Browsing Tag

VisitBritain

‘Ask Britain Anything’ launched by British Airways and VisitBritain showcasing modern Britain in 2023

Kanchan Nath Mar 20, 2023

British Airways and VisitBritain have joined forces in a new campaign that gives an insider’s view on modern Britain, with all its vibrancy and warmth, to inspire US visitors to book their…

Tourism Boards

VisitBritain launches multi-million pound campaign inspiring visitors to ‘See Things Differently,’ driving bookings to Britain

Kristin Mariano Feb 28, 2023

National tourism agency VisitBritain has this week started rolling out its new multi-million pound international campaign for 2023 to drive tourism to Britain. The international GREAT…

Tourism Boards

VisitBritain gears up for ExploreGB Virtual

Kanchan Nath Feb 17, 2023

VisitBritain is gearing up to host virtually its annual flagship trade event ExploreGB, underway from 27 February to 3 March

Appointments

Gavin Landry appointed as the new Ex VP for Americas by VisitBritian

Kanchan Nath Feb 15, 2023

VisitBritain announced two major appointments on its team that will majorly affect its operations in its number one overseas market, the U.S

Tourism Boards

VisitBritain’s GREAT Gateway Innovation Fund allocated

Kanchan Nath Jan 30, 2023

VisitBritain’s GREAT Gateway Innovation Fund has allocated grants to successful applicants to support marketing for inbound gateways to Britain.

Tourism

VisitBritain to host more than 120 international travel trade on educational visits

Kanchan Nath Jan 23, 2023

VisitBritain is set to welcome more than 120 international travel trade buyers for a series of educational visits across Britain.

Tourism

VisitBritain forecasts strong recovery in inbound visitor spending in 2023

Kristin Mariano Dec 16, 2022

Its overall forecast is for spending by international visitors in the UK of £29.5 billion in 2023, up 4% on the all-time spending high of £28.4 billion in 2019. Looking at the number of…

Tourism Boards

VisitBritain launches second funding round for DMCs and inbound tour operators

Kristin Mariano Nov 17, 2022

VisitBritain has announced a second round of funding for Destination Management Companies and inbound tour operators to support in driving bookings to Britain. The £450,000…

Tourism

VisitBritain launches 2nd funding round for DMCs and inbound tour operators

Kanchan Nath Nov 16, 2022

VisitBritain has announced a second round of funding for Destination Management Companies and inbound tour operators to support in driving bookings to Britain.

Tourism

Welcome To Another Side! VisitBritain unveils global campaign to drive inbound travel in 2022

Megha Paul Feb 16, 2022

VisitBritain has launched a new multi-million pound global campaign to drive back inbound tourism, as Britain gears up for a landmark year of events

VisitBritain launches new fund for DMCs and inbound tour operators to build back demand for Britain

Kristin Mariano Dec 13, 2021

VisitBritain has announced a new fund available to destination management companies (DMCs) and inbound tour operators to support building back demand for Britain.

Tourism

The game boost! VisitBritain research shows importance of football in driving inbound travel

Megha Paul Oct 27, 2021

New research from national tourism agency VisitBritain demonstrates the increasing importance of football in driving inbound tourism to the UK and in boosting visitor spending

VisitBritain highlights British expats’ top motivations for travel to the UK

Megha Paul Oct 13, 2021

New research from Britain’s national tourism agency VisitBritain provides valuable insights to harness the pent-up demand from British expats to visit the UK and to boost visitor spending

Tourism

When will Middle East travellers return to UK and what lies ahead when they return?

Megha Paul Apr 13, 2021

VisitBritain is looking at positioning the country’s appeal as a tourism destination, improving its ranking in the eyes of international travellers and increasing visitor spending in all…

UK tourism recovery will begin next year: VisitBritain

Megha Paul Dec 15, 2020

Inbound tourism forecasts from VisitBritain for 2021 are predicting the first signs of a slow recovery for overseas visits to the UK

No place like the UK: Reimagined movie posters inspired by popular tourist destinations

Megha Paul Feb 19, 2020

A series of reimagined film posters from rental company Holiday Cottages places popular onscreen characters in recognisable settings across the UK, to see why there’s really no place…

Tourism

VisitBritain unveils annual destination training roadshow in Middle East

Megha Paul Feb 7, 2020

In a bid to showcase the offerings of the country in the Middle East, VisitBritain hosted its road show in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It is focused on inspiring visitors to explore…

Top 5 places to visit outside of London

Tian Tolentino Jan 29, 2020

London is known for its iconic attractions and luxury shopping, but venture beyond the confines of the capital and even more spectacular highlights await.

