This article was originally published in the Brand Finance Global Soft Power Index 2025
CEO, VisitBritain
VisitEngland
Film and TV are powerful drivers of tourism. How is the ‘Starring GREAT Britain’ campaign leveraging this trend to inspire travel to the UK, and what impact do you expect it to have on inbound tourism?
Films and TV shows are powerful motivators for travel. Our screen tourism research, shows more than 9-out-of-10 of potential visitors we surveyed, were keen to visit film and TV locations used in filming during their holidays in the UK.
Our campaign ‘Starring GREAT Briain’ is harnessing this screen tourism trend with Britain the real star of show. We’re using films and TV shows as hook to tell the story of Britain today, showcasing our dynamic, diverse destinations and inspiring visitors to put themselves in picture.
Tourism and the Creative Industries are both growth industries.
Global streaming platforms mean that programmes have a huge international reach and emotionally connected audiences, which we can tap into to drive visits now. The campaign’s strength is that every location has a story to tell so it appeals to both destinations here and to international visitors.
As well as inspiring visitors to choose Britain, our campaign encourages our international visitors to explore more when they come. International visitors spent an estimated £32.5 billion in the UK in 2024, year-on-year growth of 5 per cent, supporting our high streets and tourism businesses. We want to boost that spending across more of Britain, supporting jobs, businesses and driving growth for local economies.
The UK has consistently ranked as one of the most influential nations in the Global Soft Power Index, with strengths in education, media, diplomacy, and governance. How does VisitBritain leverage the UK’s global appeal in these areas to attract visitors and enhance the country’s tourism appeal?
Our international marketing campaigns are part of the UK government’s GREAT brand, one of the world’s most impactful nation branding and marketing initiatives. GREAT enhances the UK’s global reputation and drives economic growth by encouraging international audiences to visit, study, trade, invest, live and work in the UK. Each of these sectors benefits from international reputation of the others, for example, those who have visited Britain are 16% more likely to invest in our businesses, products and services.
We live in an increasingly competitive world and - despite these strengths - China has overtaken the UK in the Global Soft Power Index for the first time. What are the key priorities for VisitBritain in the coming years to future-proof the country’s tourism appeal?
Tourism is a competitive global industry and visitors have a lot of choice. Britain always ranks highly for its history and heritage and contemporary culture and sport, but perceptions are not as strong for its perceived welcome, a top driver in destination choice.
To counter this VisitBritain’s international GREAT campaigns showcase our welcome, inspiring visitors to discover more of Britain, stay longer and to come and visit not one day, but today.
Looking to policy matters, such as the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme and EU visitors now being required to travel using a passport rather than an ID card, we are working hard to give visitors the clarity they need to book their trips with confidence.
Britain is seen as an expensive destination and value for money is a top driver for international travellers, alongside welcome, so we need to be as competitive and welcoming as possible to continue to attract visitors of future.
