VisitBritain is enticing international visitors to come and discover the wonders of Britain, in a new film tourism campaign ahead of the release of Paddington 2. VisitBritain has partnered with STUDIOCANAL to compel people to book an adventure-filled, marmalade-inspired holiday to the UK. The film is in UK cinemas from 10 November.
The sequel follows Paddington as he explores London. Among the many iconic locations featured in the film are Tower Bridge, St Paul's Cathedral, London Paddington station, Portobello Road and Little Venice.
VisitBritain’s digital and social media campaign drives online traffic to a campaign hub on visitbritain.com/paddington2. Visitors to the site can explore Paddington-themed content, including a shareable interactive marmalade-inspired menu, and bookable bear-approved visitor experiences. They can also enter a competition to win a family trip to Britain to explore London and beyond by train, highlighting the ease of travelling around the UK.
The hub also features a ‘user-generated’ feed of content, with visitors encouraged to upload their own Paddington-inspired experiences in Britain, using #Paddington2 and #PaddingtonsBritain.
VisitBritain/VisitEngland Director of Marketing Clare Mullin said, “With his distinctive blue coat and his love of marmalade, this Peruvian bear, who made Britain his home, helps to inspire visitors from around the world to come and explore the wonderful and exciting experiences that the UK has to offer.”
"Our collaboration with STUDIOCANAL is a fantastic opportunity to promote to a global audience of millions the fun and adventurous destinations that can only be experienced on a trip to Britain, be it afternoon tea in central London, taking a stroll around one of the many parks and gardens, or catching a train for a new adventure from Paddington station.”
STUDIOCANAL Senior Promotions and Partnerships Manager Kate Lambert said, “After an extremely successful partnership with VisitBritain for the release of the first Paddington film, it’s wonderful to be able to partner with them again for the release of Paddington 2. What better way to do this than to celebrate some of the great locations and highlights of Paddington’s adoptive home?
“VisitBritain’s campaign gives a global audience the chance to explore some of the best spots in the UK, whilst appreciating Paddington’s very British etiquette, spreading joy and marmalade wherever he goes.”
Paddington 2 features British film stars Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, Julie Walters, Brendan Gleeson and Ben Whishaw, reprising his role as the voice of Paddington.
Research by VisitBritain shows that films are powerful motivators for travel with more than a third of all potential visitors to Britain wanting to visit places they have seen in movies or on TV. Films also shine the spotlight on less visited but equally inspiring destinations, boosting tourism across more of Britain.
For more than a decade VisitBritain has been promoting Britain to the world through film, most recently as part of the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign.
Last year set a record for inbound tourism to Britain on visits and spend with 37.6 million visits, up 4% on 2015, and visitors spending £22.5 billion, up 2%.
