Industry leaders have joined forces in backing a £100 million government campaign to support UK tourism and create 50,000 jobs.
The four-year ‘Britain Invited’ marketing push to bolster the UK tourist industry has been launched with support from companies such as British Airways, lastminute.com, DFDS, Radisson Edwardian and P&O Ferries.
These firms have pledged cash and payment in kind to help match £50 million of public money committed by VisitBritain.
Abta head of public affairs Luke Pollard said: “This is good news, while the fund has been put together to maximise the benefits of the Olympics, royal wedding and Diamond Jubilee, it should also provide a legacy for UK tourism industry beyond these events so that jobs created will be sustained in years to come.
“London will rightly be a focus but we need to ensure that visitors will see other parts of the UK as well. Tourism is an important industry in the UK, and if we want to lock in the benefits from these important events, and raise tourism levels on a permanent basis then it is essential that the tourism sector can rely on core funding and ongoing investment.”
Ed Kamm, president of lastminute.com, one of the campaign’s founding partners, said: “It’s a very exciting time for the British travel industry right now; this really is the time to book a ‘Brit-trip’. We have local lastminute.com sites in nine other European countries, and our parent brand, Travelocity, has extensive global reach.
“Research from our brand new ‘Holidays Unpacked’ travel report shows that 2011 is set to be a fantastic year for British tourism. Spend on Britons’ holidays is expected to go up by 13% and almost a third (29%) will just be travelling within the UK.
“In terms of pull factors, the royal wedding is sure to make a big impact – in fact we observed an immediate and significant uplift in overseas searches to London (of 13%) as soon as William and Kate’s engagement was announced.
“We expect that 2012 will be even bigger with the inevitable magnetism and prestige that comes with the Olympic Games and a global spotlight on the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.”
Picture: From right to left- Christopher Rodrigues, VisitBritain Chairman, John Penrose MP, Tourism Minister, Paul Mansi, Chief Operating Officer Radisson Edwardian Hotels, Simon Johnson, Passenger Services Director, P&O Ferries, David Cameron, Prime Minister, Sandie Dawe, CEO VisitBritain, Willie Walsh, BA CEO, Ed Kamm, CEO Lastminute.com, John Crummie, Managing Director DFDS Seaways