A TV campaign aimed at raising the profile of English destinations in the year of the Rugby World Cup appeared for the first time yesterday (Sunday).
The VisitEngland ‘Discover Your England’ advert was aired on Channel 5, ITV and Sky, featuring more than 16 destinations.
It includes appearances by sports personalities such as former England rugby captain Martin Corry, England rugby head coach Stuart Lancaster, former England women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 winner Maggie Alphonsi and official anthem singer, soprano Laura Wright.
Alongside the words of ‘Jerusalem’ – synonymous with English rugby – the advert features destinations which include Hadrian’s Wall, Newcastle, Brighton, Yorkshire Dales, Wiltshire, the Royal Crescent in Bath, Tower Bridge and Twickenham.
The tournament is set to generate a total output of £2.2 billion to the UK economy, with benefits reaching all sectors, according to figures released by Ernst & Young on behalf of England Rugby 2015.
The aim of the advert is to showcases the variety of scenery on offer in England to encourage Britons to explore destinations on their doorstep.
VisitEngland chief executive James Berresford said: “We are extremely excited to mark the year of Rugby World Cup 2015 with the launch of our Discover Your England campaign.
“England holds something truly special for all visitors and the arrival of the tournament this year is an opportunity to maximise the potential for growth in the tourism sector. The aim of this campaign is to help trigger this growth.
“The TV advert showcases England as a fantastic place to book a holiday or short break and I hope it gets the British public as excited as we are about what’s in store for 2015.
“We want to entice Brits to set out to find what makes England a unique and special destination for them.”
Tourism minister Helen Grant added: “With action all across the nation the Rugby World Cup 2015 is a brilliant opportunity to go out and discover England.
“The government’s tourism strategy is delivering record inbound visitor numbers and Rugby World Cup is a fantastic opportunity to further build on this success.”
An international version of the advert will be promoted in key overseas markets through PR, online travel agencies and embassies.