John Penrose said: “From the 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games, to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, we want as many people as possible to come and join in the celebrations, so an open invitation from UK households to friends and family abroad is an ideal way of increasing visitor numbers and making 2012 a truly memorable year for tourism.”
The BHA and Brigid Simmonds
Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the BHA, said: “Visiting Friends and Relations is a key sector of UK tourism and one that is much influenced by all of us who live in Britain. This is a very imaginative promotion which will benefit the hospitality industry both in 2012 and in the years after when, hopefully, our visitors will return to explore much more of what Britain has to offer.”
Brigid Simmonds, chairman of the Tourism Alliance and the BBPA, added: “This year will be an unforgettable showcase for Great British hospitality – and a unique chance to boost British business which we must all grasp.”
Under the slogan ‘Share Your GREAT Britain’, the toolkit is available to hospitality businesses free of charge from www.visitbritain.org.
Bumper 2012
The Visiting Friends and Relations market is worth £3.6bn and offers huge potential for each region in the UK across the whole of the year, particularly in a year packed full of once-in-a-lifetime events including the 2012 Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
The eyes of the world will be on the UK and we must all play our part to encourage visitors,” concluded Simmonds. “From pubs to historic houses, from holiday parks to hotels and attractions, we are all part of what makes the UK great.
“All private hospitality and leisure businesses can join VisitBritain in backing ‘GREAT Britain- Your Invited’. The Tourism Industry is ready to play its part.”