Current Press Releases
2007 Jan - October
18 December 2007
VISITBRITAIN’S PROSPECTS FOR TOURISM IN 2008 " >VISITBRITAIN’S PROSPECTS FOR TOURISM IN 2008
Once again as 2007 draws to a close, national tourism agency VisitBritain offers its forecast for the year ahead. These forecasts are dependent on normal circumstances prevailing and do not factor in unexpected events or crises.
13 December 2007
VISITBRITAIN.COM IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD
VisitBritain was named the World’s Leading Tourism Authority Internet Site at the World Travel Awards yesterday (12 December 2007) by more than 200,000 travel and tourism professionals for its international consumer website, www.visitbritain.com. This is the fourth time that the website has won the global award.
12 December 2007
YELLOW PAGES PARTNERSHIP TO PROMOTE BRITISH DESTINATIONS
National tourism agency, VisitBritain has joined forces with Yell in a partnership that will put local and regional information on days out into the homes of 95%[1] of UK adults. With Yellow Pages directories alone used nearly one billion times a year², millions of people could be inspired to explore new attractions, both in and around their area as a result of the partnership, helping to boost Britain’s £85 billion visitor economy.
28-30 November 2007
2008: BRITAIN’S YEAR FOR FILM TOURISM
Britain’s tourism industry will be looking forward to a host of new films released in 2008 and featuring destinations and locations that may benefit from the increasing popularity of set-jetting.
28-30 November 2007
VISITBRITAIN – WORKING TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
National tourism agency, VisitBritain returns to the Travel Convention in 2007 with a strengthened commitment to promoting sustainable businesses within, and encouraging responsible visitors to, Britain. The organisation has launched a new website, www.visitbritain.com/green, which informs the tourism industry about relevant issues and practices and expects to grow to be a useful resource for those looking for guidance.
24 October 2007
NEW CAMPAIGN CREATES THE GOLDEN AGE OF SET-JETTERS
National tourism agency, VisitBritain has launched a new film tourism campaign ahead of the release of The Golden Age, starring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Clive Owen. Receiving its premiere on 23 October and on general release from 2 November, the follow-up to Elizabeth follows the life of Queen Elizabeth I and features a wealth of English locations. Tourism bosses expect it to draw international and British visitors to iconic and heritage attractions throughout Britain.
24 October 2007
FUNDING ANNOUNCED FOR VISITBRITAINFOR 2008 – 2011" >FUNDING ANNOUNCED FOR VISITBRITAINFOR 2008 – 2011
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport today announced a reduced three-year funding settlement for VisitBritain, the national tourism agency. The funding level will be £47.6 million in 2008/09, £45.1 million in 2009/10 and £40.6 million in 2010/11. This compares with the current grant in aid of £49.6 million.
23 August 2007
ENGLAND’S ATTRACTIONS SEE VISITS RISE 3 PER CENT IN 2006
VisitBritain’s latest survey of England’s visitor attractions reveals that despite a wetter year than 2005 with August sunshine levels 11% below average, 196.5 million visits were made to attractions in 2006, a +3% increase compared to the previous year.
22 August 2007
TOURISM HOPES FOR BANK HOLIDAY BUSINESS BOOST
National tourism agency, VisitBritain is hoping for a strong finish to the summer holidays with 8.8 million Brits (19% of Britain’s adult population) planning an overnight trip in Britain during the last two weeks of the summer holidays.
17 August 2007
FOOTBALL AND ART PLAYS HOSTS TO DISCOVERY 2008
Old Trafford football stadium in Manchester and Tate Liverpool are just two of the prestigious venues that will be hosting VisitBritain’s bi-annual flagship incentive experience, Discovery, on October 19 – 21, 2008. The event enables international buyers from the world’s leading companies to identify the venues, destinations and experiences for their meetings, conferences and incentive programmes.
14 August 2007
£1 MILLION CASH BOOST FOR RURAL TOURISM
A one million pound cash boost to support rural tourism in England was announced today by Culture Secretary James Purnell. He confirmed the funding at a meeting of tourism chiefs in London.
