· Britain’s largest ever tourism campaign in China
· 101 nominated British places, people, things and attractions revealed
· Nessie, The Shard, Haggis, Hampton Court Palace and Savile Row all make the list
· Campaign will feature helpful visa information from partner UK Visas & Immigration
Ever wondered what you would be called in Chinese? Well now 101 British points of interest, which currently don’t have a Chinese name, are to be named in VisitBritain’s new ‘GREAT names for GREAT Britain’ campaign, launching on 5 December.
In China it is popular to give names to favourite celebrities, places and foods that give a literal description of what Chinese people think about these things. For example, British actor and Sherlock Holmes star, Benedict Cumberbatch, has been affectionately named ‘Curly Fu’. So in a campaign first for a national tourist board anywhere in the world, VisitBritain is inviting Chinese consumers to come up with the most fitting, amusing and memorable Chinese names for some of Britain’s most loved attractions and, importantly, a range of lesser-known places across the whole of the country.
Revealed today on VisitBritain’s Chinese social media platforms (Weibo/WeChat), the 101 British landmarks featuring in the £1.6m campaign cover a wide range of locations and will be released in groups over the next 10 weeks. The first batch covers points of interest with a royal connection, including Kensington Palace and The Mall.
Other highlights from the list include built heritage favourites Chatsworth and Eilean Donan Castle. One of VisitBritain’s core objectives is to spread the economic benefits of tourism across Britain, so regional sites including the likes of Brighton Pier, Hadrian’s Wall, Rhossili Bay and the Wales Coastal Path will feature in the campaign. A popular addition to London’s skyline, The Shard is also on the list. But it’s not just traditional tourism locations or attractions VisitBritain would like the Chinese to name; British people and objects have great resonance in China and across the world, so other nominations include the Scottish kilt and the Highland Games, along with the Loch Ness Monster, Beachy Head, Stilton Cheese, Haggis and our world famous Beefeaters.
VisitBritain will partner with UK Visas & Immigration and Home Office on the campaign. Through print, advertising and online activity, UKVI will provide helpful information on the ease of applying for a visa, and the range of services available for Chinese customers, including the UK’s unique super priority visa, where customers can receive their visa within 24 hours.
Sally Balcombe, Chief Executive at VisitBritain said: “Our ambition is to get the whole of China talking about Britain. This campaign will not only increase awareness of the experiences that Britain has to offer but help encourage these valued Chinese guests to explore our nations and regions.
“We know that the desire to visit Britain amongst the Chinese is stronger than ever before. ‘GREAT names for GREAT Britain’ will put us ahead of the competition with one of the most creative tourism campaigns ever seen. Importantly, the campaign is social by design, so tweet us your own suggestions now at #greatnames.”
New global brand survey results suggest that perceptions of Britain in China have significantly improved over the last year. Chinese aspirations to visit Britain if ‘money was no object’ have climbed into the top four for the first time. Even more impressive is the fact the Chinese rank Britain higher than ever before for its ‘tourism’ offer, placing the country second out of fifty nations polled.
All the new Chinese names are likely to be unveiled in March 2015. In the meantime all suggestions are welcomed by tweeting @VisitBritain hashtag #greatnames.
Visit the campaign site here: www.visitbritain.com/greatnames
