London, UK, 2013-11-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — In response to the announcement from the International Rugby Board regarding the official Overseas Travel Agents for Rugby World Cup 2015, VisitEngland’s Chief Executive James Berresford said:
The announcement of the official fifteen Overseas Travel Agents (OTAs) so far in advance of the tournament in 2015 is great news for tourism. Over 400,000 international fans are expected to travel to this country for the competition and it is important that they can start planning and dreaming about their trips now, not only to secure tickets to specific games but also to plan a full itinerary to explore and enjoy England to the full while they are here.
With confirmed teams from major international markets including Australia, Canada, Italy, Ireland and France as well as South Africa and New Zealand, there is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness of England in these key markets. In addition, the planned cultural events leading up to and during the tournament, as well as live sites and the creation of dedicated ‘fan zones’ will undoubtedly provide an outstanding and memorable visitor experience.
We at VisitEngland are committed to working hand in glove with England Rugby 2015 and the host destination management organisations, venues and local authorities to deliver the best possible experience for all visitors (spectators, media and teams). Our integrated marketing strategy is designed to ensure that the tourism opportunities are exploited to the max to encourage longer stays, resulting in greater tourism spend in the destinations.
We look forward to working closely with the OTAs to ensure they have everything they need to inspire their clients to book full and varied itineraries to get as much out of enjoying the momentous tournament and England as possible.
For more information contact:
VisitEngland
Sarah Long, Head of Corporate Communications Tel: 020 7578 1452, Mob: 07500555651, Email:sarah.long@visitengland.org www.visitengland.org
Notes to Editors
About VisitEngland
• VisitEngland is the country’s national tourist board. We work in partnership with the industry to develop the visitor experience across England, plan national tourism strategy, grow the value of tourism in England and provide advocacy for the industry and our visitors
• Our work is underpinned by robust research and customer insights. You can access the latest in-depth market intelligence and statistics on www.visitengland.org/insight-statistics
• VisitEngland markets England under the Enjoy England consumer brand in the domestic market and markets England under the VisitEngland brand internationally
Rugby World Cup 2015 Match Venues and Host Cities:
1. Brighton Community Stadium, Brighton & Hove
2. Manchester City Stadium, Manchester
3. Elland Road, Leeds
4. Kingsholm Stadium, Gloucester
5. Leicester City Stadium, Leicester
6. Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
7. Olympic Stadium, London
8. Sandy Park, Exeter
9. Stadiummk, Milton Keynes
10. St James’ Park, Newcastle
11. Twickenham Stadium, London
12. Villa Park, Birmingham
13. Wembley Stadium, London
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