7 August 2007
BRITAIN ROCKS! AS VISITBRITAIN AND EMI MUSIC SIGN EXCLUSIVE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP
Britain’s national tourism agency, VisitBritain, has announced an exclusive partnership with EMI Music. The agreement will help drive awareness of Britain as a tourist destination, highlight its world-renowned rock and pop music heritage and raise the profile of the musical appeal of its individual cities.
1 August 2007
BLVC WELCOMES 4 MILLIONTH VISITOR
Sally Dancey, an accountant from Tooting, London, received a big surprise when she went into the Britain & London Visitor Centre (BLVC) on Saturday July 29. At 2pm, Sally was greeted with champagne, music, cameras, souvenirs and gifts, as she became the 4 millionth visitor to walk through BLVC’s doors since records began in 2000.
26 July 2007
HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES CONFIRMED AS PATRON OF SECOND BRITISH TOURISM WEEK
– Britain’s fifth largest industry – worth £85 billion – contributes 3.4% of the nation’s GVA – – employs 2.1 million people – 7.7% of the workforce – more jobs than construction or transport – – generated over £15 billion in export earning in 2006 – – domestic and overseas visitors pay over £14 billion in tax, paying for 30,000 nurses –
17 June 2007
VISITBRITAIN APPOINTS TEAM SAATCHI TO REVIEW BRITAIN’S BRAND IDENTITY
VisitBritain has appointed boutique creative agency, Team Saatchi, under a new brief to review Britain’s brand identity internationally. Following a five-way pitch, the appointment is a key element of work to consolidate Britain’s position as a world-leading destination.
15 June 2007
AUSTRALIA PICKED TO HOST ASIA-PACIFIC TOURISM’S BIGGEST BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS EVENT
National tourism agency, VisitBritain has announced that Australia is to host the next Destination Britain event in May 2008.
12 June 2007
NEW CODE OF PRACTICE TO ENSURE QUALITY OF ENGLAND’S TOURIST ATTRACTIONS
National tourism agency, VisitBritain has launched a new initiative to encourage England’s 6,000 visitor attractions to sign up to a new national Code of Practice.
27 May 2007
BOLLYWOOD BRITAIN WILL BRING AN INDIAN SUMMER
Britain is gearing up for its own Indian summer with the launch of a new Bollywood Britain map and website, www.visitbritain.com/bollywood. The campaign encourages Indian visitors to follow in the footsteps of their favourite stars and experience the destinations featured in contemporary and classic Bollywood films from the last 20 years.
21 May 2007
VISIT THE REGIONS OF BRITAIN IN JUST THREE MINUTES
Attractions, towns and cities from the nations and regions of Britain will receive an international tourism boost from today (21 May). VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, is helping international visitors to discover the regions of Britain in three minutes as it launches its new online brand film. The new video takes visitors on a virtual journey through Britain with Supergrass’ ‘The Sun Hits the Sky’ - reflecting the dynamism of Britain - and twelve ‘vid-casts’ of selected cities, our history, museums and shopping.
3 May 2007
VISITBRITAIN PLANS FOR ASIAN EXPANSION AND 2012 GAMES
VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, has updated its structure and staffing to enable it to take full advantage of the opportunities offered in the coming years. The organisation wants to be in the best shape to maximise the benefits offered to the visitor economy by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games ahead of the proposed joint launch of the 2012 tourism strategy in the summer. In addition, the increasingly competitive nature of tourism requires continued investment in the fastest growing tourism markets such as Asia.
26 April 2007
INTERNATIONAL VISITOR FIGURES HIGHLIGHT ACHIEVEMENT AND CHALLENGES FOR BRITAIN
National tourism agency, VisitBritain, has welcomed a rise in international visitor figures for the first two months of this year. Provisional data for January – February 2007 indicates that overseas residents made 4.2 million visits to the UK – a +4% increase on the same period in 2006 – and spent £1.8 billion (up 6%).
