§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives have been put in place by her Department to attract foreign visitors to UK attractions outside London. [147251]
§ Mr. CabornVisitBritain has a target in its Funding Agreement with my Department to promote a regional spread of overseas visitors to the UK. Major initiatives include a partnership campaign with the industry in the United States and, in Europe, a £4 million "City Breaks" campaign to promote short breaks in 19 cities across Britain. The Department also contributes funding (£250,000 p.a from 2002–06) to the Greater London Authority to help support its statutory duty of promoting London as a Gateway to the rest of the UK.
§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives have been put in place by her Department to increase domestic tourism visits in 2004. [147252]
§ Mr. CabornIn November 2003, VisitBritain published its domestic marketing strategy. This is a three-year initiative designed to grow the value of the domestic market by encouraging the British to spend more on tourism throughout the English regions throughout the year. On 1 January 2004, VisitBritain launched its Enjoy England Spring Campaign which consists of a high profile television and press campaign and offers a holiday planner so that people can plan their domestic trips for the year. This will be followed up by a number of themed campaigns throughout the year and another major campaign in September. Information on the Enjoy England Spring Campaign can be found on the website: www.visitengland.com.