BHA urges support of campaign to boost domestic business

The British Hospitality Association (BHA) is urging hospitality businesses to support a new campaign aimed at boosting domestic business in 2012.

The campaign, called ‘Holidays at Home are GREAT’, is being led by the national tourist board, Visit England, and will be launched on Wednesday by Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt MP.

Celebrity-led television advertisements urging viewers to visit https://www.visitengland.com/ will go live this week. The site offers details of special deals including hotel stays, meals, tickets to attractions and other offers that are being made by operators to encourage more home holidays this year.

Chief executive of the BHA, Ufi Ibrahim, said: “The BHA is wholly behind the campaign to boost domestic holidays this year – and, indeed, every year.

“We need to use every means to encourage more British people to stay at home and enjoy what Britain has to offer – and Olympics year is an ideal year to launch such a campaign.

“Britain offers an incredible range of attractions and with the OIympic Games in London and in other parts of the country, there’s even more reason for people to holiday in this country this year.”

Ms Ibrahim said the BHA welcomed the government’s support for UK tourism including an additional £4m grant to VisitEngland which made the campaign possible. “The campaign gives operators a new platform on which they can promote any special offer,” she added.

“Of course, many operators offer special deals all year round but this site will give them the opportunity to use their own innovation and creativity for this year – with the added incentive of benefiting from VisitEngland’s promotional resource.

“What offers they provide – and when they provide them – is a commercial decision for them but there is no doubt that this pan-UK will give home holidays a huge boost this year and operators should consider taking every advantage of it.”