Visit Britain Campaign Puts the Spotlight on UK Cities

Visit Britain's first international campaign in more than two years - "Welcome to Another Side of Britain" - is shining a light on the destination's diverse cities, which have been hard hit by the pandemic.

"Through branded city-focused content across social media, digital and print platforms, we aim to drive visitors back to Britain's vibrant cities," said Gavin Landry, Visit Britain's executive vice president, The Americas.

"We encourage US visitors to explore these cities and beyond and try something new like rooftop afternoon tea in Liverpool, kayaking on the River Thames or gin tasting at Cardiff Distillery."

The campaign aligns with the UK government's enhanced GREAT campaign, which encourages travelers to see and do things differently.

"In this spirit, our campaign presents Britain's renowned history and heritage with a modern twist, inviting new and returning visitors to discover a side of Britain they may not have expected," Landry said.

"We are highlighting the more surprising side of Britain, such as its buzzing contemporary culture and innovative food and drink scene."

The "Welcome to Another Side of Britain" campaign is targeting visitors that VisitBritain consumer research indicates have the highest intent to travel internationally in 2022.

"We have launched paid activity across the US, Britain's largest and most valuable inbound visitor market, and the UK's major short-haul markets including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain," Landry said.

"More than half - 57 percent - of travelers VisitBritain surveyed across 13 markets who intended taking an international trip in the next 12 months had not yet booked or decided where to go, creating valuable opportunities to influence destination choice and bookings."

He added, "The 'Welcome to Another Side of Britain' also engages a new, adventurous and experience-driven audience by showcasing the UK's creativity, energy, and this year's exciting line-up of unmissable events."

As a case in point, the campaign is capitalizing on such events as the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, marking the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II.

"The Platinum Jubilee Weekend, June 2 to 5, will be the focal point, with public events and community activities taking place across the UK, but this momentous occasion will also be complemented with special experiences and exhibitions throughout the year, such as Tower of London's Superbloom display, afternoon tea at Fortnum & Mason, the Platinum Jubilee Display at The Palace of Holyroodhouse and the reopening of The Royal Mews, showing the Queen's carriages, cars and horses," Landry said.

Other 2022 landmark events include the Chelsea Flower Show and the Hay Festival in May, the Royal Ascot in June, the 150th Open Championship at St. Andrews in July and the Edinburgh International Festival and Festival Fringe in August, he noted.

"Complementing this activity, in March VisitBritain and British Airways launched a multi-million pound campaign in the US titled 'Meanwhile in Britain' and announced a three-year partnership to market travel to Britain globally," Landry said.

"Our new co-created, multi-channel campaign highlights the cool, diverse and unmissable experiences that visitors can have in the destination now."

Noting that US travelers have a strong appetite to return to international travel, he said Visit Britain is anticipating a gradual upswing in inbound visitors this year.

VisitBritain's latest 2022 forecast estimates 21.1 million inbound visits to the UK, which represents 52 percent of visits in 2019.

"We are excited to see air capacity returning as both pre-existing and new transatlantic routes take to the skies, and direct flights from across the US make it easy to fly into British hubs like London, Manchester and Edinburgh," he said.

"The US is Britain's largest and most valuable inbound visitor market, and we look forward to working closely with our travel trade partners in the US and the UK to drive bookings and welcome American visitors back to Britain," Landry said.