VisitBritain backs Britain for Events campaign to grow UK event demand

VisitBritain’s Chief Executive Sandie Dawe has outlined the national tourism body’s support for the Britain for Events campaign “to help grow the international demand for UK events”.
 
The move follows a meeting with representatives of the Business Visits and Events Partnership (BVEP), which is championing the campaign.
 
Dawe said VisitBritain had committed to add value to existing activities by national bodies as part of delivering its ‘Golden Strategy’ for the period 2012-20. The strategy acknowledges that business tourism remains a significant component of international tourism to the UK and is perming strongly. It states that events boost Britain’s image and business travellers are a ready audience for activity, which promotes an extension of their stay in Britain for leisure activity.
 
The Golden Strategy report, which can be downloaded by clicking here, also highlights the potential of the sector to grow the current event attendee expenditures of £36bn to £48bn in 2020, all from an industry that currently constitutes 24 per cent of all overseas visits in 2012 and accounts for 7m international business visitors. International business visits and spend also grew at a faster rate than other visitor segments in 2012 seeing a three per cent growth in volume, representing the best year since 2008.
 
“VisitBritain reduced its support for business tourism following a reduction to budget and subsequent restructure in 2011,” said Dawe. “Simultaneously other national tourist boards, city convention bureaus, and the sector itself have continued to promote business visits and events with positive results. The challenge, therefore, is to build on this strong basis by working with bodies to assist in areas where partnership approaches can add value to the work already being done.”
 
In a paper presented to the BVEP, VisitBritain defines its role and positioning in growing business visits and events as:
 
1. Providing support for major bids, as and when appropriate to do so. Working with bidding partners, this will be through letters of support, and the provision of in kind marketing promotion (e.g. media, digital, retail and social).
 
2. Use the organisation’s overseas offices to provide insights, trade engagement and bid support in-market to assist the promotion of business visits and events, and business extender travel.
 
3. Profile incentive travel where opportunities exist as part of a strategy to build the luxury market.
 
4. ‘Events are GREAT Britain’ has provided an example of the way in which the GREAT campaign can be broadened to address business tourism, having brought together VisitBritain, the GREAT programme team, and the sector. This offers an example for future partnership working. There are further opportunities for VisitBritain to work with the sector to exploit the involvement of UKTI and FCO with the GREAT campaign.
 
5. Continue to be active in pressing for improvements to the UK visa regime – a policy area frequently cited as a barrier to the growth of BVE travel from emerging economies.
 
In addition, the industry and Britain For Events campaign will seek to work with VisitBritain to grow the offering of business extenders programmes and pre- and post-event visits, through tie-ups with the VisitBritain online shop as well as co-ordinating with VisitBritain and UKTI on a corporate programme using elements of the GREAT programme and VisitBritain’s ‘You’re Invited’ campaign to encourage UK businesses to invite their overseas contacts to hold meetings and events in Britain.
 
“We naturally welcome any positive contribution that VisitBritain can make to the UK events industry,” said Michael Hirst, Chairman of the BVEP. “There is a great deal of excellent work being done at country, region and city level, but the resource of the national tourism organisation for Britain with its strong network of overseas offices and invaluable market insights should add more opportunities to attract more events and attendees to Britain.”
 
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