Joint US plan aims to woo UK travellers

The United States Travel & Tourism Administration, backed by private companies, will spend $1.2m (750,000) on a campaign in the UK later this year to encourage UK tourists to visit the US.

The private companies include Virgin Atlantic, Avis, Hiatt, Jetsave and Unijet.

The project was announced in New York at the USTTA’s sister body Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) conference.

Burson Marnsteller’s New York and London offices will handle the campaign, which includes PR and advertising activity on bus sides, bus shelters and bill boards.

“A lot of work will go into niche marketing to repeat visitors and promoting specific regions to newcomers,” says Burson Marnsteller International chairman Bob Leaf.

The programme will begin in November and run until May 1996 with the goal of increasing the UK market by four per cent next year, generating at least $37m in new receipts.

Tourism from the UK fell three per cent in 1994 to 2.92 million visitors against 2.99 million in 1993, though in the decade since 1984 the market has grown 215 per cent. Britain contributes six per cent of visitors to the US, accounting for 11 per cent of international revenue.