Introduction
The 2012 Olympic Games as well as the Diamond Jubilee celebrations are anticipated to bring several benefits towards tourism in UK. For instance, the events will boost the country’s reflection abroad as well as improve the customer service level. The exposure that the UK is likely to gain from these events has a great value. For that reason, even though not all sectors will reap extensive benefits from the events, the overall economic growth is expected to improve greatly.
The Olympic Games are estimated to generate about $ 2 billion, half of which is estimated to be generated after the events due to the increased number of visitors who will visit Britain as a result of the publicity related with the events. Consequently, several activities are happening in Britain in preparation of these great events. For instance, in 2010, a regional tourism conference was held in an attempt to plan for the Olympic Games and the Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.
The VisitBritain program was also initiated for the same reason. The initiative was instigated by Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron in order to market Britain abroad, proving to the world that Britain is indeed a better place to stop over, reside and to invest in.
Recently, the VisitBritain initiative received about £27 million in order to promote Britain to other markets abroad in an effort to drive a large number of visitors in the country during the historical events and in future. The main objective of the VisitBritain initiative is to encourage the world to discover Britain. Its mission is to increase the value of tourism in Britain and also to raise its ranking, making it top on the list of international tourist destinations.
In order to achieve these objectives, the program has come up with various strategies (Beech & Chadwick 2006). The strategies employed by VisitBritain are well adapted for the 21st century as well as the ever-changing consumer behaviors. The initiative lays out the appropriate plans for the next four years in order to encourage the world to make Britain its destination.
The Strategies of VisitBritain
The UK government has dared the VisitBritain initiative to deliver an excellent tourism marketing strategy. VisitBritain published its campaign strategy for maximizing the tourism benefits of the 2012 events in 2009 and has advanced the strategies since the declaration of the Royal Wedding. This campaign will ensure the expansion of Britain’s media networks and maintain its influence on the enormous media coverage during special events in future. These events which include the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations and the 2012 Paralympics will be funded by private as well as public marketing funds which amount to £100m. The sponsors of this initiative include the Hilton Hotels, British Airways, Radisson Edwardian Hotels as well as Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum.
The initiative plans to host journalists from other parts of the world and ease their permits during this period. This will ensure that the country hosts as many journalists as possible. They also plan to encourage the journalists to extend their coverage beyond the sporting events to encompass the country’s diverse culture. VisitBritain has adopted four strategies in order to achieve its main goals. These strategies are as follows;
- Motivating tourists from foreign countries to visit and discover Britain.
- To counsel to the Britain government on tourism in particular on issues that influence international competitiveness.
- Develop marketing strategies to promote tourism in both the developed and developing countries.
- Maximize investments in order to sustain the economy’s growth during this crucial time.
- To maximize the tourism legacy in order to leap its benefits even after the international events.
Building the Britain Brand
Branding refers to a design or a symbol that is meant to identify the goods or services of a seller in order to differentiate them from those of their competitors (Cooper, Fletcher, Fyall, Gilbert & Wanhill 2008). More often than not, a brand creates an identity in the market which has values as well as characteristics that create loyalty and repeat purchase adding value to the seller and the consumer. Britain has a considerably good image globally.
In fact, according to recent research, it is ranked in the fifth place worldwide. This notwithstanding, enhancing Britain’s brand is necessary, as it can correct any negative perceptions associated with the country. The 2012 Olympic Games as well as the golden Jubilee celebrations that will take place in Britain on 2012 present a great opportunity to this country to develop constructive tourism messages to its global audience, in order to boost its image and to motivate more visitors into its shores (Cooper, Fletcher, Fyall, Gilbert, & Wanhill 2008).
The Visit Britain initiative aspires to take the great brand to some of the most vibrant, top growing and economically significant cities globally, with the aim of persuading a big number of people to visit Britain and experience the best of what Britain can offer. According to Michael Payne, who was the previous Marketing Director in the international Olympic committee, when a country hosts an international event, it has to be involved in a brand promotion; as such events have the capability of focusing and sustaining the world’s interest, on a particular city and the customs of the host country (Beech & Chadwick 2006).
