The countdown to the millennium for the UK tourist industry begins in earnest at the British Travel Trade Fair.
For national and regional tourist boards attending the show, the millennium and what to do to celebrate its arrival is the dominant theme. Many of the buyers coming to BTTF are expected to be particularly interested in putting together programmes based around the many new attractions set to open with Millennium Commission funding.
To make it as easy as possible for them, millennium attractions throughout the exhibition will be linked through a Millennium Trail and stands will be marked with a special symbol.
For the British Tourist Authority, the show gives a good platform to promote Britain to overseas buyers as the ideal destination to see in the new millennium. Its stand will feature the branding for the ‘Britain – Now is the Time’ campaign and supporting literature available will include the Millennium Touring Brochure which features a journey through Britain.
The Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland tourist boards will also be bidding to attract visitors to see the new attractions that have opened or are set to open over the next few months.
The Wales Tourist Board is setting out to attract the Welsh diaspora with its theme ‘Homecoming 2000’. The campaign aims to encourage emigrants from Wales, or anyone with an affinity to Wales, to make a return visit to the country in millennium year to re-establish old ties with family and friends.
Not surprisingly for the country where Hogmanay is such a huge event in a normal year, the New Year’s Eve celebrations to mark the arrival of the millennium is the Scottish Tourist Board’s main focus. At BTTF, the STB will be promoting Scotland as the place to go for the biggest New Year’s Eve party in the world.
The English Tourist Board will be distributing the first of a series of millennium information packs at the show. It will detail the myriad science attractions which will open around the country for 2000.
Other packs covering the arts, the environment and heritage will also be produced at a later date.