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Issue 55 November/December 2013 £2.75
Show set to include meetings sector
Historic sites ‘top priority’ for visitors By Christina Eccles VISITS to castles, stately homes and famous buildings, such as those featured on the likes of Downton Abbey and the Harry Potter films, are now a top priority for overseas visitors to Britain, with research showing that 8.9m visits a year involve a trip to this kind of property. According to VisitBritain, nearly 30 per cent of all visits to Britain include a visit to built heritage sites, with the amount spent by those who do so amounting to £6.5b over the entirety of their trip. In a poll of 15,000 respondents, 47 per cent recognised “interesting built heritage” as a top holiday attribute associated with Britain – a 10 per cent increase on preOlympic perceptions. Britain’s “interesting built heritage” was also ranked second against that of France, the USA, Australia and Italy – higher than its previous third place ranking prior to the London 2012 Games and subsequent GREAT marketing campaign launch. Marketing director at VisitBritain Joss Croft said: “With our rich history and culture, Britain has some of the most iconic buildings in the world that visitors want to come and see.
“As an all year round location we know that people are drawn here by the chance to see castles like those at Alnwick, Conwy, Edinburgh and Windsor. “Alongside that, adaptations of classic novels by Jane Austen and the Brontë sisters – as well as the growing success of period dramas such as Downton Abbey – are helping to increase interest in visiting stately homes across the UK. “Britain’s built heritage is a fantastic asset and one of the key strengths of our visitor experience. As we look to entice 40m overseas visitors a year by 2020, we will be increasing our promotional activity in key markets around the world by using images that highlight the mystical charm of castles and romantic appeal of historic houses.” Marketing director at English Heritage Luke Whitcomb added: “This August a record number of visitors, over 1,066,000, enjoyed the castles, abbeys and historic homes in our care. “From the Battle of Hastings to Charles Darwin's home, it appears that more than ever visitors – from home and abroad – want to stand on the spots where history was made.”
Popular venue the SSE Hydro in Glasgow has played host to the 2013 MOBO Awards, delivered by Logistik Group for the eighth consecutive year. The star-studded televised awards included performances from chart toppers Rudimental, Iggy Azalea, Tinie Tempah (pictured) and Laura Mvula and was hosted by BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter Sarah-Jane Crawford and DJ and presenter, Trevor Nelson. Picture: 2013 MOBO Organisation Ltd
THE industry has welcomed the news that Best of Britain and Ireland is to widen its traditional travel leisure offering to include the meetings sector. The two-day event takes place from March 12-13 2014 at the NEC and has also received support from hotel groups who have and continue to exhibit at the show. Director Live and Conferences NEC Adrian Evans said: “NEC is delighted to support the Best of Britain and Ireland plan to extend the show’s reach to the meetings sector. “The move is good for the meetings sector, good for Birmingham and particularly good for meeting planners and organisers who work and operate within the Midlands, the North and West of England, Wales and Scotland. “Many within the industry do not realise that the NEC hosts over 400 conferences and live events every year on top of the exhibitions we run, so it is a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase all that the NEC has to offer.”