National tourism body VisitBritain has announced two new strategies this afternoon aimed at further developing Britain and England’s visitor economies to reach £100bn by 2010 – however its chair, Lord Marshall, has said that hitting the target would be a tough challenge and that the agency was up against formidable competitors.
The three-year strategies – enhancing VisitBritain’s marketing in key areas and the ongoing development of the EnglandNet service – will be implemented in an attempt to secure the future of Britain’s visitor economy, which currently stands at £74bn.
The first strategy centres on a four-pronged approach that focuses on customer, brand, product and channel to boost VisitBritain’s marketing. The intention is to convert consumer interest about visiting Britain into action, by opening up services to potential visitors which allow them to book, travel, stay and keep in touch.
The second strategy involves the continuing development of EnglandNet, which will allow online booking of accredited accommodation.
Both new strategies aim to increase the penetration of quality-assured accommodation sites in England from the current level of 47 per cent up to an estimated 66 per cent next year with the ultimate target of 80 per cent by 2010.
A new online flight engine will also aid EnglandNet’s services, helping visitors to find the best flights options to Britain from anywhere in the world.
Further initiatives will include doubling the number of visitors to the VisitBritain website to 25 million and incorporating e-commerce elements, community content and editorial recommendations on the website. Existing databases will also be expanded from five million to 11 million records.
Under all the new strategies and initiatives, VisitBritain will aim to increase its investment in 11 new and developing markets, including Mexico for 2006-2007.
Speaking at the launch of the strategies, Lord Marshall of Knightsbridge urged the government to continue to support and invest in VisitBritain’s strategies. He said: “Hitting our £100bn target by 2010 will be a tough challenge, against some formidable competitors.
“The tourism industry is a vital component of Britain’s national economy so the government and the commercial sector must continue to make long-term investments if we are to fully realise the potential of the visitor economy. But the prize is great and we are determined to succeed.”
Tourism minister James Purnell added: “The UK tourism industry has shown great resourcefulness and determination in the face of difficulty this year.
“Britain is on show to the world between now and 2012 and I want people to see a country that welcomes visitors and offers the holiday of a lifetime. I look to VisitBritain once again to lead the industry to success.”
VisitBritain lanched in 2003 and operates a network of 25 offices covering 31 key markets and employing 450 staff, 60 per cent of whom are based overseas. Details: www.visitbritain.com