Tourism

Belfast to host biggest VisitBritain travel trade show

Megha Paul Oct 25, 2019

VisitBritain’s largest annual travel trade event is to be held in Northern Ireland in 2020. Belfast will stage the ‘Explore Great Britain (GB) and Northern Ireland’ event on 18-20 May.…

VisitEngland urges young Brits to holiday at home

Megha Paul Sep 5, 2019

VisitEngland has launched the next phase of its campaign to get more young Brits to take a short break at home with a series of new short films and images. The new content targets…

Tourism

VisitBritain to boost local experiences with Airbnb

Tian Tolentino Feb 11, 2019

National tourism agency VisitBritain and Airbnb have announced a partnership to promote and broaden local-led tourism experiences.

Tourism

Konnichiwa, UK! Japanese tourism set to surge in UK this year

Tian Tolentino Jan 9, 2019

Japanese tourism to the UK is expected to grow this year — to its highest level since 2007 — as the two countries strengthen its economic and cultural ties.

MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions)

VisitBritain taps Eurostar and Virgin Trains to boost MICE market in the UK

Tian Tolentino Nov 28, 2018

VisitBritain has partnered with Eurostar and Virgin Trains to offer a united travel service — boosting the MICE market in the UK.

Travel Tech

QQ Speed: VisitBritain takes the fast lane with Tencent’s racing game

Tian Tolentino Nov 21, 2018

National tourism agency VisitBritain has collaborated with China-based internet tech and cultural enterprise Tencent on a new 3D racing game QQ Speed.

Tourism

ForwardKeys: Thanksgiving travel to boost UK visits from the US

Tian Tolentino Nov 19, 2018

ForwardKeys has revealed that the UK could look forward to a rise in visitors from the United States during Thanksgiving week.

Global

VisitBritain opens the Harrogate to UK tourism at ExploreGB 2019

Alastair Newport Aug 16, 2018

The 2019 edition of ExploreGB, the UK’s expansive and travel trade event has been announced this week by organisers VisitBritain, the public face of the British Tourist Authority.

Tourism Boards

UK data shows record growth in inbound tourism

Tian Tolentino Jul 23, 2018

New data from VisitBritain shows double-digit record growth in inbound tourism, from visitor markets including China, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), India and the US.

Transport

#LoveToTravel – win a trip to the UK with Cox and Kings’ new VisitBritain campaign

Alastair Newport Apr 16, 2018

With Brexit fast approaching, VisitBritain has been busy promoting the virtues of the United Kingdom, to assure the rest of the world that leaving the European Union should not act as a…

Tourism

What is the “Markle Effect” and how is it causing a billion-dollar tourism boom in UK?

Kristin Mariano Mar 31, 2018

“Suits” actress Meghan Markle, 36, will tie the knot with Prince Harry, 33, on 19 May, but she has already established herself as a culture icon. From being a Hollywood actress, Markle’s…

Tourism

VisitBritain launches global campaign to boost inbound tourism

Jill Sayles Feb 6, 2018

VisitBritain is this week launching a new global campaign for 2018 to boost inbound tourism to Britain.

Tourism

VisitBritain/VisitEngland details travel and spending behaviour of business events delegates

Jill Sayles Jan 31, 2018

Business delegates are likely to double their spend in Britain if they extend their stay for leisure following their event, according to research by tourism agency VisitBritain/VisitEngland.…

Tourism

August highest month ever for overseas visitor spending in the UK

Jill Sayles Nov 17, 2017 7

Figures show that August was the highest month ever for overseas visitor spending in the UK. They spent £2.8 billion during the month, up 3% on last year. It was a record August for…

Tourism

VisitBritain promotes regional England’s Heartland

Jill Sayles Nov 9, 2017 9

VisitBritain has announced a partnership with Birmingham and the surrounding areas to promote more of England’s regions to overseas visitors. The three-year partnership is a joint…

Tourism

UK sees record number of overseas visits in June

Jill Sayles Aug 18, 2017

VisitBritain has revealed recent statistics showing a record June for the number of overseas visits to the UK. There were a record 3.5 million visits to the UK in June, up 7% on the…

