VIP programme sponsor, VisitBritain is looking forward to exhibiting at this year’s Business Travel Show Middle East (BTSME) in Dubai where it will be teaming up with Virgin Atlantic and the Morgan Hotel Group from London to present a comprehensive range of information of what’s on offer for business travellers heading to the UK.
This will be the second time VisitBritain has attended the show since it was established and one of the main aims is to launch promotional activities for the 2012 Olympics. As part of its strategy for the travel trade sector VisitBritain has developed a key document ‘2012 - Great Reasons to Sell London and Britain’, which contains 10 key points on why the UK will be a fantastic place to visit in that year.
The list highlights Britain’s word-class transport, accommodation and attractions on offer across the country and in the capital, as well as the exceptional value for money Britain has become for foreign visitors as a result of favourable currency exchange rates.
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Maddison...commerce strong |
Upcoming tourism campaigns, such as the ‘Welcome to Britain’ campaign which will see first-class customer service offered at all the UK’s key travel hubs and cultural events including the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee marking 60 years on the throne for Elizabeth II, have also been highlighted as key reasons why 2012 will be a particularly good travel year.
Delegates attending BTSME will be able to talk through all aspects of the UK’s business and leisure opportunities with VisitBritain’s UAE manager Carol Maddison and Virgin’s regional manager for the Middle East, Andrew Fyfe.
Maddison said: “Partnering with Virgin Atlantic at this year’s show in Dubai gives us a unique opportunity to showcase the UK, not only as a great leisure destination but also as a destination where business and leisure can be combined.
“We will have a full range of options available with key contacts among the hotel, theatre, exhibition and ground service industries. We will also be able to discuss travel trade education as part of our ongoing programme to cement Britain’s position as a must-visit destination for business and leisure travellers.”
Fyfe said: “Partnering with VisitBritain at this year’s Business Travel Show will give us a great platform to showcase our airline and to meet friends and business colleagues from the region to discuss opportunities whereby Virgin Atlantic can play a significant role in boosting corporate travel to the UK.”
Figures collated by VisitBritain show that business travel to the UK from the UAE has picked up in 2010 on the back of last year’s slow down as a result of the global recession which hit Britain’s economy hard. Globally business visits to Britain have risen by three per cent so far this year compared with the same period last year, however numbers have not returned to their pre-recession levels yet.
According to Madisson: “We are anticipating that this growth will continue for the rest for 2010 and this high proportion of people continuing to travel from Dubai to Britain for business purposes also proves that commerce between the two countries is a strong as ever.”
Similarly, load factors for Virgin Atlantic have held up pretty well during the downturn and Fyfe is optimistic for next year, provided the remainder on 2010 shows signs of growth.
The joint Visit Britain & Virgin Atlantic stand can be found in the centre of the event hall.