VisitBritain sets out new strategy
VisitBritain will this week unveil a three-year overseas marketing strategy, based around the VisitBritain website and targeting key emerging markets.
The government-funded body is expected to spend &£36m on its worldwide marketing between 2006 and 2009. Chief executive Tom Wright says that he hopes every &£1 spent will generate an extra &£47 in tourist spending.
Much of the new strategy revolves around attracting visitors to the tourist marketing body’s website, VisitBritain.com.
The organisation hopes to double the number of visitors to the site to 25 million a year, and to increase the size of its consumer database to 10 million.
The body has also identified 11 key markets that it wants to develop. It is targeting countries that include China, the Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Poland, Russia and Thailand.
Wright says that the economic and social development in nations such as India means that people are now able to afford overseas holidays, and many want to visit the UK. He also says VisitBritain is targeting countries that have developing transport links with the UK and is working in partnership with the airlines serving those destinations.
VisitBritain is also keen to develop sponsorship deals overseas, and has agencies, including Meteorite, developing partnerships with bodies such as the English Premier League.
