Ad campaign ‘will help ease crisis’

Ad campaign ‘will help ease crisis’

The Travel Leaders Summit saw overseas delegates experience first-hand how the UK is coping with the foot and mouth crisis. Nadine Godwin, editor-in-chief at our sister paper Travel Weekly US, reports

US TOUR operators have called on the British Government to invest in campaigns across the Atlantic to restore confidence in foot and mouth-battered Britain.

Images of the UK’s mass slaughter programme and reports of the closure of the countryside and its attractions have seriously dented forward bookings.

Yet the 24 delegates from the US, Canada and Japan – currently touring the UK with the British Tourist Authority – insist the summer season can still be rescued if money is spent to counteract the bad publicity.

Participants in the Travel Leaders Summit have offered a host of ideas to reinforce the message that the country is open for business.

These include the use of television adverts featuring high-profile British celebrities such as John Cleese.

Brian Stack, president of US operator CIE Tours, said the Monty Python star would be an ideal spokesman.

“The BTA needs to spend a huge amount of money on public relations and advertising,” he said. “Someone like John Cleese has a way of getting a message across – and he can get away with saying anything that might encourage bookings.”

The message was reinforced by Patrick O’Shea, vice-president of operator Far and Wide.

“The BTA needs to carry the flag with some kind of ‘advert’ aimed at the public.” he said

Meanwhile, Peter Tauck, of Tauck World Discovery, has already developed a marketing strategy. It involves printing a brochure to be sent out to 400,000 travellers in its database with a covering letter clarifying the situation.

A separate mailing could also be used to address 13,000 travel agents using a different cover letter. He has asked the BTA to fund the mailing, estimated at $190,000.

Early indications are that the BTA has accomplished its aim with the high-profile tour.

The American Society of Travel Agents has promised to include updates of the foot and mouth situation in its weekly newsletter, while the BTA has earmarked £2.2 million for overseas promotions.

It believes around £10million is needed to improve the situation and asked delegates to hammer this home during their meeting with prime minister Tony Blair last Friday.

Joining forces: Nadine Godwin, inset, joined Koji Shinmachi, Japan Association of Travel Agents, Tourism Minister Janet Anderson and Richard Copland from the American Society of Travel Agents on the British Tourist Authority’s tour