The UK’s national tourism agency, VisitBritain, is encouraging visitors from GCC countries to explore Britain with fresh eyes thanks to a campaign titled “Come See Things Differently”. Running from November until early 2024, the campaign highlights unique and lesser-known British experiences, from wild coastlines to vibrant cities and diverse countryside adventures.
The Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries are very important inbound tourism markets for the UK, its second most valuable market for visitor spending, when all six countries are combined. The latest official full year statistics are for 2022. These showed that there were 791,000 visits from the GCC to the UK, with those visitors spending £2 billion during their stays. Visitors from the GCC spent an average of £2,578 on their trips to the UK in 2022, more than three times the all visitor average. They also stayed longer in the UK, 16 nights, compared to an all market average of eight.
The latest available statistics are for January to June 2023. These show that from January to June 2023 there were 411,000 visits from the GCC to the UK with those visitors spending £945 million. Flight bookings from the Middle East to the UK have been showing strong recovery and are currently tracking at about 93% of 2019 levels.
Based on research indicating a desire for novel experiences among its target audiences, the campaign builds on the earlier ‘Spilling the tea on Great Britain’ initiative, which promoted travel outside the peak seasons to various UK regions.
Carol Madisson, VisitBritain‘s Deputy Director for APMEA CNEA, expressed enthusiasm about the GCC’s significance as a tourism market for Britain. She emphasised the campaign’s aim to prompt immediate travel from GCC countries by showcasing Britain’s array of attractions, from coastal thrills to serene rural settings and the dynamic urban culture.
The campaign is multifaceted, featuring cinema advertising in Saudi Arabia, content on social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, and digital billboards in Dubai’s high-traffic zones. Collaborating with travel partner Wego, VisitBritain aims to boost travel bookings through the campaign into the winter and spring of 2024.
The recent introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme, combined with the region’s strong airline connections to the UK, is set to further enhance the ease of travel for GCC nationals visiting Britain. The ETA will cost £10 and allow visitors to visit the UK multiple times over a two-year period. Qatar is the first country to move on to the ETA scheme and Qatari nationals can now apply and will require an ETA to travel to the UK on or after 15 November 2023. From 01 February 2024, the scheme will be introduced for nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.
Current data reflects a strong resurgence in Middle Eastern flight bookings to the UK, reaching near pre-pandemic levels. Visitors from the GCC have shown a preference for Britain’s dining, shopping, sightseeing, and cultural attractions, and they tend to visit multiple destinations on their trips, including major cities.
The “Come See Things Differently” campaign is part of the broader “Great” campaign by the UK Government, aiming to bolster the UK’s image worldwide.
More information about the ‘See Things Differently’ campaign:
- VisitBritain’s marketing campaign in the GCC is a continuation of its ‘Spilling the Tea’ on Great Britain campaigns which first rolled out in February this year under the umbrella of ‘See Things Differently.’
- The campaign has been developed based on VisitBritain’s research into motivations for travel now, with discovering new and surprising experiences high on the wish list for its target audiences and markets.
- The full list of locations and activities seen in the campaign are:
England
- Bamburgh, Northumberland
- Bath, Somerset
- Birmingham, West Midlands
- Brighton, East Sussex
- Bristol
- Coventry, West Midlands
- Lake District, Cumbria (Alpacaly Ever After)
- Leeds, West Yorkshire (Afternoon Tea at Issho)
- Liverpool, Merseyside (Oh Me Oh My roof garden)
- Liverpool, Merseyside (Crosby Beach)
- Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear
- Yorkshire Moors, North Yorkshire
- Saffron Walden, Essex
- Seaford, East Sussex
- Whitby, North Yorkshire
London
- Covent Garden, London
- Little Venice, London
- Notting Hill, London
- Richmond, London
- South Kensington, London (Science Afternoon Tea at the Ampersand Hotel)
- Tottenham, London (The Dare Skywalk at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
- Tower Bridge, London (London Kayaking Company)
Scotland:
- Achmelvich, Scottish Highlands
- Cairngorms National Park, Scottish Highlands
- Caledonian Canal, Scottish Highlands
- Edinburgh
- Elie, Fife
- Glencoe, Scottish Highlands
- Loch Ness, Scottish Highlands
Wales:
- Cardiff (Cardiff Castle)
- Eryri (Snowdonia), Gwynedd
- Porthcawl Beach, Bridgend
- Freshwater West; Pembrokeshire
- Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire
- The Gower Peninsula, Swansea
- For more on the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme please visit https://homeofficemedia.blog.gov.uk/2023/10/25/electronic-travel-authorisation-eta-scheme-factsheet-june-2023/
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Read also: MENA VISITS TO UK UP 25%
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