Britain will be in the global spotlight with the upcoming Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen Consort on Saturday, 6 May.

With the official celebrations fast approaching, VisitBritain is taking the opportunity to promote ‘destination Britain’ and inspire travellers from across Australia.

VisitBritain’s latest international consumer research shows the draw of Britain’s history and heritage in driving inbound tourism.

The chance to explore Britain’s history and heritage was among the top sought after activities for potential visitors, as was visiting its iconic cultural attractions and vibrant towns and cities.

VisitBritain is harnessing the valuable opportunity to promote Britain globally as a visitor destination and promote messages of a warm British welcome, a top driver globally in destination choice.

Australia will play several key roles in the pomp and pageantry of the weekend’s celebrations.

Matilda’s captain and Chelsea F.C. Women star, Sam Kerr has been announced as Australia’s flag-bearer where she will lead a contingent of Australian representatives in attendance, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley into Westminster Abbey for the formal Coronation Ceremony on Saturday.

Visitors looking to walk in the (football) footsteps of Sam Kerr, can go behind-the-scenes at Stamford Bridge to learn about the club’s illustrious history with a stadium and museum tour, or see Kerr in action first-hand on the pitch at Kingsmeadow Stadium.

The Diamond Jubilee State Coach that will carry King Charles III and The Queen Consort to the Coronation on Saturday was designed and built by Australian William James Frecklington.

Following the reopening of the Royal Mews, visitors to London can experience a close up look of the famous Australian-built coach as well as see the King’s carriages, horses and the iconic 260-year-old Gold State Coach.

Australia is also turning heads on the marmalade world stage, following the announcement that Perth marmalade maker, Reuben Kooperman’s marmalade has been chosen to be presented to King Charles III in honour of his Coronation.

Reuben received this honour after he took home the one-off special royal prize in the Dalemain World Marmalade Awards & Festival that took place in Cumbria last month.

Whilst Reuben’s marmalade will be saved for the King, visitors looking to taste this year’s first place spread can purchase the award-winning jar at Fortnum & Mason’s historic Mayfair store. The upmarket store is a sponsor of the annual Dalemain World Marmalade Awards & Festival.

“As the world’s media turns its attention to the historic Coronation of Britain’s 62nd monarch and to some of our most iconic destinations including Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey, where landmark events are taking place, we’ve got a fantastic opportunity to highlight our world-renowned attractions, our culture and heritage and the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you can only have in Britain, VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said.

“Australia has always been a very important tourism market for Britain and our renowned history and heritage are proven tourism draws. The magnificent pomp and pageantry of the Coronation and official celebrations, set to be watched by a global audience of hundreds of millions, will also show our hospitality, creativity and warm welcome to the world, boosting tourism to Britain.”

As well as the Coronation on Saturday 6 May, the official celebrations, taking place during a Bank Holiday weekend in the UK, include the Coronation Concert on 7 May, staged and broadcast live at Windsor Castle.

The centrepiece of the Coronation Concert is ‘Lighting up the Nation’, where iconic locations across the UK are being lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.

The Bank holiday weekend also sees events for the ‘Coronation Big Lunch’ with street parties and neighbours and friends coming together to celebrate.

Monday 8 May is a Bank Holiday with the public encouraged to join The Big Help Out, trying volunteering and supporting their local areas.

The Coronation will inspire travellers from across the globe to discover Britain’s royal heritage and throughout the historic year there will be several exhibits, events and one-of-a-kind experiences for visitors to indulge in.

New exhibits not to be missed include The Queen and her Corgis at The Wallace Collection (8 March – 25 June), Crown to Couture at Kensington Palace (5 April – 29 October), Royal Connections Crowns and Coronets at Blenheim Palace (4 March – 31 July), The King’s Stamp at the Postal Museum (8 February – 3 September) and Style & Society: Dressing the Georgians at Buckingham Palace (21 April – 8 October).

Pomp and ceremony will be on full display as Charles becomes King. (iStock)

For those seeking a snippet of the magic of the Coronation, a new immersive light and sound show displaying the Crown Jewels on iconic UK landmarks will tour the four nations from autumn, beginning with the Tower of London.

There has been continued tourism recovery from Australia to the UK with latest official statistics for inbound arrivals in late March 2023, surpassing 2019 levels by +7 per cent.

Flight bookings from Australia to the UK also continue to show strong growth, with recent inbound flight bookings in early 2023 surpassing 2019 levels by 17 per cent.

This demand is expected to continue in 2023 following the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, inspiring travellers from across Australia to discover Britain’s royal heritage.