VisitBritain gears up for 2015

VisitBritain gears up for 2015

Great Britain’s peak tourism body has reflected on a successful 2014, which saw a record number of tourists visit the country and record inbound visitor spend achieved. Speaking at the ExploreGB conference late last week, VisitBritain’s chief executive Sally Balcombe (pictured below) announced a $21.7 billion inbound spend, a 3% increase on 2013’s high water mark, as well as 34.8 million foreign arrivals, which was a rise of 6% on 2013’s figure.

Elsewhere, perceptions of Great Britain remained high. “Every year Anholt carry out a global survey on the Nation’s Brand Index. This gauges how people think about Britain and 49 other countries. We are now ranked third globally as a tourism destination,” Balcombe said. Great Britain also ranked fourth overall for its sporting offering and 20th overall for natural beauty.

Looking ahead, VisitBritain announced a positive forecast for 2015, stating it expected the volume of inbound tourism to grow a further 2.5% and the volume of inbound spend to rise 4.5%.

Balcombe said that the tourism body will continue to focus on growth and will maintain its GREAT campaign in seven key markets moving forward. Another key aim is to encourage visitors to explore Great Britain’s regions, with a focus on rural tourism and seeing its constituent nations.

Autumn 2015 will see the launch of a culture campaign focusing on contemporary culture and city life, covering film and TV, performing arts and music. A major campaign focused on the upcoming James Bond film Spectre will run over October and November.

The travel trade will also be a focus with a new and improved BritAgent program commencing this month. The refresh will see increased interactive capabilities, engagement and rewards for travel agents. An itinerary builder will also be available later in the year. “VisitBritain delivers a full range of B2B events, including overseas trade missions and participation in World Travel Market, ITB Berlin, ILTM Asia and other travel trade events,” Balcombe added.

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