Tourism

Record number of Chinese travel to UK

Mark Elliott Jul 14, 2017

The first quarter of 2017 saw a record number of Chinese travellers visit the UK. According to the latest figures from VisitBritain, a total of 54,000 Chinese arrived in the UK in…

Record-breaking start to year for Britain’s inbound tourism

Jill Sayles Apr 21, 2017

Figures show that a new record has been set for inbound visits to the UK in the first two months of the year with 5.2 million visits, up 6% on the same period last year. Overseas…

VisitBritain launches search for America’s biggest EPL fan

Aaron Greenwood Mar 17, 2017

VisitBritain has launched a competition to find America’s biggest Premier League fan and send them on a dream trip to the UK to attend a Premier League football match. The competition…

Tourism

UK targets Saudi tourism growth with new office

Gemma Greenwood Feb 21, 2017

VisitBritain has opened a new office in Riyadh to attract more visitors from Saudi Arabia to the UK, making it the first Western tourism board to establish a presence in the country. The…

VisitBritain to host largest-ever tourism trade event

Gemma Greenwood Feb 21, 2017

VisitBritain is gearing up to host its largest ever global tourism trade event to promote destination Britain to the world. Now in its third year ‘ExploreGB’ is heading south to…

Tourism Boards

UK targets Indian travellers in latest campaign

Mark Elliott Feb 9, 2017

VisitBritain is aiming to lure more Indian travellers to the UK as part of a major new campaign. The seven-week ‘OMGB (Oh My Great Britain): Home of Amazing Moments’ marketing campaign…

UKinbound welcomes BTA board changes

Gemma Greenwood Jan 23, 2017

UKinbound has welcomed the appointment of Steve Ridgway CBE as BTA (VisitBritain/VisitEngland) Board chairman and Denis Wormwell as chairman of the VisitEngland Advisory Board.…

VisitBritain predicts landmark year for inbound tourism

Aaron Greenwood Dec 29, 2016

Forecasts from VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, indicate that 2017 is set to be another record year for inbound tourism to the UK. Spending by overseas visitors is predicted to…

Airlines and Aviation

UK harnesses power of Alitrip to lure Chinese visitors

Mark Elliott Dec 6, 2016

The UK is aiming to increase the number of Chinese visitors it attracts by partnering with Alitrip, the tourism arm of the Alibaba Group. The tie-up between VisitBritain and Alitrip,…

VisitBritain celebrates growth in Chinese tourism arrivals

Aaron Greenwood Dec 5, 2016

VisitBritain has celebrated its milestone partnerships with Hainan Airlines (HNA Group) and Alitrip, Alibaba Group’s tourism arm, in China. Both partnerships have been established…

Chinese tourism boost for UK

Aaron Greenwood Sep 29, 2016

Britain could expect a boost in Chinese visitors during China National Day and the Golden Week holiday that get underway this weekend, VisitBritain has predicted. Golden Week is a prime…

Tourism Boards

UK aims to spread tourism wealth with post-Brexit plan

Mark Elliott Aug 28, 2016

The UK government has unveiled a new post-Brexit plan through which it is aiming to more evenly distribute the benefits of tourism across the country. Under the new initiative, which was…

Record number of UAE visitors to UK in Q1

Aaron Greenwood Jul 26, 2016

The latest figures released by VisitBritain show a surge in the number of visitors from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) visiting the UK in the first quarter of 2016, underpinning the best…

England reports record-breaking Q1 for domestic tourism

Gemma Greenwood Jun 28, 2016

New data from VisitEngland show a record-breaking first quarter for the amount spent on overnight domestic holiday trips in England. Visitors spent £1.8 billion from January to March, up…

China cracks list of UK top 10 inbound tourism markets

Aaron Greenwood May 30, 2016

Records have been set in 2015 for inbound visits with strong growth from Britain’s major inbound markets including the US and Europe and double digit growth from newer markets China and the…

Bids invited for £40m Discover England funding

Aaron Greenwood May 12, 2016

Bids are now being called for VisitEngland’s £40 million fund to drive tourism growth across England. The Discover England Fund is a three-year staged fund from 2016-19 announced by the…

