New family campaign for England

A Family Fun campaign by Enjoy England aims to increase the 23 million trips and £12 billion spent by families on domestic short breaks or longer holidays.

The objective is to halt the decline in family holidays caused by increasing competition from overseas destinations. Although 59% of families still take domestic trips, family holidays abroad are growing at a faster rate than those in the UK.

The campaign has been created following research among parents and children of various ages to discover the essential information they required to persuade them to take a short break or day trip in England.

Sponsored by Heart of England Tourist Board, a free Family Fun map features the top ten family-friendly attractions in each of England’s nine regions from Alton Towers, Cadbury World, The Forbidden Corner and Beamish to Twycross Zoo, Dinosaur Adventure Park, At Bristol, London Duck Tours and Legoland. Appealing to children from 6 to 12 years old, a mix of free and paid-for attractions have been divided into nine categories: amusement parks, animals, nature, exploring and discovery, water, railway, sport, science and arts.

A set of stickers supplied with the map allows children to rate their top ten favourite attractions. Symbols provide a practical overview for parents on whether the attraction has admission charges and if parking, food or accommodation is available, as well as attraction websites and telephone numbers.

The map is complemented by a website, www.enjoyengland.com/family, divided into two zones for children and parents. An interactive map features other attractions as well as games and exclusive special offers.

In their dedicated area of the site, children are encouraged to send in their own reviews of attractions and share their excitement with other families.  The Parents’ Zone includes more practical information including special offers, quality-assured accommodation suggestions, a family events listing, travel tips and links for further information.

Laurence Bresh, who leads Enjoy England’s Family Fun campaign, said: “Families account for 45% of the UK’s population and encouraging even a fraction of these 27 million people to Enjoy England could help raise the value of England’s £57 billion visitor economy.

“With research indicating that the cost of a British holiday has fallen compared to foreign package trips, the Family Fun campaign is critical in helping us create awareness of the rich variety of holidays that families can enjoy in England.

“Attractive, value-for-money accommodation is essential and standards are particularly important for families. By planning their holiday with Enjoy England, Britons can be assured that every property on our website and in our campaigns has been quality assessed to strict criteria.”

Report by Phil Davies