EasyJet joins VisitBritain’s marketing partnership

EasyJet is the latest company to partner with VisitBritain to help deliver the long-term tourism strategy outlined earlier this year.

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The government unveiled a four year strategy to market Britain that requires VisitBritain work with commercial partners. British Airways, DFDS (ferries), lastminute.com, P&O and Radisson Edwardian are among those that have pledged cash and payment in kind for the target marketing fund of £100m.

EasyJet and VisitBritain say their deal is worth more than £18m in cash and marketing in kind. The low cost airline’s contribution will focus mainly on France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Switzerland where it has a strong presence of local staff and marketing agencies able to help work on campaigns.

The marketing plan is designed to attract an extra four million overseas visitors over the period. It’s hoped this increase will bring in an extra £2bn worth of visitor spend and it will see a huge focus on the London 2012 Olympics and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Sandie Dawe, chief executive of VisitBritain, says: “EasyJet offers a fantastic regional spread of routes and covers our core European markets making all parts of Britain accessible for our European visitors.”

The tourism body is nearing the end of a consultation period that will see up to 30% of its workforce made redundant.

EasyJet is keen to pursue wider commercial partnerships now it has resolved a dispute with founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou over the licensing of the brand name.

It has just signed a deal with the Nectar loyalty scheme that allows Nectar points to be spent on the airline’s tickets.

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