We market to 4 main audiences: business, consumer, press and tourism trade. Find out more about each audience type.

Business Tourism refers to individuals or groups travelling for the purpose of business, whether to attend an event, exhibition or conference or simply to conduct business one-to-one.

Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Exhibitions are also referred to as the ‘MICE’ market and this encompasses the business events industry at large. Meetings can be small private events but the largest international conferences can bring thousands of individuals together from all over the world. These gatherings are also referred to as a convention, summit or a congress.

Incentive travel events are used as a motivational tool for participants, often as a way of increasing sales, loyalty or morale. They tend of be either upmarket or offer opportunities that are not normally available and are "once in a lifetime experiences".

Exhibitions are used as a marketing tool by many organisations, where the general purpose is to trade goods or services. These events usually attract large number of visitors and consumers.

Specialist agencies in the events sector include experiential marketing and conference organisers, incentive planners and destination management companies (DMCs) who all have specialist knowledge of facilities and the industries they specialise in.


Marketing opportunities targeting business travellers are available in the opportunity search. Select the target audience you are interested in from the "Search by Target Audience" area.

Leisure visitors can divided into segments such as day visits, short breaks, holidays (4+ nights) and VFR.

Day visitors don’t spend money on overnight accommodation, but are an important market for visitor attractions, transport operators, bars and restaurants. Day visitors could travel for up to 2.5 hours to reach their destination although for many just over an hour is more usual.

Short breaks are usually taken to mean staying trips with 1 – 3 nights spent away from home.

Holidays are generally defined as 4+ nights.

“VFR” stands for Visits to Friends and Relatives, and is a strong growth market. Some visitors will stay in a host’s accommodation but an increasing number use paid for accommodation. The group size tends to be larger than with other leisure visitors and spend on attractions and eating out can be higher.

Marketing opportunities targeting consumers are available in the opportunity search. Select the target audience you are interested in from the "Search by Target Audience" area.

Our international PR and media relations network works with the world’s leading publications – from national newspapers to fashion, travel and lifestyle magazines – on TV and radio programmes, online and through social media.

Helping them get the best and widest editorial coverage possible for Britain, they are supported by the destination PR team based in London. Working with our offices overseas, the team makes arrangements for around 1,000 visiting journalists every year, helping them generate 10,500 articles and broadcasts featuring destinations, attractions, events and experiences from around our shores.

A central online media centre, visitbritain.com/media, provides regularly updated, copyright-free features and previews about what’s happening throughout Britain. A dedicated section profiles Britain’s sporting reputation and its links with the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Alongside Visit London, we are also working with the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games to ensure that, as the eyes of the world turn to Britain and London as host nation, host city in 2012, we are helping the media to help us raise awareness of our destinations and experiences.

Marketing opportunities targeting the media are available in the opportunity search. Select the target audience you are interested in from the "Search by Target Audience" area.

It is useful to distinguish between trips which are booked directly and those which are booked via third parties such as the travel trade.

The growth of the internet means that more people are now booking their trips directly, either online or by phone after researching on the internet. However, the travel trade still plays a major role. Acting as an intermediary between visitors and tourism products, the travel trade has multiple purchasing power. One tour operator can make arrangements on behalf of hundreds of other people. The travel trade are likely to bring both individuals and groups.

The travel trade includes:

Travel agents
Travel agents sell holidays to the public, acting as retail distributors for tour operators and carriers. They don’t usually promote individual attractions and accommodation providers.

Tour operators
Tour operators package the individual components of a holiday or tour, negotiating inclusive fares for travel, accommodation, transfers, and sightseeing.

Handling agents, incoming tour operators and ground handlers
The work of all of them begins and ends when clients from overseas (who will often have made their bookings through an overseas tour operator) step onto and leave British soil. Many incoming tour operators belong to the trade organisation ukinbound.

Coach operators
These range from large operators who publish their own brochure of coaching holidays, to small driver-owner companies who work on private hire contracts.

Trade organisations for coach operators include:

• Confederation of Passenger Transport
• Coach Tourism Council  

Short break operators
Short break operators offer accommodation packages, usually for 1 – 4 nights.

Group travel organisers
Many group travel organisers (GTOs) work on a voluntary basis on behalf of their group such as a Women’s Institute or staff social club.

Influencers
Some people also refer to “influencers” which includes people like Blue Badge Guides, who can inform and persuade other visitors.

Marketing opportunities targeting the travel trade are available in the opportunity search. Select the target audience you are interested in from the "Search by Target Audience" area.