The Royal Wedding: Is most definitely “for better and not worse and for richer and not poorer – The Magic of Meghan Markle ”
As the world’s eyes gaze towards St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle on May 19th – it will, without a doubt, further propel the ever-increasing tourist numbers visiting Britain in 2018.
Recently, London was rated as the second ‘Top Destination in the World to visit’ by Trip Advisor and the figures play this out too. Between April and June 2017, UK tourism soared 20% as visitors cashed in on their more powerful currencies against the weaker pound, and now they have yet another reason to visit.
The world loves a party and what better one to attend than a Royal wedding? Previous studies have claimed that a regal event like this could generate something in the region of “£2bn for the UK economy” – whilst the UK’s excellent tourist promoters Visit Britain, made millions of pounds available to promote and market the last event to overseas visitors.
Data published from the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that Prince William and Kate’s wedding certainly boosted UK tourism, with 30.6 million overseas residents visiting the UK in 2011, an increase of 800,000 on 2010. Over the month of April, when the wedding took place, an extra 350,000 visitors came to the UK compared to the previous year.
Where are they coming from you may ask…? North America showed a significant proportion of this increase – up by 29% and this is expected to shoot up with the “Meghan Markle effect”. We haven’t seen an actress marry a Prince since Grace Kelly let Prince Rainer III put a ring on it in 1956. And Meghan has quite the global fan base; 2.8million followers on Instagram (Kate has 654k if you’re wondering). Combine that with the dollar’s strength in the UK and you have a record year of international visitors coming to London this year
So knowing what we know now… Let’s get you and your brand in front of that increasing and lively audience this spring. We have had a good gaze into our crystal ball for spring, and its fair to say that easyJet will transport around 6 million a month and Norwegian will most likely see around 3.2m passengers. Mind you, both of them are growing at such a fast rate (easyJet seeing a 9% growth during a single month last year – breaking its record and seeing 95.6% of seats filled). And Norwegian is announcing new routes in an unprecedented way.
They’ll be here before you know it, and we can help you get that positive engagement you need before the crowds touch down in the UK. When consumers are flying 32000 feet in the air, there are minimal distractions and they’re actively looking for entertainment and inspiration. Our magazines are the first thing they pick up and probably the last thing they put down. We create personalised and intimate experiences for each and every consumer whilst they’re in a positive and open mindset. So before they rush off to the celebrations, the cheering, and the general hustle and bustle of Britain, book your space in our magazines now to ensure that your brand reaches them at the start of their journey.
You may now kiss the bride.
Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower…
