VisitEngland launches TV ads to coincide with Rugby World Cup

Tourism marketing board VisitEngland has launched a TV advertising campaign to attract tourists to English destinations in the year of the Rugby World Cup 2015.

Called, ‘Discover Your England', the advert aired for the first time on Channel 5, ITV and Sky on Sunday 11 January.

It features over 16 English destinations and includes appearances by a collection of sports personalities including former England rugby captain Martin Corry MBE, England Rugby head coach Stuart Lancaster, former England women's Rugby World Cup 2014 winner Maggie Alphonsi MBE and official anthem singer and soprano Laura Wright.

The tournament is expected to generate a total output of £2.2b to the UK economy, with benefits reaching all sectors, according to recent figures released by EY on behalf of England Rugby 2015.

James Berresford, chief executive of VisitEngland said: "We are extremely excited to mark the year of Rugby World Cup 2015 with the launch of our Discover Your England campaign. England holds something truly special for all visitors and the arrival of the Tournament this year is an opportunity to maximise the potential for growth in the tourism sector. The aim of this campaign is to help trigger this growth." "The TV Advert showcases England as a fantastic place to book a holiday or short break and I hope it gets the British public as excited as we are about what's in store for 2015. We want to entice Brits to set out to find what makes England a unique and special destination for them." Helen Grant, Minister for Sport and Tourism, said: "With action all across the nation the Rugby World Cup 2015 is a brilliant opportunity to go out and discover England. From Exeter's Sandy Park to Newcastle's St James' Park we stand ready to welcome the world and show off the best our country has to offer. The government's tourism strategy is delivering record inbound visitor numbers and Rugby World Cup is a fantastic opportunity to further build on this success."