SECTOR FOCUS ROYAL AFFAIR

next four years. This will stimulate an additional £2.3bn in international spend, generate at least £1bn in trade and investment and create almost 60,000 new job opportunities. Set to run until March 2013, the

ambitious image campaign will be seen across 14 major cities in nine key inbound tourism markets (Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan and the US), reaching an audience of some 90m people. New York commuters, for example,

are seeing subway trains wrapped in the Union Jack, while in Delhi GREAT billboards will line the main routes and 200 GREAT-branded taxis will be on the streets. Residents in Rio de Janeiro and

São Paulo will see GREAT images across the sides of buildings and line key city streets, while passengers arriving at airports across the UK will

be greeted by GREAT poster displays when they get off the plane. “GREAT is one of the largest image

campaigns in our history,” states Dawe, “helping us promote Britain in key overseas markets in a concerted effort to drive greater numbers of visitors to come and experience the very best of what the country has to offer. “The eye-catching images in the

GREAT campaign refl ect Britain’s tourism appeal, featuring our rich history and culture, our spectacular countryside and coastline, our thriving music scene and our wonderful shopping, which our research tells us are the main draws for overseas visitors. The more overseas visitors we can entice to visit Britain as >

The nationwide events planned to commemorate the Queen’s 60 years as Monarch are providing business opportunities for UK companies. Celebratory activities will take place throughout the UK and Commonwealth during the central weekend of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee at the beginning of June. They include the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, one of the biggest visual showcasing events in the world this year, set to attract a global audience in the hundreds of millions. Companies exploiting the potential of this unique occasion include Emma Bridgewater, which has launched its biggest-ever collection of Royal commemorative ware. It features hand-decorated spongeware patterns and lithographed prints on mugs, bowls, plates, teapots and a ceramic ‘crown’, as well as tea- towels, aprons and tinware. Emma Bridgewater, who runs her

2011 was a record year for UK tourism, with the country attracting 30.6m visitors, 800,000 more than in 2010

The UK ranks seventh in the international tourism league (2009)

eponymous business with husband Matthew Rice, says: “Matthew and I are both fi ercely patriotic and have created commemorative ware for every royal occasion for the past 25 years. Our designs are bold and jolly and couldn’t be further from the traditional fi ddly gilt and swags normally associated with ceramic memorabilia. “Britain has marked its national rites of passage in china for two centuries. Almost all of this has been made in Stoke-on-Trent and we are so proud to be part of that tradition.” Emma Bridgewater is working with

UK Trade & Investment to develop its brand in new overseas markets. >> emmabridgewater.co.uk

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