Vicky ParryThere is absolutely no denying that the days are getting colder. Today’s darkened skies in particular promise that summer is drawing to an end, it is for this reason that Visit York has turned their attention to the winter months by announcing the launch of a new national marketing and PR campaign called ‘York Wrapped Up’ aimed at driving visitors to the city from November to March.
Visit York’s winter campaign will be delivered using the first installment of its funding from the government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF), as part of the ‘Growing Tourism Locally’ investment project, led by the national tourist board VisitEngland. Visit York was recently awarded £666,666 to produce campaigns over the next three years to encourage more Britons to holiday in the city.
With further support from the City of York Council and East Coast Trains, hitting newsstands and billboards this November, ‘York Wrapped Up’ aims to promote York as the perfect winter short break destination, positioning it as an alternative to European city break options like Paris, Milan and Brussels. With ‘Wrap Yourself Up In York This Winter’ as the campaign banner, visitors living in London, the South East, the Midlands and Scotland will be invited to immerse themselves in the city, wrap up warm and explore the sights and sounds of York’s hidden depths.
Website banners, fifty advertising poster sites at train stations from Edinburgh to London, as well as throughout the capital at Euston, Paddington and Victoria, a national press advertising campaign and digital display advertising on influential travel sites such as YAHOO! TRAVEL, eBay and lastminute.com will be the main vehicles used to deliver the marketing elements of the campaign. In addition Visit York plans a flurry of new social media activity on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter, to boost ‘word of mouth’ awareness nationwide.
A public relations campaign will also target regional and national media, with travel writers and journalists from across Britain being invited to experience York for themselves. York Wrapped Up will offer visitors a two night break with a free dinner, three day York Pass for the price of a two day Pass as well as special fares from East Coast Trains and host of special restaurant and shopping deals.
Gillian Cruddas MBE, Chief Executive of Visit York, said: ‘We are excited to be getting our first RGF funded campaign underway as we look ahead to winter. ‘York Wrapped Up’ will be rolled out across the country with particular emphasis given to London and the South East, the Midlands and Scotland where we hope to encourage as many people as possible to choose York as their winter break destination.
With fantastic shopping, world class attractions, first rate accommodation, exquisite restaurants and a host of bars and pubs to choose from, York genuinely is a city visitors can get wrapped up in during these magical, atmospheric winter months.’
Visit York estimates its new marketing campaign is suggested to “help boost the local economy by £22 million over the next three years and will create 391 new jobs in and around the city”. The England wide Growing Tourism Locally project has the potential to grow the equivalent of 9,100 full time jobs over three years. To find out more about Visit York, go to: www.visityork.org
