UK already making the most of Olympic opportunity

28 June 2012
GREAT_Bodiam_East_Sussex

Initial findings shows government’s GREAT campaign is helping to make UK “top of mind” destination for investment and tourism.

One month before the Games have even begun, initial findings into the impact of the GREAT campaign shows that the UK and UK plc have already started to reap the economic rewards of Britain’s Olympic year.

The early findings show that the first months of the campaign are helping the UK to outperform some of its key global rivals to become the “top of mind” destination for tourism and business audiences alike.

Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt said:

“The stage is set for London to host what will be a fantastic Olympic and Paralympic Games.  It will be an opportunity like no other to showcase on the world stage everything that London and the rest of the UK has to offer. It’s fantastic news for Britain that, one month before the Games begin, our GREAT campaign is already having such a positive impact on tourism and business.”

The GREAT campaign was launched by the Prime Minister in New York last September and has now reached over 50% of the UK’s premier international business audiences, with 44% of business people who saw the campaign saying that ‘the advertising motivated them to do business with the UK’.

VisitBritain’s initial research in some of the UK’s key target cities reveals that the intention of foreign tourists to visit has increased more for the UK than for key competitors such as the US, Australia, France and Italy – potentially generating an extra spend of more than £30m a year as a result.

High profile launches in major global cities have generated extra publicity for the campaign. With the help of Prince Harry in Rio de Janeiro, Victoria Beckham in New York and LA, and Lewis Hamilton in Shanghai, they have generated almost 1500 positive articles about Britain with an advertising value equivalent of nearly £18 million.

The campaign has also seen recognised names signed up as ambassadors from a range of areas to support it, from Sir Richard Branson backing UK business, to Paul Smith and Vivienne Westwood promoting UK fashion, and Lewis Hamilton and Andrew Flintoff supporting UK sport.

ENDS