Tag Archives: VisitBritain

With the new ETA announced for GCC and Jordanian nationals, Visit Britain conducted a special webinar for the agents in the GCC region. It was a well-attended webinar with over 300 agents posing their questions to the two speakers, from Visit Britain and the UK government’s home office.  At the beginning Visit Britain shared about their brand-new campaign for 2024, where there was a host of varied experiences which come in the bucket list of the travellers especially from this region as the interest keep increasing mainly due to the great outdoors, rich heritage, culture and the adventurous explorations. A special video was placed showcasing all the great areas to explore, the winter wonderland in Hyde Park, Oxford, Regent etc. “Britain has got it. I invite you to see it for yourself. This is our brand-new brand campaign that has launched this month. Welcome to Britain, where there’s always more to explore. Journey, wild coastlines, adventures through our vibrant cities, go monster hunting, meet the locals. Come see things differently. Plan your trip and visit Britain.com. As you can see, let me just check if I’ve off mused. I’ve this before. Yes, as you can see, there is so much to see and do in just 30 seconds. But what I want to do is start with the most magical time of the year. So basically, there’s nowhere else in the world, I think, that does the festive season quite like the UK. We all know of winter wonderland in Hyde Park, Oxford, Regent and Carnaby Street, Drakes and Twins and Lights, and the famous Ice Rink at Somerset House.” The power point presentation included, Winter Wonderlands and Festive Season, …

VisitBritain and the UK Government Home Office will conduct a special webinar on Monday 13th November at 12noon (UAE time) titled, “Visit Britain with the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)”to learn more about the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) which will replace the Electronic Visa Waiver (EVW) in Qatar from October 2023 and throughout the GCC in February 2024. 2023 has been a huge year for Britain with the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, Liverpool hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, London’s luxury hotel boom and a year-round calendar bursting with festivals and events. 2024 is set to be another GREAT year in Britain – from innovative cutting-edge entertainment venues and world-class sporting events to wellness retreats and luxury hotels, there’s never been a more exciting time to discover Britain’s vibrant cities and lush. countryside. Travelling to the UK is set to be even easier and more affordable for GCC nationals, with the new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme. Launching for Qatari nationals in October 2023, followed by nationals of all other GCC nations and Jordan in February 2024, the new ETA will open up boundless opportunities for travellers. For a nominal fee of only £10 per applicant, the ETA grants multiple entries to the UK over two years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever comes first. The application process is simple ensuring a seamless experience, with most applicants expected a response within days or even sooner.

Wego’s statistics show a substantial surge in bookings from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait to Britain during the campaign, up 25% from January to June, compared to the same period last year. Additionally, passenger numbers traveling to Great Britain through Wego are up 27% during the same timeframe. There was also a 78% rise in Wego’s searches from Riyadh to Newcastle and a 63% increase in searches to Manchester. The multi-media advertising partnership campaign ‘Spilling the Tea on Great Britain’, which ran between January to June 2023, used a play on Britain’s love of tea, inviting visitors to ‘See Things Differently’. The campaign promoted Britain’s rich cultural heritage, breathtaking coastlines and landscapes, as well as its dynamic cities and destinations including London, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Manchester. Wego VP of Brand Marketing and social media, Roxana Nicolescu said: “We are absolutely delighted with the campaign growth figures that our partnership with VisitBritain has achieved. This collaboration signifies our joint commitment to showcasing the unparalleled beauty and experiences that Britain has to offer. The impressive growth in engagement and bookings affirms the impact of our collective efforts in igniting wanderlust and facilitating seamless travel experiences.” VisitBritain Head of Partnerships, APMEA, Jennifer Huntley said: “Our partnership with Wego has been instrumental in promoting Britain’s diverse travel experiences across the nations and regions to a global audience. The impressive growth figures from our partnership are also testament to the allure of Britain as a destination and the power of collaboration in driving tourism growth.” In an initiative to facilitate traveling for GCC nationals, the UK Government is set to launch a new Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme commencing in October, starting with Qatar. …

London has long been known for its lavish five-star hotels and GCC travellers always seek for the ultimate luxury experience, and the city is set for a boom of new luxury accommodation openings in 2023. From international brands making their UK debut, to existing brands expanding their portfolio with new properties, there’s definitely no shortage of options for discerning GCC travellers. The latest additions to London’s luxury hotel scene promise to be truly spectacular. Visitors will be in awe of Europe’s art-inspired lifestyle hotel brand, Art’otel, which opened its first UK hotel in December 2022, right next to the revamped Battersea Power Station. Spring 2023 will see the opening of Britain’s first Raffles property in a Grade II listed landmark steeped in history, The OWO Residencies by Raffles. Also opening in spring is the much-anticipated 1 Hotel London Mayfair, which will debut overlooking Green Park as the brand’s flagship British hotel. In addition, Mandarin Oriental’s new Mayfair property and Britain’s first Peninsula Hotel will open in the heart of Belgravia. Later in the year, London will also open its doors to the UK’s first St. Regis hotel in Mayfair. Also adding to its luxury portfolio will be the Park Hyatt London River Thames and Six Senses London, which will mark the UK debut for the iconic wellness hotel brand. Finally, The BoTree Marylebone Lane is opening in summer 2023, within the Preferred Hotels and Resorts Legend Collection. Blending Marylebone flair and Mayfair chic, be immersed in an experience created through 199 bespoke guestrooms and suites, destination restaurants, bars, and nightlife. If you’re planning a visit to London in 2023, be sure to keep an eye out for these exciting new …