VisitBritain recognised by China for tourism efforts

Aaron Greenwood Apr 18, 2016

VisitBritain’s efforts to increase the welcome and services that Chinese visitors to England experience has been recognised with a gold award in the service quality category of the Chinese…

UK domestic tourism boomed in 2015

Aaron Greenwood Apr 14, 2016

The latest results from the Great Britain Tourism Survey (GBTS) reveal strong growth in domestic tourism in 2015 with record-breaking spending and the highest trip numbers since 2012.…

January marked record month for inbound tourism in the UK

Aaron Greenwood Mar 28, 2016

New figures out show that a new January record has been set for the number of international visits to the UK, up 6% year-on-year. The Office for National Statistics figures show that more…

Liverpool prepares to host ExploreGB trade event

Aaron Greenwood Mar 2, 2016

VisitBritain is gearing up to host its largest tourism trade event this year to attract more international visitors across its nations and regions. Now in its second year, ExploreGB is…

International tourists flock to regional England: report

Aaron Greenwood Feb 26, 2016

More international tourists are travelling across English regions than ever before with some areas showing double digit growth in visitor numbers. And they are spending more too. …

UK welcomed record number of tourists in 2015

Aaron Greenwood Feb 22, 2016

New figures show that 2015 set a new record for inbound tourism to the UK with 35.8 million visits, four per cent up on 2014 and the sixth consecutive year of growth. Comparing growth…

Discover England Fund engagement roadshow gets underway

Gemma Greenwood Feb 4, 2016

More than 100 representatives from the travel industry across England are set to attend the first in a series of sessions launching this week as a regional engagement programme for the new…

UK reports sharp rise in Chinese visitors

Aaron Greenwood Jan 27, 2016

There were 214,000 visits from China from January to September, beating the number of visits for all of 2014, with figures for the last quarter of 2015 still to come. Spend was up 4% over…

UK tourism authority sets out strategy for cooperation

Aaron Greenwood Jan 24, 2016

The British Tourist Authority (BTA) has set out its priorities and how it will structure to deliver on these, following the good funding settlement for tourism in the Comprehensive Spending…

Tourism Boards

VisitBritain launches 2016 international marketing campaign

Aaron Greenwood Jan 17, 2016

VisitBritain this week launches its largest international marketing campaign for 2016 to promote memorable moments visitors can only experience on a trip to Britain. The GREAT Britain…

Tourism

UK inbound tourism to rise again in 2016

Aaron Greenwood Jan 3, 2016

2015 was a record-breaking year for inbound tourism numbers and spend to the UK and this trend looks set to continue in 2016, according to forecasts from national tourism body VisitBritain.…

Britain ‘more welcoming’ to foreign tourists

Gemma Greenwood Dec 8, 2015

The percentage of international visitors who said they felt extremely welcome in Britain has more than doubled in the last five years, according to a new report by national tourism agency…

VisitBritain launches new promotional magazine

Aaron Greenwood Dec 7, 2015

VisitBritain and the GREAT Britain campaign have launched a new annual magazine aimed at inspiring even more people to visit Britain. The ‘Imagination – Make Britain Your Own’…

Tourism

VisitBritain targets Chinese market with biggest-ever roadshow

Aaron Greenwood Nov 19, 2015

As VisitBritain gets set to host its largest ever tourism mission to China next week, new research shows that Chinese perceptions of Britain as a tourist destination are stronger than ever.…

Social media driving British tourism: report

Aaron Greenwood Nov 10, 2015

VisitBritain has published a new report that showcases the powerful influence social media has in positioning Britain as a destination of choice for international visitors. The…

Airlines and Aviation

Turkish Airlines partners with VisitBritain

Mark Elliott Nov 4, 2015

VisitBritain and Turkish Airlines recently announced a new global marketing partnership to attract more international visitors to Britain. The partnership will focus across the…

World Travel Market

Sharjah Tourism welcomes VisitBritain chairman

Mark Elliott Nov 4, 2015

The Sharjah tourism pavilion at the on-going World Travel Market 2015 is abuzz with activity. The emirate attracted large number of decision makers, high profile dignitaries and…

Industry bodies raise concerns over spending cuts

Gemma Greenwood Oct 26, 2015

With just over a month to go before the release of the Autumn Statement, concerns are growing within the tourism industry that this year’s Comprehensive Spending Review will see the axe fall…

