National tourism agency VisitBritain is rolling out a multi-million pound international campaign to drive tourism to Britain. The new initiative comes ahead of English Tourism Week, which runs from 17 – 26 March, and highlights the importance of the tourism sector to the UK economy.

The international GREAT Britain marketing campaign invites visitors to ‘See Things Differently’, showcasing Britain as a dynamic, diverse and exciting destination, packed full of activities to come and enjoy now, with a warm British welcome at its heart.

The first phase of the 2023 campaign, which runs until early spring is focused on markets where VisitBritain is seeing strong recovery including the USA, its largest and most valuable market, Canada, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and European markets including France, Germany and Spain.

(Photo credit: Matador Network)

In Canada and the USA the campaign, called ‘Fake (Br)it Till You Make It’, highlights the richness of Britain’s regional diversity. The phased advertising campaign gets underway with a variety of local phrases alongside destination images from across Britain.

Later in March, a series of short films sees Brits sharing a warm welcome in local accents and dialects promoting their destinations, encouraging visitors to come and explore for themselves. Also from late March, a new online game on VisitBritain’s consumer website, using machine learning, goes live where players can have a fun go at mastering the accents with links to destination information to drive bookings.

(Photo credit: The Smoke)

In Europe and the GCC, the ‘See Things Differently’ advertising campaign – ‘Spilling the Tea on Great Britain’ - uses a play on Britain’s love of tea, through destination images and short films to tell a fresh and exciting story about the experiences on offer, showing visitors that ‘whatever your cup of tea, we’ve got it.’

From a ‘Festival’ tea theme that gives a taste of Britain’s live music scene to a ‘Graffi-tea’ that celebrates its vibrant cities and cultural attractions. A ‘Surf’ theme shows the adventurous side of Britain and ‘#nofilter’ its natural beauty. A 'Monster Hunting' tea draws inspiration from myths and legends including world-famous Nessie the Loch Ness Monster. 

VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said: “We know there is pent-up demand for travel and that tourism is also a fiercely competitive global industry. Our priority is to build on the recovery we have seen, competing hard in markets where we are seeing strong growth, tapping into motivations for travel now to drive bookings.

“All eyes are on Britain this year and by telling the story of our dynamic destinations and diverse culture, along with a warm British welcome, we’re inspiring visitors to discover more, stay longer and explore year-round, supporting local businesses and economies.”

The campaigns also plan to capture major events in 2023 including the Coronation of King Charles III in May and Liverpool hosting the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine, also in May, valuable opportunities to show Britain’s welcome, creativity and ability to host events of the highest calibre.

English Tourism Week 2023

English Tourism Week 2023, which runs from 17 - 26 March, is an annual campaign led by VisitEngland, which celebrates the country’s diverse, exciting and vibrant tourism sector, and showcases the quality, range and value of English tourism. The week provides an essential opportunity to raise awareness of the sector to key stakeholders, with VisitEngland working to support English destinations with political engagement nationally, regionally and locally, and the recovery of the sector.

Making up 80% of the UK’s visitor economy, English tourism generated over £100 billion a year and supported 2.6 million jobs in 2019 and is a major employer of school leavers and young people, as well as an incubator for entrepreneurs and innovation. It provides a spotlight to put tourism front of mind with key stakeholders and showcase the amazing work that goes on each and every day to build strong and resilient destinations. 

VisitBritain’s latest inbound tourism forecast shows continued strong recovery in overseas visitor spending this year. Its latest forecast for 2023 is for overseas visitor spending in the UK of £29.5 billion, up 4% on the all-time spending high of £28.4 billion in 2019. It estimates 35.1 million inbound visits to the UK, 86% of 2019 levels.

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made tour of England or the United Kingdom, please do contact our friendly team today and we will put together the perfect itinerary to meet your interests and requirements.