Britain – you’re invited! Opportunities for all

Running rings round tradition!

With 2012 less than a year away, I can feel the beginnings of a buzz in the air. The UK government has just published its long awaited tourism strategy; and in one of the first publicly visible actions to commemorate London hosting the games next year, the ubiquitous multicoloured rings have been suspended across the ends of the platforms at London St Pancras International train station.

St Pancras is the departure point for the Javelin high speed trains that are already running to Stratford International, home of the London 2012 Olympic Park, and the new Westfield Stratford City shopping centre that opens there in September this year.

Incidentally, the Javelin high speed trains also already make the journey on from Stratford International to Ebbsfleet International, Ashford International and other attractive places to stay in the county of Kent, such as Canterbury, Faversham and Medway. Read my previous post on the subject.

Exciting times for UK tourism

It’s an exciting time for everyone involved in the British visitor economy. There are lots of new opportunities for everyone to derive lasting benefit from having the eyes of the world, (and, thanks to digital media, more of them than ever before) on Britain. More information about London 2012.

What’s more, if you run a business involved in the UK visitor economy, you can sign up for a travel trade trade newsletter , access some useful free marketing tools, and tell Visit Britain news about your plans for 2012 at the Tourism2012games website. Businesses can also register to tender for 2012 contracts on the Compete For website; and anyone can subscribe to daily news about London 2012 at insidethe games.com. You might even want to become a retailer of official 2012 merchandise, or other souvenirs offering something typically British, yourself.  Read my post on what makes a good souvenir.

London 2012: growing visibility ‘on the street’

A store selling official games merchandise is already up and running at London St Pancras International . The huge range, also available online, includes everything from fine jewellery and tea cups to pin badges, stationery, oven gloves, sportswear, steel athlete construction kits, and even a book of keep fit exercises. With prices starting at £5, there’s something for every budget, and it’s ideal for people looking out for something different to take as a gift for people overseas. Here are some more of my ideas for typically British gifts, from a list of English fragrances to ideas about where to buy English food products.

Other official London 2012 shops can already be found at Paddington station, John Lewis Oxford Street 5th floor and Terminal 5 airside at London Heathrow Airport. In addition, Adidas is the official sportswear partner, and Next is the official clothing and homeware supplier for London 2012 (both have their own ranges; but note that not all stores carry the range yet, so check out the respective websites for details). More information about the official merchandise range.

More visible games related branding and outlets selling merchandise will no doubt follow, as London, and games venues in other parts of the country, start to get dressed up in anticipation. Britain is already getting into celebratory mood this year, starting with the Royal wedding, that will take place at Westminster Abbey on Friday 29th April, now a public holiday. Prince William’s fiance, Kate Middleton’s parents business Party Pieces is already selling commemorative accessories with a union jack theme , if you’re planning a party.

Get your games tickets sorted – pronto!

Now is also the time to apply for games tickets. They start at just £20 each, and all the information you need can be found at www.tickets.london2012.com

2012 logistics

I recently attended an industry workshop concerned with London 2012 at Windsor Racecourse, and was amazed and hugely impressed at the sheer scale of the logistical organisation already well in hand within the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in preparation for the London 2012 rowing events taking place there at Dorney Lake, part of Eton School . No doubt it’s the same at other locations. I know the sailing facilities at Weymouth are already fully operational and the White Water rafting centre is opening imminently at Waltham Cross.

There’s a lot to think about when organising any major international event let alone these games, from obvious things like security for participants, officials and spectators, to parking and traffic management, through to the less obvious considerations such as finding ways to ensure that daily life for local residents is disrupted as little as possible, while all the while encouraging local businesses to gear up to receive, and indeed welcome, increased call volumes, footfall and media interest.

The Windsor tourism team is already looking at working with social media, and is planning a smartphone app. I think there’s going to be a big opportunity for savvy businesses to harness social media channels to capture incremental business and passing trade, for example with the aid of smart phone apps and websites from providers such as Urban Spoon, Top Table, Groupon, Facebook Deals and Living Social. To preview the potential check out what Alton Towers theme park are already doing with social media.

Accomodation inclusive packages

There will also shortly be accommodation inclusive London 2012 ticket packages available from branches of Thomas Cook in Britain. More information.

Looking for insider information?

Virtual Viv is part of the team at Manifold Associates, working in the UK and travelling the world independently to inform you with incisive commentary about things that matter in marketing and the international visitor economy. Freelance assignments welcomed. We’re flexible and versatile. If you’d like to discuss how we might be able to help you, do get in touch.