VisitBritain and Turkish Airlines partner on UK campaign

Aaron Greenwood Oct 22, 2015

VisitBritain and Turkish Airlines have launched a new global marketing partnership to attract more international visitors to Britain, with a focus across the airline’s five regional gateways…

Foreign spend in Britain booms

Gemma Greenwood Oct 14, 2015

International visitors have spent an extra £2.5 billion in Britain during the last four years according to new data released by VisitBritain. This beats the target set for it by the…

Tourism

Tourism Ireland launches new campaign with VisitBritain

Mark Elliott Sep 20, 2015

In a bid to boost its tourism numbers, Tourism Ireland and VisitBritain have joined together to announce a new campaign - One Break, Two Cities. The new campaign offers visitors a…

UK welcomes record number of arrivals in H1, 2015

Aaron Greenwood Aug 24, 2015

The number of international business and leisure visitors arriving in the UK in the first half of 2015 reached 16.8 million, the highest figure recorded in the first six months of any year…

Industry heavyweights endorse Cameron’s five point tourism plan

Gemma Greenwood Jul 17, 2015

VisitBritain has welcomed David Cameron’s statement of support for the tourism industry as a vital contributor to economic growth in the UK. “We share the Government’s commitment to…

Tourism Boards

VisitBritain welcomes new government appointments

Gemma Greenwood May 14, 2015

VisitBritain chief executive Sally Balcombe has welcomed the government appointments of new Secretary of State John Whittingdale and DCMS minister Tracey Crouch. “I’m delighted at…

Tourism

Britain boosts its inbound tourism sector

Mark Elliott Feb 26, 2015

VisitBritain recently released its new figures for the first eleven months of 2014. As per statistics, for January to November 2014, there were 32.4 million visits to the UK, seven…

Inbound tourism to Britain hits record

Mark Elliott Feb 12, 2015

More overseas tourists came to Great Britain last year and are also spending more, according to new statistics released today. The latest International Passenger Survey showed a 6%…

Tourism Boards

Inbound UK tourism numbers beat targets

Mark Elliott Jan 15, 2015

Inbound tourism numbers to the UK are set to surpass VisitBritain’s original forecast, the tourism agency has said. Based on data from the first 11 months of 2014 the firm said more…

Travel members recognised in New Year’s Honours

Mark Elliott Jan 2, 2015

Former Virgin Holidays managing director Amanda Wills and ex-VisitBritain chief Sandie Dawe have been named in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. Wills has been awarded a CBE for…

England

£10m government funding to help north

Mark Elliott Nov 6, 2014

Tourism bodies have welcomed news of £10 million worth of funding to develop a new strategy for the north of the UK. The government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF) will commit the…

Tourism Boards

Japan taps UK expertise for Olympic tourism boost

Mark Elliott Sep 28, 2014

The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) has signed a new partnership with VisitBritain, aimed at encouraging the exchange of tourism information and best practices between the two…

VisitBritain to leverage themed culture requests

Mark Elliott Sep 9, 2014

Themed culture and heritage options for overseas tourists could help Britain secure a larger visitor intake particularly in key source markets, according to a new report. Research…

Britain sees strongest first half for tourism

Mark Elliott Aug 14, 2014

Inbound tourism to the UK has seen the highest numbers in history for the first half of a year. Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show there were 16.4 million…

New VisitBritain CEO named

Mark Elliott Jul 24, 2014

Sally Balcombe has been named as the new CEO of VisitBritain. Balcombe was previously managing director of British Airways Holidays and of the specialist sun division at TUI, as well…

Tourists’ love for UK continues

Mark Elliott Jul 10, 2014

Tourists are continuing their love for the UK with this May showing the best results than any previous May. The latest International Passenger Survey (ISP) figures show a 4%…

India becomes UK’s biggest BRIC market

Mark Elliott Jun 24, 2014

India is now the UK's biggest 'BRIC' market, in terms of visitor numbers. According to new data released by VisitBritain, UKinbound and the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA)…

Scotland

Overseas agents need help to sell Britain: report

Mark Elliott Jun 9, 2014

Travel agents based in countries including India, Saudi Arabia and Brazil need more education and help in selling British destinations outside of London, a new report has found. The…

Post Olympics, UK plans countryside drive

Mark Elliott May 14, 2014

Following the recent success of the Olympic Games, the UK is aiming to encourage more international visitors to get out and explore the countryside. Speaking to Travel Daily at the…

