VisitBritain launches new international travel trade site
VisitBritain has launched the latest version of its iinternational travel trade website and become the first national tourism body to offer a free self-managing directory for tourism businesses of any size or location.
A core feature of the new UK website enables stakeholders to manage their own listing on VisitBritain’s platforms, allowing their business to be searchable and contactable by the overseas trade.
The supplier directory currently stands at 137, but the site has no limit to the amount of businesses it can host.
The new platform is going live today on all English versions of the trade website, including: USA, Canada, Australia, India, GCC, Hong Kong, Netherlands and Scandinavia.
Throughout October eight other language versions will be rolled out, allowing UK attractions to create translated versions of their supplier listings in Spanish, French, German, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Italian, Russian or Chinese (simplified).
The supplier listings are free and listed companies will be able to track online traffic to their own website from the VisitBritain directory.
Listings can be categorised based upon the area of business as well as the regions of Britain sold and their location. Inbound operators overseas are also able to create listings which will then be searchable by UK trade.
In addition to the listings, users can create itineraries based upon predefined locations, which will be featured and searchable on the trade website from November, providing a key planning tool for overseas trade.
Russell Knight, VisitBritain international travel trade manager, said: "Providing a free platform for all UK businesses to be featured and promoted was one of our key objectives. We’ve now empowered the travel trade to manage their own presence, resulting in greater exposure of their product and itineraries, which, in turn, will bring more visitors to Britain.
"We are calling for the tourism trade to sign up now and take advantage of a platform which will increase your business."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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