1. Opportunities & campaigns
  2. The GREAT Britain campaign
  3. Introducing the GREAT tourism campaign

Introducing the GREAT tourism campaign

In today’s competitive global tourism market we need to stand out to attract overseas visitors. How are we doing that? By showing the world that Britain is GREAT.

Panel image of GREAT China Naming campaign posters featuring Kelpies, Hadrian's Wall, Snowdonia and Bristol Balloon fiesta

Boosting Britain’s image overseas. Increasing the aspiration to travel here. Turning that aspiration into bookings. Encouraging visitors to explore the whole of Britain. Adding value to the UK tourism industry and the UK economy. These are the objectives behind our GREAT tourism campaign.

Showcasing GREAT Britain

This is GREAT Britain logo for Government GREAT campaign

Since 2011, we’ve been running an ambitious four-year £100 million match funded marketing programme, and a multi-million pound GREAT image campaign, working with Government and a vast range of partners, including Department for International Trade, Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO), the British Council and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).

Our image and tactical campaigns work hand in glove – our image campaign drives the aspiration to travel and our tactical campaign converts that aspiration into bookings.

Shop floor at Bloomingdales with Union Jack mannequin, roses and the Union Jack and American flag combined in a heartOur aims ​

Drawing on the key triggers for travel to Britain – culture, heritage, and countryside – alongside shopping, food, sport, adventure and music, the GREAT Britain campaign has three simple aims, to:

  • Build awareness of Britain’s attractiveness as a tourism destination among those who have not yet visited Britain
  • Encourage prior visitors to return
  • Provide a series of opportunities and incentives – working in partnership with the private sector – to visit Britain now

Measuring success

Countryside is GREAT campaign poster of Yorkshire Moors with Union Jack at the sideThrough the campaign, in 2015/16 we’ve generated:

  • Over £800 million in additional visitor spend by overseas visitors
  • £12.7 million in partner funding (cash and in kind) for our inbound activity.
  • Continuing to fly the banner for GREAT Britain

We continue to deliver the tourism element of this campaign, building on our successes, to show the world that Britain is a great place to visit, study, invest and do business with, and secure a tourism legacy to deliver jobs and growth across the country.

Explore the highlights of our GREAT Britain campaign.

Key facts

In 2016/17 our inbound and domestic marketing generated £1 billion in additional visitor spend.

Through our GREAT campaign in 2015/16 we have:

  • Generated over £800 million in additional visitor spend by overseas visitors
  • Secured £12.7 million in cash and in kind from the private sector for our inbound activities
  • The proportion of nights spent in Scotland increased by 30% and by more than 3x in Wales
  • Consumers’ interest to visit outside of London has reached peak levels since 2012
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“Britain is the world’s fifth most competitive visitor destination, having jumped two places in the last two years, and our image overseas is critical to ensuring we remain a top choice for visitors, in the increasingly competitive global market.”