Press Release Summary = The cause of British tourism is to receive a boost as VisitBritain, the body tasked with encouraging more people to visit the UK, launches a new advertising campaign. Top advertising consultants Team Saatchi were recruited to develop a short film, released this week, that showcases the attractions of the British Isles.
Press Release Body = The cause of British tourism is to receive a boost as VisitBritain, the body tasked with encouraging more people to visit the UK, launches a new advertising campaign. Top advertising consultants Team Saatchi were recruited to develop a short film, released this week, that showcases the attractions of the British Isles.
In the film, which VisitBritain says challenges \"the notion that Britain is just history and castles\", viewers are shown thatched cottages in the countryside, contrasted with modern urban architecture, which is in turn juxtaposed with town criers. A premiership football match is also a key feature of the piece, which will be sent out to international tourist boards and embassies.
It may interest buy-to-let investors in the holiday homes market to know that current data shows the value of Britain\'s visitor economy has risen to £85 billion over the past seven years. VisitBritain is expecting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games to account for further increases over the next five years. Tom Wright, chief executive of VisitBritain, says that the new figures \"show that British tourism is currently in good health\".
One foreign visitor arrives in Britain every second, which has contributed enormously to the growth of the UK tourist industry. However, domestic tourism is also an important factor.
British people make an average of over one billion day trips a year, spending over £44 billion in British shops and on British services. When it comes to overnight stays, Britons make nearly 140 million overnight trips a year and spend around £23 billion, an encouraging figure for holiday home landlords when the 66.5 million trips British tourists take abroad every year.
Summer is always a boom time for the domestic holiday industry, with everyone from singletons to families taking the opportunity to enjoy Britain in the good weather. The seaside is the traditional favourite location for the home-grown tourist and it may surprise some people to learn that a recent survey placed five British beaches made it into a list of 25 of the best beaches in the world.
The report, by the Daily Telegraph, rated different beaches according to what they offered. The four-mile stretch of beach in Dorset, known as Studland Bay and apparently a favourite of children\'s author Enid Blyton, was described as \"magical\" and perfect for family holidays.
For the more adventurous holidaymaker, Portrush in Northern Ireland was identified as \"Britain\'s alternative surf-centre\". A long-time seaside resort, the waters in the area have apparently proved a big hit with surfers in recent years and the area has the added bonus of being close to two major tourist attractions, the Giant\'s Causeway and the Bushmills whisky distillery.
2012