The VisitBritain program together with its partners will ensure enough funding for its campaign strategies. It will focus on several issues in Britain such as its magnificence, the young generation, vitality and standard of living. The campaign will incorporate both the traditional marketing methods as well a social media. It will also include social networking platforms to create promoters of the Britain brand in order to make the potential visitors identify with Britain.
VisitBritain plans to look for more partners and sponsors in order to enhance financial support. The initiative will also equip its brand partners with all the necessary information and resources in order to market Britain effectively. Innovative and itinerant technology will also be integrated while communicating with the targeted visitors. When communicating with its potential tourists, the VisitBritain initiative plans to make use of essential modes of communication such as their website, placing their adverts on blogs, major ports, as well as travel sites.
VisitBritain is also making use of 3D Artwork in an attempt to boost the image of Britain abroad. The unique 3D Artwork based on high profile celebrities launched their marketing strategy in June this year. Recently, these artworks are going throughout the world in an attempt to promote Britain. The 3D work of art provides an idea of what Britain has to offer to the world among many other things. They highlight Britain’s way of life history, traditions, fashion, sports its beautiful scenery and a first-class reception.
The Media Opportunity
The 2012 Olympic Games are predicted to attract a worldwide audience of about 4 billion television viewers. During this period, every newspaper around the world is likely to focus on this international event. Research done from previous Olympic Games among other main sporting events have indicated that the tourism sector in a country can leap maximum benefits from the vast media coverage in the host country either prior to, during or after the event.
For instance, in the 1992 international games, Barcelona, demonstrated to the world that it was an exciting, accommodative and multi-ethnic city. On the other hand, Germany showed the world how to welcome visitors during the FIFA football World Cup held in 2006. This disputed the perceptions of the German people and considerably improved its image. Moreover, Canada made maximum use of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games to promote its tourism worldwide. Currently, these countries are still reaping the benefits brought by the games as business is improving as more tourists are visiting them.
One of the most widely used strategies that VisitBritain is using in order to attract several tourists in Britain is the extensive use of televisions as well as films. The VisitBritain program has launched global TV adverts that are currently being viewed throughout the world. According to recent research, this is a very effective strategy in creating a positive perception in the audience as it also increases a desire to visit Britain in many others.
The initiative is also involved in the production of inspirational videos for the same reason. Visit Britain in collaboration with other partners such as the press and social media will ensure the use of modern digital technology and print to enhance bookings.
People all over the world will be in a position to view the advertisements in their newspapers and on their subways as they go to work. The VisitBritain initiative predicts that about a third of its global audience will come into contact with the adverts. For instance, in India and Paris the initiative aspires to reach its target audience though the use of large cinema screens, while in China, they target to get to at least 16 million prospective visitors through the use of publications, station and subway advertisements, and through online means.
Quality and Customer Service
The 2012 Olympic Games as well as the Golden Jubilee Celebrations offers Britain’s tourism sector a platform to improve the quality of its hospitality. Though The United Kingdom is ranked among the best tourist destinations in the world, its customer service is not ranked among the best ten. This indicates that much effort should be put in order to change this perception. In order to raise the standards of the customer service, the VisitBritain initiative advocates for hospitality training programs. This will guarantee that the UK offers a first-class reception to its guests who will then take the positive image to other people in their nations. Such training can be made possible through the assistance of corporate hospitality agencies.
Companies in Britain can also be encouraged to invite international organizations, persuade their employees to host some visitors and offer incentives to the staff who comply with the request. Moreover, the initiative advocates that the tourism sector should ensure fair prices to the customers.
Conclusion
In conclusion, according to research conducted by the VisitBritain initiative, tourism is among the fastest growing sectors in Britain (Holloway 2004). The 2012 international events will lead to increased tourism in UK which will create more jobs and help sustain economic growth. Consequently, the VisitBritain campaign is significant in helping Britain realize economic growth before, during and after the 2012 Olympic Games as well as the Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
List of References
Beech, J. & Chadwick, S., 2006. The Business of Tourism Management. New York: Prentice Hall.
Cooper, C., Fletcher, J., Fyall, A., Gilbert, D. &Wanhill, S., (2008). Tourism: Principles and Practice. New York: Pearson Education.
Holloway. J.C., 2004. Marketing for tourism. Harlow, Financial Times. New York: Prentice Hall.