Sculpture installation celebrates connections between New Orleans and the United Kingdom in advance of new non-stop British Airways flight to London

Monday 20 March 2017

New Orleans, LA. March 20, 2017 - On Friday (March 17) VisitBritain and British Airways unveiled six temporary sculptures of British icons across six quintessential New Orleans locations including a sculpture of the Tower Bridge behind Jackson Square, a bagpiper on the Moonwalk near the Steamboat Natchez, Big Ben in Lafayette Square, the Queen in City Park New Orleans' Carousel Gardens, a Royal Guardsman outside the Contemporary Arts Center, and the Union Jack at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The larger-than-life sculptures render each of these iconic British people, places, and things in cut-out silhouette, allowing viewers to see New Orleans landmarks in the background. The installation, on view through April 3, celebrates the launch of the new non-stop service between Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and London Heathrow on March 27, 2017.

To further commemorate the launch of the only non-stop flight between New Orleans and Europe, British Airways and VisitBritain are giving away a trip to London including two round-trip tickets from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and a four night stay whilst there. To enter, the public is invited to take a photo of themselves with one of the six iconic British sculptures throughout the city and share it on Instagram or Twitter with the hashtag #BALovesNOLA before April 32017. Full contest terms and conditions are available at ba.com/balovesnola.

"Like New Orleans, our culture and creativity are two of Britain's most celebrated exports," says Paul Gauger, Interim Executive Vice President, Americas, for VisitBritain. "This summer is an amazing time to visit with a host of new events and attractions. We hope this installation will inspire the residents of New Orleans to come see Britain for themselves now that it is easier than ever with non-stop flights on British Airways."

British Airways service will officially start on March 27, 2017 and will fly four times a week between Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and London Heathrow. All customers can enjoy free meals and bar service, on-demand inflight entertainment, as well as a free checked bag. Currently British Airways is offering fares for as low as $899 roundtrip in economy, including all fees and taxes. Tickets need to be booked by April 16, 2017 and seats are available for select dates between October 2 and December 13, 2017. Tickets are available to purchase on ba.com.

Simon Brooks, Senior Vice President, British Airways, said: "We are delighted to bring a little piece of London to New Orleans as we celebrate the start of a new connection between our two cities. We look forward to welcoming the winners on board a British Airways flight very soon."

"I applaud the great partnership between British Airways and VisitBritain to establish this connection between London and New Orleans," says British Consul General Karen Bell. "The UK is a great place to visit, work, and study. Therefore, I am glad that the people of Louisiana and the UK will have another option when travelling between the two countries through Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport."

It is now easier than ever to make the journey to celebrate some of the amazing moments happening across England, Scotland and Wales in 2017, from the 20^th anniversary of the first Harry Potter book to the 70th Anniversary of the world-famous Edinburgh Festivals. Whether you are crossing the Atlantic to explore during the Year of Myths and Legends in Wales or to celebrate Britain's soccer heritage during the Premier League's 25^th anniversary year, Britain is the best value it has been for Americans in approximately 30 years. In addition to increased access to affordable flights with British Airways, the exchange rate continues to be favourable to American tourists. At the end of January 2017, Britain was 13% cheaper for visitors from the US than it was compared to the same month the year prior. For British travel ideas and inspiration go to VisitBritain.com.

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Notes to editors:

About VisitBritain:

VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, is responsible for inspiring the world to explore Britain and for developing the UK's visitor economy. Visitors from North America made 4.3 million visits to Britain in 2016 - up 7% on 2015. The US remains in the top spot in terms of market value for inbound tourism and is one of the top three most important markets in terms of visitor numbers. Visitors traveling to Britain can find out more information from visitbritain.com plus purchase money and time saving local transport, sightseeing, attraction, theater and tour tickets from visitbritainshop.com. Follow us on Twitter @VisitBritain, Pinterest (Love GREAT Britain), Instagram: lovegreatbritain and Facebook: LoveGREATbritain

About British Airways

British Airways, part of International Airlines Group, is one of the world's leading global premium airlines and the largest international carrier in the UK. The carrier has its home base at London Heathrow and flies to more than 70 different countries. The airline currently has a fleet of more than 270 aircraft. For more information visit ba.com

New Orleans Media Contacts:

Andrew Freeman

Bond Moroch

afreeman@bondmoroch.com

Cell: 504.920.8012

VisitBritain & British Airways Media Contacts:

Meredith Pearson (VisitBritain)

Director Marketing & Communications, North America

meredith.pearson@visitbritain.org

Cell: 917.412.0124 / Office: 212.850.0377

Caitlin Johnson (VisitBritain)

PR & Marketing Manager, USA