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

The £10 million international GREAT Britain marketing campaign ‘Welcome to Another Side of Britain’ was formally launched by The Rt Hon Nadine Dorries MP, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) at a VisitBritain reception on 9 February in Dubai, UAE.

The event, hosted by Dame Judith Macgregor, chair of the British Tourist Authority and Tricia Warwick, VisitBritain Director for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APMEA), was in support of the wider programme for UK National Day at Expo Dubai. Also in attendance was the British Ambassador to the UAE Patrick Moody, the Leader of Birmingham City Council Councillor Ian Ward, as well as top tourism industry and travel trade executives from India, the GCC, the West Midlands in England and international media.

VisitBritain’s ‘Welcome to Another Side of Britain’ campaign is putting the spotlight on Britain’s cities, hit hard by the absence of international visitors, as well as on messages of welcome and reassurance. It is also capturing the major events this year, set to be global tourism draws, including HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and ‘Unboxed,’ the UK-wide celebration of creativity, to drive tourism to Britain.

UK Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Nadine Dorries said:

“This brilliant campaign will highlight the best of the UK to the world and show that we are open and ready to welcome back international visitors.”

"2022 is a fantastic time to visit thanks to major events including Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Women’s Euros, Rugby League World Cup and UNBOXED."

British Tourist Authority Chair Dame Judith Macgregor said:

“We are delighted to launch our new global marketing campaign in Dubai, in support of the wider programme of events for UK National Day at Expo Dubai.”

“The GCC is a very important inbound tourism market for the UK and we know there is pent-up demand for travel. As well as offering messages of welcome and reassurance, we are shining the spotlight on Britain’s vibrant and diverse cities. Telling the stories of our renowned heritage with a modern twist, profiling our buzzing contemporary culture and innovative food and drink scene, we are showing that Britain is full of fresh and exciting experiences to come and enjoy right now.”

“This year’s landmark events including HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Commonwealth Games and the ground-breaking ‘Unboxed’ events, present timely and valuable opportunities to highlight experiences that visitors can only have now in Britain, and to demonstrate once again our enthusiasm for excellence in sport, our warm welcome to our guests and our creativity to the world.”

VisitBritain Director for APMEA Tricia Warwick said:

“We are thrilled to launch VisitBritain’s global marketing campaign here in Dubai, during the week of celebrations for UK National Day at Expo, highlighting to top travel trade buyers from across the GCC and India why now is a brilliant time to book a trip to Britain.”

“With the host of once-in-a-lifetime events and experiences on offer, this is the year for visitors to put Britain at the top of the list as their must-go-now destination and working with our trade partners in market is crucial to converting the huge demand and inspiration to visit Britain into bookings.”

The ‘Welcome to Another Side of Britain’ campaign launches across international markets with short-films and branded city-focused content across social media channels, digital display advertising and print media. Content also drives online ‘traffic’ to www.visitbritain.com using #lovegreatbritain with ideas and links to city activities, city visitor attractions and experiences highlighting ‘another side of Britain’ – from rooftop afternoon tea in Liverpool to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, from sailing in a hot tub down the Thames in London to kayaking courses at the Cardiff International White Water centre.

Activity will also be underway across all VisitBritain’s international markets, including the GCC, using the extensive reach of its global and in-country digital channels, both business and consumer, and working with the travel trade in market to drive bookings.

Today’s campaign launch follows a VisitBritain business roundtable held earlier in the day – ‘Connect to Collaborate’ – hosted by Dame Judith Macgregor. The event brought together top industry and Commonwealth Games representatives from across the West Midlands with travel trade and tourism industry executives from Dubai and India, to boost tourism in the run-up to the Games and beyond, as part of the Commonwealth Games Business and Tourism Programme (BATP).

VisitBritain’s ‘Welcome to Another Side of Britain’ campaign is part of the UK Government’s GREAT campaign.

Inbound tourism was worth more than £28 billion to the UK economy in 2019, its third largest service export and a major part of British trade.