International Campaigns

One NorthEast Tourism International Campaigns

International domestic and business customers are strong markets for North East England. Yet most individual tourism businesses simply do not have the budget to independently conduct international marketing.

Feel the benefits

On your behalf, One NorthEast Tourism creates international websites, guides and maps, attends overseas exhibitions, develops international travel trade contracts, negotiates with tour operators to bring visitors to the North East and undertakes online, press, TV, radio and PR promotional activity. Each year, hundreds of thousands of international visitors visit and say in the North East - and they tend to be higher spending than UK visitors. If you aren't already welcoming international customers to your business then visit our International Customers pages to get started.

If you are registered with the Tourism Network North East, and your details are on Desti.ne, you will already be appearing in appropriate websites and guides. You can raise the individual profile of your business even further by offering a competition prize such as accommodation, free entry into attractions, complimentary meals etc. Each international campaign features a separate competition and the provider of the prize is highlighted with a web link. If you would like to offer a prize for future campaigns, email pamela.hetherington@onenortheast.co.uk.

The various international campaign activities are detailed below. They are split between long haul and short haul target audiences.

Target countries - long haul

The new Emirates route that commenced at Newcastle International Airport in September 07 means that visitors from over 70 long haul destinations can now reach North East England much more easily. Regional activity has been focussed around a joint campaign with VisitBritain and Emirates to launch the North East into this market.

North East England is advantageously situated for long haul markets. Not only does it offer a unique historic heritage, rugged coast and countryside and lively, cosmopolitan cities but it also represents a relative new and undiscovered area for the many long haul visitors that believe they know Britain extremely well. In addition, it is ideally situated between Scotland and Yorkshire - Edinburgh and York are the 2nd and 4th most popular places to visit after London.

There are several key markets for our region, but the two identified as offering the fastest return on marketing investments, are: Australia and New Zealand. Our campaign activity targets generally older couples with high disposable income. Key motivation for travel is visiting friends and family and tracing English ancestry. History and heritage, and English culture also feature strongly in visitors plans. Holiday planning time is typically two years and booking tends to be through travel and booking agents, so One NorthEasts direct involvement with organisers and operators is important to success.

Target countries - short haul

Short haul overseas visitors are a strong market for our region. Short haul customers take city and rural breaks and may be combining their visit to our region with a wider British itinerary which might include Scotland, Yorkshire or the Lake District. A key objective of One NorthEast's marketing activities is to encourage touring visitors - especially those who come by car, or hire one when they arrive - to stay longer and travel around the region, rather than confining themselves to one area. Not only do they discover the richness and diversity of what the region has to offer, but getting visitors to stay even one extra day has a dramatic impact on the total value of international tourism to our economy.

In the lower seasons, shorter breaks become more popular, and the time taken to book a trip - the holiday planning time - becomes shorter. At these periods One NorthEast Tourism run targeted overseas campaigns to attraction short break visitors using web campaigns, PR, advertising, e-marketing and competitions.

All of the following are key target markets for our region. All have good transport links into the region and a large proportion of their customers are looking for exactly the kinds of products and experiences the North East has to offer:

Norway - This is an increasingly strong market for North East England as we are readily accessible via sea routes (DFDS Seaways) and low cost air routes from Western Norway. The Norwegians are high spending, travel in off-peak as well as peak seasons and their trend for last minute travel is increasing. They are highly computer literate and the biggest readers of newspapers in the world - hence e-marketing and newspaper advertising has been particularly successful for this group. Motivations for travel include language, history and heritage, countryside and cultural attractions and many choose holidays that are activity led. They also have a strong interest in experiential products such as golf, unique attractions, castles and gardens. Targets of the Norwegian campaigns include professional couples without children and mature couples whose children have left home.
The Netherlands - Like Norway, North East England is readily accessible to Dutch visitors by sea and air. The Netherlands is a strong market for generating year round tourism, with 71% of total traffic taking place outside the peak July - September period (IPS 2002). The Dutch are highly motivated by good value for money and respond particularly well to special-offer led campaigns. They like good value hotels, bed and breakfasts and caravan and camping sites. Targets include mature couples whose children have left home and seniors.
Germany - Germany is a fantastic market for our region, which is accessible via sea routes (DFDS seaways) and Newcastle International Airport. The Germans are 'world champions' in holidaymaking taking more overseas holidays than any other country. They get 5-6 weeks annual leave and are consequently a good market for extending the season. The number of 'high spenders' in Germany is still increasing and North East England is a good fit for the Germans whose key motivators for travel include culture, heritage and scenery. Visitors from Germany are most likely to be professional couples without children, and affluent seniors.
Ireland - City breaks and touring holidays are popular with Irish visitors to the UK. As city breaks is the key motivation for travel, Tourism Tyne & Wear and NGI lead the regions international marketing in Ireland. As you would expect, this market are motivated by shopping, football, nightlife, arts and spa-breaks. There are daily flights from Dublin (ryanair.com) to Newcastle International Airport and Durham Tees Valley, and from Cork to Newcastle (Jet2.com). Aer Arann also operate a service from Galway to Newcastle
Italy - The North East is easily accessible by air (via Jet2.com) with daily flights from Pisa. Italians are motivated to travel by culture and heritage, sightseeing, city lifestyle experiences (including exhibitions and galleries), music, and shopping. Couples without children are keen on countryside and coast experiences and senior travellers are looking for cultural heritage, with gardens, castles and historical

