BRITAIN SEEN AS A ROMANTIC LOCATION ACROSS THE WORLD

2013-02-14 — /travelprnews.com/ — It seems us Brits aren’t the only hopeless romantics. VisitBritain’s post-2012 Games research⁽¹⁾ indicates that along with our world renowned culture and heritage, Britain is seen across the globe as a great place to wine and dine your loved ones.

The findings come from a survey where fifteen countries were asked to choose from a series of adjectives they think most accurately describes visiting the UK. The research followed extensive worldwide coverage of the Royal Wedding, The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

In the ‘romance’ category, high spending Chinese along with equally affluent UAE visitors top the table with 28% of respondents seeing Britain as a romantic place to visit(2). India, another of the BRIC countries, came a close second (27%), joint with South Korea. But it’s not quite ‘from Russia with love’ as the Russians and Japanese battle it out for third place with 25% seeing Britain as a place to share with your nearest and dearest.

As an average across all markets, one in five respondents suggested that Britain is a romantic location. According to the country ranks, European markets dominate the top 10 list of destinations considered to be ‘romantic’, with France and Italy regularly vying for top spot and the UK coming a creditable seventh.

Patricia Yates, Director of Strategy and Communications at VisitBritain said: “Why go to Paris, Bruges or Venice when we have London, the majestic Highlands and the natural beauty of Snowdonia to enjoy.

“Whether it’s Michelin-star dining right across the country, a marriage proposal at the top of the Shard or being treated like royalty in a Scottish castle, there’s plenty to indulge in – no matter what visitor tastes or budgets are.”

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, VisitBritain has put together some romantic suggestions for visitors, whether it’s a first holiday as a couple, a marriage proposal, a honeymoon or just an excuse to treat your loved ones.

Notes to Editors:

1) The post-Games NBI research conducted by Anholt-GfK Roper asked 2,250 potential tourists in 15 countries what their thoughts were of Britain. This included: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, Turkey, UAE and USA. Respondents rated 50 of the world’s leading nations on questions in six categories: Exports, Governance, Culture, People, Tourism and Immigration/Investment.

2) Country breakdown of perceptions of a ‘romantic’ Britain:

For more information contact:

• VisitBritain Media Team
• t:+ 44 (0) 20 7578 1000
• e: pressandpr@visitbritain.com 

About VisitBritain

VisitBritain is Britain’s national tourism agency, responsible for marketing Britain overseas. We work with thousands of organisations in the UK and overseas to market Britain successfully to visitors from around the world. We also work to promote the tourism industry within the UK itself.

We work in partnership with the Government, the industry and our strategic partners in London, England, Scotland and Wales to promote Britain in 35 key overseas markets.

Our network of international offices is supported by our London-based marketing, commercial, research and policy teams, who in turn are backed up by experts in IT, financial management and other essential disciplines.

We also provide UK government with advice on tourism policy and raise awareness of the significance of tourism to the UK economy. We are particularly working towards showcasing Britain and maximising the tourism benefits in the run-up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond.

Our grant in aid received from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is approximately £32.6 million for 2010/11.

View our film to find out more about our work.

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