UK aims to ease visa process for Asian visitors

Mark Elliott May 14, 2014

The UK is developing a number of schemes aimed at easing the visa application process for Asian visitors. Speaking to Travel Daily at the Destination Britain event in Kuala Lumpur this…

Tourism Boards

UK boosted by high-value Asian market

Mark Elliott May 13, 2014

The UK’s tourism board, VisitBritain, has embarked on its annual mission to the Asia Pacific region, in an effort to build on a record-breaking year for tourist arrivals and revenues from…

Tourism Boards

Natural Wales aims to lure Asian repeat visitors

Mark Elliott May 13, 2014

Wales is aiming to draw on its natural assets to drive more repeat visitors to the country. Speaking to Travel Daily on Tuesday (13 May 2014), Mike Price of VisitWales said that while…

Scotland

London welcomes more tourists than before

Mark Elliott May 8, 2014

London welcomed more than 16 million international visitors for the first time within a year in 2013, new statistics have found. The latest Office of National Statistics (ONS)…

Katherine Jenkins gets behind GREAT campaign

Mark Elliott Apr 17, 2014

Singer Katherine Jenkins has been announced as the latest celebrity signed up to promote British tourism. Jenkins will perform in Istanbul (as part of the GREAT Festival of…

VisitBritain revamps international trade show

Mark Elliott Apr 14, 2014

VisitBritain has announced a new international trade show to replace Hosted Buyers Marketplace. ExploreGB will first take place in late February 2015 in London as a platform for more…

Tourism Boards

Britain and Ireland sign tourism MoU

Mark Elliott Apr 9, 2014

VisitBritain and Tourism Ireland have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to boost inbound tourism numbers. The MoU was signed by Tourism Ireland’s CEO Niall Gibbons and…

United Arab Emirates

WIT’s speaker line-up announced

Mark Elliott Mar 23, 2014

WIT Middle East recently announced the list of its finalised speakers. The event will witness participation from speakers across Europe, US, Africa, India, China, Japan and Singapore.…

New mark defines ‘China friendly’ UK businesses

Mark Elliott Mar 14, 2014

VisitBritain has launched a new mark to signal which businesses are ready to cater for Chinese tourists. The new GREAT China Welcome Chartermark has been launched to help Chinese…

Tourism Boards

VisitBritain adopts innovative sound campaign to lure tourists

Mark Elliott Feb 18, 2014

VisitBritain has come up with an innovative way of luring tourists. The sounds of some famous links to Britain such as pouring of a cup of tea, a black cab beeping and chimes of Big Ben…

Tourism Boards

Britain’s soundtrack to attracting more tourists

Mark Elliott Feb 17, 2014

The sound of Rudimental’s chart hit ‘Feel the Love’; pouring tea and the chimes of Big Ben are all being used in a new VisitBritain campaign launched today. ‘Sounds of GREAT Britain’…

Northern Ireland

Record year for UK inbound tourism

Mark Elliott Feb 13, 2014

VisitBritain has said its GREAT campaign is starting to see results after Office of National Statistics (ONS) data found inbound tourism at a record high. There were 6% more overseas…

Tourism

Britain witness surge in Gulf visitors

Mark Elliott Feb 12, 2014

VisitBritain recently hosted its annual GCC travel trade mission in Saudi Arabia. This event was held for the first time and recent figures show that during the first three quarters of…

Tourism Boards

UK, Indian trade associations sign MoU

Mark Elliott Jan 31, 2014

VisitBritain has announced the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between United Kingdom and Indian trade associations. The MoUs were signed between The European Tour…

Tourism

Indian visitors to UK up 9%

Mark Elliott Jan 27, 2014

Indian travellers holidaying in United Kingdom has increased in 2013, despite the depreciating Rupee. According to the data released by VisitBritan, visits from India to the UK were…

Tourism

UAE tourist to UK to increase by 40% in 2020

Mark Elliott Dec 24, 2013

As per a recent announcement, there has been a lift of visa requirements for UAE, Oman and Qatar nationals travelling to the UK. Effective Q1 2014, citizens from the aforementioned three…

Tourism Boards

VisitBritain launch GCC-wide ‘Film is GREAT’ campaign

Mark Elliott Dec 15, 2013

VisitBritain has launched its month-long competition to mark VisitBritain’s ‘Film is GREAT’ campaign. This campaign is championed by its UAE Goodwill ambassador Ali Mostafa, the…

