VisitEngland launches £2m tourism flood recovery campaign

Tourist board VisitEngland has today launched a £2m flood recovery campaign backed by the government, to help support tourism businesses affected by the recent severe weather.

Timed ahead of the Easter break, the campaign will help encourage bookings for Easter and provide both business support and a wider marketing campaign called "Spot On England".

A small number of businesses were damaged in the recent floods, which mainly affected parts of the West Country and the Thames Valley.

However, the campaign will also address people's concerns about visiting areas they fear were affected, with the tourist board's own research showing that 10% of people have been put off from taking a trip.

The scheme will also see tourism businesses gain free access to experts on building design, communications, marketing and legal issues to make sure that they are as protected as possible against any future damage from weather.

VisitEngland has published an online practical guide to the situation, available to download here.

VisitEngland's chief executive James Berresford said: "We welcome this additional funding from government to support the tourism industry. It has enabled us to act fast. We are providing vital on the ground support to help businesses become more resilient against severe weather conditions in the future.

"The price-led Spot on England advertising campaign will support our efforts to reassure visitors that England remains a beautiful and exciting destination to visit this spring and summer."

Hospitality Action is also offering its support to individuals who have fallen victim to the floods.

It spent £508,000 supporting past and present hospitality workers who had fallen on hard times last year, and said that there were funds in place for flood victims too.

Hospitality Action chief executive Penny Moore said: "If you are a hospitality industry employee experiencing personal difficulties due to the continuous bad weather, please do get in touch.

"Many homes have been damaged, causing unexpected financial distress for many hardworking individuals and families in the affected locations. We are here to help those in need and will assess each case on an individual basis."

The campaigns follow the British Hospitality Association's calls last month for the government to offer a package of financial measures for hospitality and tourism business affected by the rising water.

BHA urges financial help for flood-hit hospitality businesses >>