Promotion - working in partnership

Relationship marketing (joining forces to achieve common aims) is integral to all international marketing activity. One NorthEast Tourism works closely with all its partners to ensure that key messages and products are reflected in their activity, and that the specific needs of the individual country markets being targeted are correctly matched. The main partners are:

VisitBritain & Enjoy England - The national tourism organisations jointly participate in match-funded campaigns that reach over 36 countries through a wide range of international promotional activities including press, TV, PR, radio and dedicated websites.
DFDS Seaways - This ferry operator serves three of our key markets. Together One NorthEast and DFDS run joint campaigns and One NorthEast have integrated a North East England channel into DFDS' websites. Consumers can search and book directly with North East businesses and also link across to North East websites.
England's North Country - Together with the North West and Yorkshire, One NorthEast is a key stakeholder in England's North Country, which promotes the North of England overseas via trade, press and consumer campaigns. In 2008-09 the primary markets targeted will be USA, Germany, India and Italy.
Area Tourism Partnerships (ATP) partners - One NorthEast Tourism works with Northumberland Tourism, the County Durham Tourism Partnership, Tourism Tyne and Wear and visitTeesvalley to coordinate key messages for an integrated approach and to look for partner opportunities in campaign activities.

International marketing materials

Having high quality, full-colour, inspirational marketing materials in multiple languages is essential in order to make the most of every enquiry and response that the marketing campaigns generate. The North East England international materials are available for download so overseas enquirers can instantly get the information they need. They can also be sent by post and email and are made available to pick up on ferries and at airports and terminals.

North East England taster brochure - The 'Essential Guide to North East England' is an inspirational 24-page brochure aimed at giving overseas visitors a taste of the North East. It promotes the region's diverse product, including history and heritage, coast and countryside, culture, gardens, walking and cycling opportunities. There are 6 versions: Australian, New Zealand, Norwegian, Dutch, German and a generic English version for all other countries.
North East England pocket map - The Pocket Map, in a pullout Z-CARD format, promotes attractions, accommodation, events and our great transport links with inspirational listings and regional advertising. There are also two maps to guide visitors around the whole region. There are 4 versions: English, Norwegian, Dutch and German. There are advertising opportunities in the pocket map, email:
helen.mcloughlin @onenortheast.co.uk to find out more.
England's North Country guide - This is the main international visitor guide for the North of England distributed to 12 countries and available in Dutch, German and English. 150,000 copies are annually printed and distributed at travel exhibitions and VisitBritain offices worldwide including North America, China, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. There are advertising opportunities for accommodation and attractions in this guide. Contact hsmith@ytb.org.uk or suelovel@ytb.org.uk.
Enjoy England guide - This international touring guide is distributed to Germany, Holland and France.

International promotion

All international campaigns are promoted through a variety of media and activities, which are selected depending on the objective of the campaign, and the audience's lifestyle. Working directly and with partners, to promote North East England around the globe, the promotional activity undertaken in 2007/08 has included cinema advertising, TV advertising, outdoor bus advertising, interactive advertising inside buses, radio advertising, press advertising, newspaper supplements, magazine inserts, online advertising, electronic direct mail and printed direct mail.

There are also dedicated international websites - One NorthEast provides dedicated, translated websites for the following markets:

Australia www.northeastengland.com.au
New Zealand www.northeastengland.co.nz
Norway www.visitnortheastengland.com/no
Holland www.visitnortheastengland.com/nl
Germany www.visitnortheastengland.com/de
Italy www.visitnortheastengland.com/it
Sweden www.visitnortheastengland.com/se

International e-newsletters feature inspirational reasons to visit and booking messages. You can see an example here: Dutch e-marketing message /downloads/Norwegian%20EDM%20Dec%2007.doc

Translated guides and pocket maps in a varietyof languages are available for download, email, post and for collection on ferries and at airports.

Consumer and trade exhibitions, appropriate to the markets and objectives are attended each year in order to develop relationships with tour operators and collect consumer data.

International PR is an area that is growing in importance. The PR team work closely with England's North Country and DFDS' PR agency to support story ideas and organise press trips. To support marketing activity in Australia and New Zealand the region has contracted an on-territory PR agency.