Press release -
‘Home of Amazing Moments’ tourism campaign launches to get Brits to ‘holiday at home’
In the run-up to May half-term and the summer holiday season VisitEngland, in partnership with VisitScotland, has today launched its largest domestic marketing campaign for 2016 to promote amazing ‘moments’ that can only be experienced on a trip across Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The four-week #OMGB ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ TV, digital and print campaign, part of the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign, uses film and images of authentic experiences and activities shot on locations across the UK to inspire people to take a short-break at home.
It is the fifth year that VisitEngland has run a campaign to boost domestic tourism and get people out exploring the UK, with former promotions featuring Wallace & Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, as well as celebrities. As in previous years, the campaign is run in partnership with the national tourism organisations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and tourism businesses across the UK.
VisitEngland/VisitBritain Chief Executive Sally Balcombe said:
“From taking a dip in Wastwater Lake in the Lake District to riding the waves at Surf Snowdonia, from watching sunlight breaking over the Scottish Highlands to walking in the footsteps of giants along The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, the UK is packed full of incredible experiences that you can’t get anywhere else.
“By showing the sheer diversity of activities right here on our doorstep we want to inspire people to book a trip right now to discover their own amazing moments, driving growth in tourism across our nations and regions and spreading its economic benefits across the UK.”
By showcasing amazing experiences across the UK the campaign wants to inspire people to share images of their own amazing moments using the hashtag #OMGB, some of which will be shared across VisitEngland and VisitBritain’s Twitter, Instagram or Facebook platforms.
The £2.5 million Home of Amazing Moments campaign is expected to generate more than 1.3 million additional overnight stays in 2016 with a £100 million boost to the UK economy.
Travel partners include Thomas Cook, TUI, The Travel Network Group, Advantage, Barrhead Travel, Premier Travel and tour operators Shearings, Bourne Leisure, Hoseasons, Superbreak, BreakFree Holidays and Attraction World. Partners are using #OMGB imagery and logos in their stores, and in print and digital advertising during the coming months. Travel offers and deals for UK breaks to tie in with the campaign, and competitions, will be available on www.homeofamazing.com
Latest figures show thatin 2015 there were 124 million overnight trips recorded across Great Britain, an increase of 9% on 2014 with £25 billion spent, up 9% year-on-year.
Tourism is Britain’s seventh largest export industry and third largest service sector, worth more than £126 billion to the UK economy.
This year’s ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ domestic campaign is part of a global #OMGB campaign to attract more tourists to the UK.
For more information go to www.visitbritain.org/great-britain-home-amazing-moments-campaign
View the TV ad here:
- ENDS -
Notes:
- Locations in the ‘Home of Amazing Moments’ campaign include The Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland, Surf Snowdonia in Wales, Wastwater Lake in the Lake District and Glen Coe and Dunnottar Castle in Scotland among other striking settings.
Communicating a sense of atmosphere and emotion is increasingly important in attracting visitors according to research by VisitBritain. Social media is a powerful influencer in positioning the UK as a destination of choice, with research showing that 89% of visitors use social media at some stage of their holiday.
Topics
- Tourism
Categories
- international marketing
- uk & ireland marketing
- corporate communications
Regions
- Scotland
Notes to Editors
- Follow us on twitter: @visitscotnews
- VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism organisation. Its core purpose is to maximise the economic benefit of tourism to Scotland.
- The organisation’s core objective is to contribute to the Tourism 2020 Strategy ambition of growing tourism revenues by £1 billion by 2020.
- This will be supported by seven overarching strategies:
- Marketing: we will market Scotland and its outstanding assets to visitors from all parts of the world, including the promotion of Scotland to people living in Scotland to visit different parts of the country
- Events: we will support the national events strategy and its delivery, and sustain, develop and promote Scotland’s international profile as one of the world’s foremost events destinations
- Internationalisation and International Engagement: we will utilise all our platforms to enable Scottish-based tourism businesses to better understand international opportunities and market to a global audience and we will work within One Scotland Partnerships to optimise the potential of Scotland’s Diaspora and our strategic partners at regional, European and global levels
- Customer Experience: we will provide information and inspiration to visitors both locally and globally via their preferred medium of choice
- Quality and Sustainability: we will provide support and advice to businesses, with the goal of improving the quality and sustainability of the tourism sector in Scotland. We will provide quality assurance to visitors through our Quality Schemes
- Inclusive Tourism: we will strive to make tourism in Scotland inclusive and available to all
- Working in Partnership: we will listen to and work with the industry, partners and communities to shape our offering and support
- VisitScotland works together with tourism businesses to make tourism a success for everyone and ensure the industry continues to grow.
- The organisation employs 700 people and has offices and VisitScotland Information Centres across Scotland.
- Spending by tourists in Scotland generates around £12 billion of economic activity in the wider Scottish supply chain and contributes around £6 billion to Scottish GDP (in basic prices). This represents about 5% of total Scottish GDP.
- The Scottish Government is the Managing Authority for the European Structural Funds 2014-20 Programme. For further information visit www.gov.scot or follow @scotgovESIF
- For VisitScotland’s press releases go to http://www.visitscotland.org/media_centre.aspx, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to http://www.visitscotland.org/
- Where possible, a Gaelic speaker will be made available for broadcast interviews on request (Far an tèid iarraidh, agus far am bheil sin nar comas, bruidhinnidh neach le Gàidhlig aig agallamh)
- For holiday information on Scotland go to www.visitscotland.com
- For information about business events in Scotland go to www.conventionscotland.com
Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016 - 2016 will shine a spotlight on Scotland’s achievements in innovation, architecture and design through a wide-ranging, variety of new and existing activity.
- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design begins on 1 January 2016 and ends on 31 December 2016 and will build on the momentum generated by the 2015 Year of Food and Drink as well as previous years including Homecoming Scotland 2014, the Year of Creative and the Year of Natural.
- Through a series of exciting events and activity, the year will showcase Scotland’s position as an “innovation nation”, its outstanding built heritage, and its thriving, internationally acclaimed creative industries sector.
- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland, and supported by a variety of partners including Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Architecture + Design Scotland, Scottish Tourism Alliance, Scottish Enterprise, The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).
- The Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design events fund is managed by EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate.
- Join the conversation at #IAD2016
- Events can join the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design Partner Programme throughout the year by visiting http://www.eventscotland.org/YIAD_partner_programme
