The government has launched a marketing campaign to take advantage of the British-ness of 2012.
The British government has backed a campaign that looks to boost the tourism industry in the UK this year, which it said is an exciting period for the industry in this country, thanks to the fact that a number of historic events take place in the UK over the coming 12 months.
Those who use their travel insurance for domestic holidays this year will be most likely to do so because of the Olympic Games, taking place in the capital, London, between July 27th and August 12th this year, and it expected that the games alone, the biggest sporting event on the planet, could bring in millions to the economy.
On top of this, June also sees the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations taking place, always a sure fire way to reinforce the British feel for many people across the country, as they celebrate the reign of the monarch throughout the UK, with many travelling to London to join in.
The campaign to promote such events, called Holidays at Home are GREAT, will launch on March 8th, with television advertisements looking to promote staycationing in 2012 to take advantage of these great events.
Now, secretary of state for culture, media, Olympics and sport Jeremy Hunt has asked companies to back the campaign, which could see businesses offer customers 20.12 per cent discounts throughout the year to entice them to stay at home.
But the plans have been criticised by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), which said people should not be told where to go.
Mark Tanzer, chief executive officer of ABTA, said: "We are very concerned that the Government is sponsoring a marketing campaign that appears to actively discourage UK holidaymakers from taking a foreign break: I’m sure the public want to make up their own mind about where to go on holiday. The outbound tourism industry employs hundreds of thousands of people throughout the UK and generates £27 billion annually in direct spend, making a fundamental and significant contribution to the economic health of the country."
By Ann Jones
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