VisitBritain is starting the European phase of its “Britain for Less” campaign, as part of its £6.5m global push to market the UK as an affordable destination.The strapline “See More for Less”, will run across 18 European countries and take in a number of online and offline elements.

Leaders from the private sector have joined forces to lobby the UK government to take British tourism “more seriously”, following last week’s call by industry bodies VisitBritain  and UKinbound.The coalition includes Merlin Entertainments, owner of Alton Towers and the London Eye, Butlins, Hoseasons, Bourne Leisure and Travelodge. The lobby is demanding the responsiblilty for tourism be passed to the business department as it is treated as a “poor relation” in its current home.

Britain’s top industry executives are hoping to give the nation’s flagging tourism sector a boost tomorrow as they join forces to urge the government to play more of a supportive role.The call to action comes as VisitBritain is set to reveal the findings of a review into the sector commissioned by the UK government.

VisitBritain has been asked to draw together a priority list of key areas on which the UK Government could take effective action to benefit the visitor economy during the economic downturn.

The UK’s inbound tourism market has suffered a tough year as the triple whammy of a strong pound, high fuel and the economic downturn, which contributed to the first drop in visitor numbers in many years. International visitor numbers fell by 150,000 to 32.6 million, according the VisitBritain’s 2007/08 annual review. The decine in numbers from the developed world was not offset by growth in numbers from emerging markets.

VisitBritain is deploying Polycom’s group video conferencing solutions in a bid to maintain direct contact between its offices worldwide and to promote the UK, home of the 2012 Olympics, to tourists.