The BHA urges businesses to support new VisitEngland campaign
The British Hospitality Association (BHA) is urging hospitality businesses to support the new VisitEngland campaign aimed at encouraging people to holiday at home.
Launched today by the Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, the Holidays at Home are GREAT promotion kicks off with a celebrity-led TV advertisement, which directs viewers to a website offering special deals including hotel stays, meals and tickets to attractions. Stephen Fry and Julie Walters have teamed up with Downton Abbey actress Michelle Dockery and Rupert Grint of Harry Potter fame to extol the virtues of a holiday in the UK.
All offers at www.great2012offers.com/ will provide savings of at least 20.12%. Hotel companies which have already signed up include the De Vere Group, Travelodge and Millennium Copthorne.
"We need to use every means to encourage more British people to stay at home and enjoy what Britain has to offer - and Olympics year is an ideal year to launch such a campaign.
"Britain offers an incredible range of attractions and with the Olympic Games in London and in other parts of the country, there's even more reason for people to holiday in this country this year."
Ibrahim said the BHA welcomed the government's support for UK tourism including the additional £4m grant to VisitEngland which made the campaign possible. What the campaign needed now was support from all sectors of the industry.
"The campaign gives operators a new platform on which they can promote any special offer," she added.
"Of course, many operators offer special deals all year round but this site will give them the opportunity to use their own innovation and creativity for this year - with the added incentive of benefiting from VisitEngland's promotional resource.
"What offers they provide - and when they provide them - is a commercial decision for them but there is no doubt that this pan-UK campaign will give home holidays a huge boost this year and operators should consider taking every advantage of it."
Ibrahim welcomed the fact that the campaign was all-inclusive and offered all sectors of the industry an opportunity to participate.
"Offers in the restaurant and attractions sectors widen the scope of the campaign and make it more relevant to even more people."
The Holidays at Home are GREAT campaign is led by VisitEngland and supported by the tourist boards of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and London.
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By Janet Harmer
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