Northern Ireland

Tourism to grow ‘faster than other sectors’ – report

Mark Elliott Nov 21, 2013

Tourism is set to grow at a faster rate than the retail, construction and manufacturing sectors, according to a new Deloitte and VisitBritain study. The tourism sector is expected to…

Hotels

Wales reaches out to the USA

Mark Elliott Oct 3, 2013

Tourism in Wales is to be promoted in the USA due to a VisitBritain strategy with accommodation provider Welsh Rarebits. The two will be working together as part of the ‘GREAT’…

Tourism Boards

GCC cyclists gear up for Britain

Mark Elliott Sep 26, 2013

GCC cyclists have recently taken off on a cycling trip across the British countryside. The trip is part of VisitBritain’s ‘Dunes to Dales’ initiative launched in the GCC, this summer.…

Airlines and Aviation

Virgin Atlantic targets Aussies

Mark Elliott Sep 11, 2013

Virgin Atlantic, VisitBritain and London & Partners have teamed up to jointly approach the Australian tourism market, aiming to bring more Australians over to the UK. The push,…

VisitBritain pushing UK as ‘family friendly’ after Royal Baby

Mark Elliott Jul 23, 2013

UK tourist board VisitBritain is pushing the country’s “family friendly” and royal attractions abroad, following the birth of the royal baby. The office has released tips to its US…

Appointments

The latest industry appointments

Mark Elliott Jul 11, 2013

Julia Lo Bue-Said has been promoted to managing director of Advantage Travel Centres. In the changes Noel Mansell has also been promoted to finance director and has joined the Advantage…

Tourism Boards

VisitBritain funds cut 5%

Mark Elliott Jul 4, 2013

Funding for VisitBritain is to be cut 5% while VisitEngland’s has remained intact. The reduction is part of a 7% drop in funds for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport but will…

VisitBritain targets Saudi, Qatar market

Mark Elliott Jun 12, 2013

VisitBritain recently wrapped up a series of meetings with its strategic partners and key market influencers in Saudi Arabia and Qatar to discuss Britain's tourism growth strategy for the…

Tourism Boards

GREAT “ups tourism spend in Britain”

Mark Elliott May 30, 2013 1

Britain’s tourism image is seeing a boost with the GREAT campaign after already seeing an extra GBP200 million (USD302m) spend by international tourists in the last two years. A…

Scotland

Scotland’s natural environment attracts GCC visitors

Mark Elliott Feb 4, 2013 0

Scotland's natural environment is the prime reason that attracts people from the Gulf. For the year 2013, the country will be showcasing its outdoor assets, which will be a year-long…

Tourism Boards

VisitBritian moves regional office to Dubai

Mark Elliott Oct 24, 2012 15

The potential of the Middle East and Gulf travellers is gaining prominence for the United Kingdom. Recognising the region’s potential, VisitBritain announced that it is moving its Asia…

VisitBritain bonds in new campaign

Mark Elliott Oct 2, 2012 6

VisitBritain is to use the new James Bond film to promote the destination in the next part of its ‘GREAT’ campaign. The tourism agency is using the new ‘Skyfall’ film to encourage foreign…

Tourism Boards

VisitBritain rolls out second phase of GREAT

Mark Elliott Sep 12, 2012 15

VisitBritain has rolled out the second phase to its GREAT campaign using images from the Olympics opening ceremony. The latest print and television adverts have been unveiled as part of the…

Tourism Boards

VisitBritain rolls out GREAT Campaign

Mark Elliott Sep 12, 2012 15

Britain has set its sights on breaking visitor records and to fulfil this ambition, VisitBritain has recently rolled out its GREAT Campaign. Prior to the Olympics, the Authority had unveiled…

Tourism

4% less holidays in Jan-May

Mark Elliott Jul 12, 2012 12

UK residents have taken 4% less holidays in the first five months of 2012 compared to the same period last year, new Office of National Statistics (ONS) have found. Around 11.6 million…

Tourism Boards

Asian countries on UK’s tourism “hit-list”

May 16, 2012 15

The UK and Ireland is seeing significant growth in visitor arrivals from the Asia, and several of the region’s countries form part of a “global hit-list” for the UK’s tourism push. Speaking…