VisitEngland, the official tourist board for England, has launched a digital campaign – Blue Monday – to promote round-the-clock activities and experiences across the UK, encouraging Brits to take a holiday at home.
Presenting activities across the UK throughout a 24-hour period, the ’24 Hours in the UK’ series of films is launched by VisitEngland and the tourism organisations of London, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The campaign comes as statistics show that more people are preferring, and also spending, more on staycations. From January to September 2017, Brits took 47 million domestic holidays in Great Britain, spending £11 billion, an increase of five percent and six percent respectively on the first nine months of the previous year, VisitEngland said.
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: ‘From a street art tour in Bristol to early morning surfing at Scarborough in Yorkshire, from a torch-lit tour of the Roman Baths to exploring the wilds of Hampstead Heath in London, this campaign shows that England is bursting with activity not only round-the-clock but year-round, with experiences to suit all interests and ages.
‘With many of us looking for travel inspiration to beat the winter blues, these snapshots of destinations across the country will get Brits booking mood-boosting experiences, and exploring more of the country, boosting growth from tourism.’
A selection of the experiences featured in the films include cocktails at Cahoots in London, with 1940s inspired music, featured in the 01.00am film; an early morning surf in Scarborough, featured in the 07.00am film; sea kayaking in Dartmouth in Devon, featured in the 11.00am film; Changing of the Guard at Horse Guards Parade in London, featured in the 11.00am film; lunch and cocktails at the Rooftop Restaurant at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, featured in the 12.00pm film; the Via Ferrata Extreme Experience in the Lake District, Cumbria, featured in the 13.00pm film; a Mad Hatter inspired afternoon tea at Sanderson in London, featured in the 15.00pm film; shopping at Seven Dials near London’s Covent Garden, featured in the 17.00pm film; dinner at Pop Brixton in London, featured in the 21.00pm film; and watching a play in the outdoor Minack Theatre in Cornwall, featured in the 22.00pm film.
Part of VisitEngland’s 2018 campaign ‘Join the World – Discover the UK’, the 24 short films by UK and international Instagrammers and bloggers are released hourly throughout the day. Besides inspiring Brits to take a holiday at home, the campaign also asks holidaymakers to vote for their favourite moment from the trips, with the top five to be announced in the next few weeks.
