VisitBritain asks for help to woo tourists in 2012

UK businesses are being urged by VisitBritain to invite their friends, relatives and past customers from around the world to visit Britain in 2012.

The move is the latest phase in the tourism body's campaign under the "Share Your GREAT Britain" strap line.

Expedia, one of VisitBritain"s industry partners, will support the campaign by pushing out messaging and invites via its database.

Celebrities including Jamie Oliver, Dame Judi Dench and Matt Smith have already taken part in the campaign by making films inviting people to visit.

Under the slogan "Share Your GREAT Britain", businesses, the British public and local communities across the country are being encouraged to make use of a free online toolkit that will allow users to personalise their own greeting and enable them to invite their global network to the UK for their next holiday.

The kit is available free of charge on www.visitbritain.org.

Launching the campaign, Tourism Minister John Penrose said: "This is an innovative and personal way of encouraging more visitors to the UK and comes at a time when we want to ensure Britain is top of everyone"s holiday wish list.

"From the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, to the Diamond Jubilee, we want as many people as possible to come and join in the celebrations, so an open invitation from UK households to friends and family abroad is an ideal way of increasing visitor numbers and making 2012 a truly memorable year for tourism."

According to VisitBritain, the 'Visiting Friends and Relations' market is worth £3.6bn.

by Bev Fearis