Marketing with spring in your step

I’ve been cheered to see snowdrops in bloom at last, and the clouds clearing after what seems like weeks of  grey skies, with the English countryside muddy underfoot and temperatures hovering around freezing. Yet it’s one of the best times for wrapping up well and enjoying the great outdoors, taking a bracing country walk, perhaps with a dog in tow, followed by a hearty pub lunch and a warm up by a roaring log fire. Find some inspiration here. It’s also a great time to take a city break, and enjoy live theatre, nightlife or a little retail therapy,  which can all be enjoyed indoors, should you be unlucky enough to encounter rain or snow in city streets.

Symptoms of recovery?

I escaped the rain myself for a packed performance of The Misanthrope at London’s Comedy Theatre last night, with brilliant entertainment from a star studded cast that included Keira Knightley, Damien Lewis, Tara Fitzgerald and Nicholas Le Prevost. I was reminded of  Sir Cameron Macintosh, in a recent radio interview,  revealing that his theatres have also been among the beneficaries of a healthy growth in West End ticket sales over the past year, in spite of the recession.

Elsewhere I’ve read recently, amongst other things, that the last year was a record vintage for English wine, thanks in part to 2009′s glorious September weather; and that Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire enjoyed a 43% increase in visitor numbers compared to 2008. Britain’s leading visitor attractions, represented by Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA) saw an average 10.9% increase in visitor numbers in 2009, and reported this week that 82% of their members were optimistic about the immediate future compared to 60% this time last year.

Have you seen the recent campaign for Premier Inns, one of the Whitbread Group brands, fronted by the actor Lenny Henry? The Times recently reported that this had already generated 215,000 room nights over a 6 month period, for a £29 non refundable room rate, booked a minimum of 21 days in advance of arrival.

So what can we learn from these successes? For all of us involved in the British visitor economy, it’s vital to stay positive whatever the season; and look out for thc business opportunities and silver lining that exists inside every cloud.  Success seems to breed more success, just follow the links to some of the above websites,  they also seem to exude a certain successful ‘look and feel’.  It’s certainly important to visitors that we keep smiling, both online and in person, so they always feel welcome – whatever the weather!

New consumer marketing campaign from Visit Britain

If you’re a regular visitor to VisitBritain.org our national tourism agency’s trade website, you’ll already know that they’ve been keeping very busy in the last month. Amongst other initiatives they’ve launched a highly anticipated new campaign for cities which focuses on Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle-Gateshead and Oxford in association with EasyJet and British Airways . See how these cities are being promoted to the overseas visitor.

Reap benefits from Visit Britain’s new strategy

Visit Britain has also launched a new global Britain and London 2012 marketing strategy. It makes interesting reading.

When you run a business involved in the visitor economy, it’s always going to be sensible to keep tabs on how the country as a whole, the local region, and your immediate vicinity are being marketed to visitors. If it’s feasible to  mirror the activity of major agencies and destination management organisations at an individual business level, you can potentially benefit from the glow of awareness that’s already being created in the wider arena, and perhaps even get yourself featured in some high profile promotional campaigns. That can do wonders for raising your profile in a crowded marketplace. Let’s not be shy! Anyone who identifies an opportunity that’s right for them should go for it. It’s usually a simple matter to read the strategies and identify where there’s common ground and partnering potential.

Why not also volunteer your organisation to host visiting journalists or representatives of the travel trade from overseas, on an organised familiarisation trip? This is something which has the potential to lead to valuable media coverage. You just need to get proactive, and either pick up the phone,  or fire off an email to your local tourism officer, or relevant contact found via the ‘contact us’ section of the national or regional tourist board websites, expressing your wish to get involved. For my part, I wish you good luck!

Do you think there are grounds for optimism in the visitor economy of 2010? Let me know what you think.

Until next time…

Mind your language! Attracting the overseas visitor to Britain.

The overseas tourist trail

I started thinking about how Britain is marketed as a destination to international visitors this week, after watching the second programme in the entertaining  BBC2 series  ‘On The Tourist Trail’.  Each week various groups of overseas visitors to Britain have been accompanied by John Sergeant on their planned trips to tourist hot spots, such as London, The Lake District and Cambridge; before individuals have been selected for an unscheduled trip  somewhere unexpected.

The former BBC political correspondent, and controversial Strictly Come Dancing contender has received rave reviews. It’s made great television, with John Seargeant coming across as an enthusiastic, but unaffected amateur tourist guide.

So far he’s taken German bikers on a tour of his former family home; and different groups of Americans have been taken to look at allotments, attended Ladies Day at Ascot, or paraded through the streets of Edinburgh under the banner of the clan of their Scottish ancestors.

The traditional route

As recently as the 1970s, overseas visitors took a fairly well trodden route through Britain on a 7-10 night stay (I know because I used to help organise them). Frightened by our left hand drive cars , they booked themselves on escorted coach tours, or hired a car and driver. Their itinerary took in a 2 or 3 night stay to see the sights in London and visit Windsor, adding on a 7 night tour of the provinces, via Oxford or Bath and the Cotswolds to Stratford Upon Avon, Shrewsbury, then via Snowdonia en route to Chester, The Lake District of Wordsworth or Beatrix Potter, and continue into Scotland and Edinburgh. The journey back to London took in Jedburgh or Fountains Abbey en route to York; and then returned via Lincoln, Stamford or Cambridge.