As GCC travellers get ready for their post Ramadan and summer travel, Great Britain is among the strongest outbound holiday destinations year-after-year. With a 365-day calendar of global festivals and events, 2023 is set for another GREAT year of celebrations. From the coronation of King Charles III, to Liverpool hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, here is VisitBritain’s Top 10 events not to be missed. The Coronation of King Charles III, London – 6 & 8 May 2023 The coronation of Charles III is an extraordinary event that will be steeped in tradition and historical significance. The grandeur of Westminster Abbey will provide the perfect backdrop for this momentous occasion, as the Archbishop of Canterbury leads a service that represents the diversity of the United Kingdom’s faiths and communities. This shorter and more inclusive coronation will be a true reflection of the nation’s current economic circumstances and the King’s wishes. Witnessing the crowning of Camilla as Queen Consort will be a unique and unforgettable experience. Come to London and be a part of history in the making, as the city comes alive to celebrate this momentous event with a bank holiday on Monday 8 May. Eurovision Song Contest 2023, Liverpool – 13 May 2023 Liverpool will host the 2023 Eurovision Song Content on behalf of 2022’s winners, Ukraine. The international talent show brings together the best, quirkiest and most colourful acts from around Europe and further afield. And while the Grand Finale is on Saturday 13 May, there are actually nine shows taking place in front of a live audience, meaning more opportunities to slip on your dancing shoes and eyeball the action. RHS Chelsea Flower Show, London – 23 – 27 May 2023 …

Seera Group has launched a new data portal for industry partners, which offers comprehensive insights on future searches, bookings and traveller behaviour. The portal has been designed to enable tourism boards and other industry partners to further understand the customer journey at every touchpoint and make projections for strategic campaigns. Louise Blake, VP of Data and Analytics at Seera Group said, “These insights will enable a deeper understanding of the target audience and behaviours, helping our partners deliver further value. Through this portal, traveller preferences and activities can be tracked by VisitBritain, which will help them to foster a deeper experience for the guests by providing an enhanced personalised journey.” Sofia Santos, Country Manager GCC for VisitBritain, said, “Tourism is also an extremely competitive global industry and initiatives such as Seera’s innovative insights portal, supporting us to access real-time data on travellers’ preferences and future booking patterns, will help to position Britain as the destination of choice for visitors from Saudi Arabia when the time comes to promote travel once more working with strategic partners across the region.” Abdullah Aldawood, CEO of Seera Group added, “During these times, where the travel sector has faced an unprecedented level of impact due to COVID-19, it is more important than ever that industry partners come together to support each other and create an enhanced experience for travellers. We’re delighted to strengthen our association with VisitBritain, which will support its goal in positioning Britain as a destination of choice for the region’s travellers. It will be of tremendous value, especially as travel returns to normalcy, and travellers will invariably have new preferences in terms of how and where they travel to, stay and spend …

A project aimed at boosting travel to Great Britain has completed a successful first year and is predicting growth from Gulf travellers. ‘Horse Racing – Sport of Kings’ (a Discover England funded project supported by VisitBritain), launched during the Dubai World Cup on March 31, 2018, offers luxury travel itineraries for those who enjoy the fashion, glamour and thrills of horse racing. Sport of Kings’ includes VIP tours of racehorse stud-farms and training stables (such as Ascot or Newmarket), as well as visits to world-class heritage and sporting venues including Castle Howard and Manchester United’s Old Trafford. “Over the past year, we have been working hard with VisitBritain/Visit England and our partners to develop the project and the types of luxury itineraries that Gulf travellers will enjoy. The travel packages are already proving very popular, and we are expecting the launch of our bespoke booking platform through our in-market partner Travel Counsellors to increase the number of people booking and travelling to Great Britain to watch horse racing,” said Megan Pollexfen, Discover Newmarket. “England’s racecourses have come together for the first time, to create these experiences around horseracing, to enhance a traveller’s itinerary to Britain. We are now able to offer, behind the scenes experiences that were once, nearly impossible to book,” said Tricia Warwick, Director, Asia Pacific, Middle East Africa for VisitBritain. The ‘Horse Racing — Sport of Kings’ project’s year-long efforts have included establishing an informative website and now, a dedicated travel platform hosted by UAE-based tour experts Travel Counsellors.

For the first time, VisitBritain aims to promote the luxury horse racing itineraries to horse racing enthusiasts in the region and inspire them to book these experiences. Their recent ‘I Travel For…’ digital marketing campaign uses short-films and story-telling to market unexplored destinations in Britain, alongside its globally renowned landmarks and attractions. For centuries, horse racing has been linked with the English monarchy. It is called the sport of kings because of its strong association with royalty and nobility. The history of England is the history of horse racing, from its humble beginnings to today’s Royal family’s continuing passion and patronage of the sport. A day at the races is an opportunity to experience English history and tradition at its best.

The latest figures released by VisitBritain show that UAE tourist visitor numbers increased by 15% in the first quarter, with 77,000 visitors during the first three months of the year – the strongest first quarter on record. VisitiBritain added that the total spend by visitors from the UAE was also up 9%. VisitBritain APMEA Director Sumathi Ramanathan said she expects to see a further increase of visitors from the Gulf region over the summer months, particularly with the favourable currency exchange for visitors coming from countries where the currency is pegged to the dollar. “We are welcoming visitors from the GCC to Britain and we are expecting this summer to see more GCC nationals visiting as we continue our activity in the market to promote Britain as a favourite holiday destination,” Ramanathan said. “We’re driving a strong value message coupled with great quality to ensure we continue to attract GCC visitors. With favourable currency exchange rates also helping matters, tourism from the GCC to Britain is very much on track for a great performance this year,” she added.

Registrations for VisitBritain’s flagship event ExploreGB 2017, to be held on March 2-3, 2017, in Brighton, Great Britain, is now open for the Middle East. This B2B event is an opportunity to meet with 350 British and Irish suppliers throughout the two day workshop and dining which provides excellent networking opportunities.