TravTalk India Online Magazine
The VisitBritain Cricket Carnival not only builds on the shared passion for cricket between India and Britain, but also encourages the trade to form their ‘Dream teams’ on the Dream11 mobile application, says Vishal Bhatia, Country Manager – India, VisitBritain.
Hazel Jain
What was the idea behind the fantasy cricket league campaign?
A top focus for VisitBritain is to continue to work closely with our trade partners in India to keep Britain front of mind as the destination of choice when we can travel once more. The shared passion for cricket between the two countries is a very strong connection. The on-going India-England bilateral series provides an opportune moment to drive engagement with our trade partners.
What would be VisitBritain’s key message for the Indian trade in today’s scenario?
We have been working on a strong and resilient recovery programme to inspire overseas visitors to travel to Great Britain and enjoy our amazing tourism offer as well as to help you build your travel programmes as soon as the time is right.
By necessity, it needs to be flexible to respond as travel recovers in stages globally, and as advisories and restrictions can be lifted. In the meantime, we continue to keep Britain front of mind for Indian travellers through our online channels, including @VisitBritainIN @lovegreatbritain and VisitBritain.com to inspire future trips. We’ve also developed guidelines to support our valued trade partners with information and tools, building consumer confidence, and to inspire travellers to choose Britain as their next international holiday destination, when we’re able to welcome them to our shores again.
Tell us about ExploreGB 2021.
Our flagship annual travel trade event ExploreGB, which is running as a virtual event from March 1-5, will see international buyers connect online with travel trade suppliers from across the UK to do business and inspire future travel. The five-day event is free to attend and will feature pre-scheduled 1-2-1 virtual appointments and virtual exhibition ‘booths’.
Which UK cities would you like Indians to connect with?
Whether strolling the medieval Shambles in York or soaking up the Roman heritage of Bath, visitors will experience history at every turn. Fans of modern attractions can choose from the musical legacy of Liverpool to London’s vibrant culture and Glasgow’s urban allure.
How important is cricket tourism for VisitBritain? Sport tourism will continue to play a hugely important role in driving future tourism to Britain once we can travel again. It offers a fantastic and valuable opportunity to promote associated destinations and tourism activities, and the experiences that travellers can only have in Britain.
In previous years, VisitBritain has encouraged overseas visitors to plan their visits around these events and experience their favourite sports while getting out and exploring the diversity of our visitor attractions and experiences. Our research has found that the tourists who come for watching cricket in the United Kingdom are among the most beneficial to the economy because they traditionally stay for longer and have a propensity to travel around the country.
