VisitBritain uses design to put tourism in the picture

VisitBritain is pushing design further up its strategic branding agenda as part of a campaign to promote the UK as a more ‘visual’ destination.

The organisation, sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, will launch an extended portfolio of visual images for promoting Britain next year, which will include more moving images and audio items. It will be managed by an in-house team responsible for developing VisitBritain’s image resource centre, Britain on View.

The move forms part of a long-term strategy to ‘enrich the experience of the brand’, says Kenny Boyle, international marketing director at VisitBritain.

VisitBritain is also launching a tracking mechanism to measure the effectiveness of its branding work and further develop its offer.

Boyle explains, ‘We will run the same research, but across new markets, to establish the extent of our brand equity and gauge how the country has changed as a tourist destination. It is about moving forward.’

The organisation is also focusing on developing its brand in emerging markets such as China, South Korea, Russia and Poland.

VisitBritain has also hit back at reports from the National Audit Office, which criticised the organisation for not developing a strong enough brand.

The accusations follow last month’s publication VisitBritain: Bringing Visitors to Britain, a report carried out by the NAO that canvassed the opinion of key players in the tourism industry.

Boyle affirms, ‘The accusations are a travesty of the report and an inaccurate interpretation of the document.’