20 April 2007
BRITAIN BEST TO DO BUSINESS
Britain is one of the top three destinations in the world to do business according to official figures. The destination is second only to the USA and Germany and hosted 279 meetings of international associations last year.
19 April 2007
ST GEORGE’S DAY CELEBRATIONS TO BOOST ENGLISH TOURISM
A British tourism boom has been given a strong head start as April showers are banished by warmer weather, giving Brits are a better deal than their continental counterparts. And tourism chiefs are expecting more of the same this weekend as England gears up to celebrate St George’s Day (23 April).
30 March 2007VISITBRITAIN EASTER PROSPECTS 200722% of the UK adult population are planning a trip over the next two weeks inclusive of Easter. More than twice as many (61%) are planning an overnight trip in England during this period, compared to going abroad (29%).
12 March 2007TOURISM INDUSTRY RECOVERS AFTER FIVE YEARSNew research indicates that Britain’s visitor economy has taken five years to recover to pre-2001 levels.
8 March 2007Then and Now, the Stately SeriesVisitBritain Publishing – Hardback - £9.99 each128pp with over 100 colour photographs and line illustrations
07 March 2007BRITISH TRAVEL TRADE FAIR – THE MUST-ATTEND EVENT OF THE TOURISM CALENDAROn Monday 12 March, the first British Tourism Week launches in style to audiences in the UK and worldwide as His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales hosts a reception for the tourism industry at the Tower of London.
1st March 2007UK’S BIGGEST HOTEL CHAIN JOINS BRITAIN-WIDE QUALITY ASSURANCE SCHEMEPremier Travel Inn has become the first and largest, Britain-wide hotel group to sign up with the national tourist boards, VisitBritain (for England), VisitScotland and Visit Wales to a new quality assessment scheme, specially created for ‘budget’ accommodation in recognition of the increasing popularity of the ‘budget’ hotel sector.
26 February 2007VISITBRITAIN LAUNCHES NATIONAL SPA ACCREDITATION SCHEMEVisitBritain, the national tourism agency, today (26 February) launches its National Spa Accreditation Scheme at the Professional Spa Show in London. The scheme marks a landmark for the English spa industry as, for the first time, a benchmark will be set for standards in customer satisfaction. The scheme provides consumers with reassurance and confidence that participating spas have met minimum standards for health and safety, cleanliness and service and that they are committed to improving quality.
23 February 2007OSCAR SUCCESS FOR BRITISH TOURISM?With this year’s hotly contested Academy Awards at the weekend, Britain’s tourism industry is expecting another successful year for film tourism. Already a multi-award-winner, tourism chiefs believe The Queen’s six Oscar nominations could help increase Britain’s appeal as a set-jetter’s paradise.
07 February 2007NEW FIGURES REVEAL AN OVERSEAS VISITOR ARRIVED IN UK EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAYNational tourism agency, VisitBritain, has welcomed international visitor figures for the full year 2006. Over 32 million international visits were made to the UK – equivalent to an overseas visitor arriving in the UK every second of every day throughout the year.
05 February 2007NEW CAMPAIGN DRAWS BRITS TO ENGLAND’S ROCK AND POP LOCATIONSA new campaign launches today (5 February 2007) to further increase the number of Britons who holiday at home because of their love of rock and pop music. 23 million (38%) of us already take in a concert or festival while on holiday in this country.
19 January 2007VISITBRITAIN URGES ABTA TO ENJOY ENGLAND IN 2008 VisitBritain has approached the Association of British Travel Agents with the proposal that its 2008 Convention be held in England. The proposal follows indications by the official association for the UK’s travel agents and tour operators that they would consider holding the event in this country.
09 January 2007BRITONS SPEND MORE ON DAYS OUT IN ENGLANDNational tourism agency, VisitBritain has welcomed news that Britons made 870 million tourism day trips and spent £37.4 billion in England in 2005, according to Natural England’s new Leisure Visits Survey. On average each trip lasted five hours - that’s the equivalent of half a million (496,575) Brits taking a year off to enjoy England as a tourist.