VisitBritain plots major Rural Escapes drive

VisitBritain, the national tourist body, will promote the British countryside with the launch of its Rural Escapes marketing campaign in June.

The marketing drive, costing £250,000, will be aimed at families, couples and singles who will be encouraged to make the most of the British countryside.

It will encompass the publication of a colour brochure backed by updated information on www.visitbritain.com.

The campaign will run for a year and follows the appointment of Team Saatchi in February to create a branding film to show everything Britain has to offer through the eyes of a woman. MediaCom will handle planning and buying.

According to VisitBritain, plans for the campaign are still in the embryonic stage but the brochure, in the style of a newspaper supplement and published by Front, will be divided into segments of different types of rural experiences such as romance and adventure.

VisitEngland domestic marketing manager Amanda Smyth said: "Our coastline is one of our key assets and we will be promoting it in our Rural Escapes campaign.

"This won’t just be aimed at people who already know they like the outdoor life – we want to inspire people who are looking for new experiences on their short breaks to enjoy our coast and countryside, perhaps by watching the sunset over the sea, star-gazing or a beachside barbecue."

The organisation also intends to concentrate on theme campaigns such as Rural Escapes, Relax and Cities, in addition to its generic campaigns that include Great Ideas.

The organisation employs 150 marketers in the UK. The publicly-funded Visit Britain spent £49.9m on marketing last year, £35.2m of which was ploughed into the promotion of Britain overseas.