Agents urged to back domestic tourism push

Travel agents are being urged to support a £1.2 million Enjoy England domestic tourism campaign which breaks next week.

The promotion, which aims to encourage British holidaymakers to share their own secret part of England, is headed by a new TV advert promoting short breaks. It drives viewers to www.enjoyengland.com, where they can post information about their holidays on new ‘blog’ pages.

By visiting the website, agents can learn about what consumers think of English holidays and familiarise themselves with destinations, inspiring ideas and practical information.

Agents can also order a new Enjoy England CD-ROM containing information to help sell domestic breaks

Attractions, tour operators and accommodation providers are also being encouraged to feature related product on the www.bookbritain.net, website – the one stop shop that provides agents with relevant tools to make selling domestic destinations easier.

The 40- and 10-second adverts will run on prime-time terrestrial and satellite television during September and October and again between January and March, when the 2007 Enjoy England Great Ideas brochure launches.

The TV advert has been created by Farm Communications with media planning and buying by Mediacom and Carat and makes use of The Jam track ‘English Rose’.

Tourist Information Centres will also be encouraged to support the campaign with window displays and 500,000 ‘shhh…’ bags to give to customers.

They are complemented by consumer lifestyle magazine advertorials which invite readers to share their own secret destinations. An outdoor poster campaign, across London’s Tube network and east coast mainline, through September-October with train operator GNER also promotes value-for-money rail fares and city break destinations.

Enjoy England’s Claire Hancer, chair of ABTA’s UK tourism and leisure group said: “Now is the time for agents to explore the possibilities of the domestic market. As our new TV advert inspires Britons to consider a short break in England, we want the thousands of travel agents throughout the UK to use their unrivalled training, customer service and sales skills to help consumers find the best holidays right here in their own country.”

Mike Bedingfield, director of England marketing – responsible for the £1.2 million campaign – added: “Everyone wants to be in on a secret and we want consumers to realise they are missing out on something special if they don’t take a break in England this year.

“We’ve been incredibly fortunate to be allowed to use Paul Weller’s music, which not only perfectly encapsulates our vision of England as a destination, but mentions our English Rose brand as well.

“Our research shows that Britons take 111 million trips in this country – well ahead of the 66.5 million they take abroad. We hope the campaign will impress them with the huge variety of holiday experiences they can enjoy in England at any time of the year.”

Agents can order their free copy of the new Enjoy England CD-ROM by emailing [email protected].

Report by Phil Davies