That was then, this is now

Now, thanks to their greater sense of adventure, and the Internet, overseas visitors travel by public transport, hire cars, or bring their own; and can get off the beaten track to visit anywhere in the country much more easily.

The attractiveness and sheer variety of what’s on offer in Britain for visitors  shines out from current television programmes, websites, guidebooks and brochures.  However it’s also  apparent that overseas visitors continue to be attracted to aspects of Britain that natives either overlook, or take for granted.

Our national tourism agency Visit Britain has lots of useful information available to businesses involved in tourism, concerning the appeal and marketing of Britain to overseas visitors.

Activities with maximum overseas visitor appeal

• cruising Loch Ness in search of the monster
• exploring obscure nooks and crannies in search of ancestors
• dressing up and joining in at living history events, battle re-enactments, parades, musical events and festivals
• ‘playing at being posh’ at events typically pursued by royalty or aristocracy
• participating in ghost tours
• visiting gardens,  historic castles and haunted houses
• watching traditional ceremonies, and seeing the Queen in person (evidently   750,ooo Germans watch the annual ‘Trooping the Colour’ ceremony live on German tv every year)
• visiting places associated with movies, artists, or writers, (Japanese visitors apparently flock to Beatrix Potter’s home in Cumbria because it remains as it was in illustrations from her books, which are used in the teaching of English in Japan)

Sadly, but somewhat inevitably, the John Sergeant programmes limit themselves to interviewing overseas visitors who speak English. To my certain knowledge, an inability to speak the language never puts off a determined tourist.

However, people who don’t speak the language do see things differently. They still manage to eat, and buy things in shops; but they miss out mainly because they can’t usually chat to locals. They also have difficulty with signs (especially if they use a different alphabet); and because translated editions of guide books aren’t always available , they can be totally reliant on information provided to them by tour guides that speak their language.

The business case for translation

In Britain we tend not to be very good at making the effort to communicate with people in their native language. Yet as London 2012 approaches, it’s clearly in our interest to consider doing so. Former German Chancellor Willy Brandt once explained why :

‘If you want to buy from us we speak English; but if you want to sell to us, dann müssen Sie Deutsch sprechen.‘ (then you must speak German)

According to translation agency Cicero Translations, if you’re a business targeting overseas visitors to Britain the most worthwhile languages into which you might consider translating your marketing communications are German, French, Spanish and Dutch/Flemish.

How to help visitors who don’t speak English

• Speak clearly and slowly.
• Write things down. Use visual aids such as figures, diagrams, maps, gestures and sign language to  communicate your meaning.
• Make the most of signage. Follow the example of airports and major rail stations, where millions are spent on signage, to ensure people don’t get lost.
• Keep text on informational signs to a minimum. Use images, colour coding, directional arrrows and internationally recognised symbols to aid understanding and navigation.
• Longer term it pays huge dividends if you can manage to greet people and say a few words in a few popular languages. Tourism South East runs a training programme for tourism businesses that helps front line staff do just this. It’s called ‘Welcome International’.
• Have menus and a summary of information about your business professionally translated. Publish it online.
• Make maximum use of attractive visual displays.
• Attract people with branding and signage featuring locally distinctive images and famous people or names strongly associated with the area.

Top 10 translation tips

1. Provide the translator with a customer profile (eg age, demographics)
2. Brief the translator about expected tone and style
3. Consider your key selling points for each nationality
4. Look at existing multilingual marketing matertials  for design ideas
5. Allow up to 10% word count expension for European language text, but contraction in the length of Chinese and Japanese
6. Avoid jokes, puns and metaphors which don’t translate
7. Agree submission deadlines with the translator
8. Avoid making amendments to the text to be translated, which adds to cost
9. Avoid combining newly translated text with older text from another source, or allow the translator to manage the integration
10. Have the translator approve final text in context

Capitalise on increased media interest in Britain

Now that there’s less than 1,000 days until the opening ceremony for London 2012, it strikes me that the provinces have got to get moving soon, in order to make the most of the increased interest from overseas visitors in Britain as a destination. During the interim period there’s  going to be lots of media interest in Britain from overseas. It all equates to a multitude of PR opportunities, for businesses involved in tourism throughout the country, that are prepared to put in a bit of time and effort.

Tourism South East are already running ‘Hosting the World’ training courses for businesses, two of which are dedicated to marketing, and working with the media respectively.

Until next time…

PS For your information, I’m going to publish my posts at the beginning of the week from now on.