Yellow Pages partnership to promote British destinations - 12 December 2007
National tourism agency, VisitBritain has joined forces with Yell in a partnership that will put local and regional information on days out into the homes of 95%* of UK adults. With Yellow Pages directories alone used nearly one billion times a year*, millions of people could be inspired to explore new attractions, both in and around their area as a result of the partnership, helping to boost Britain’s £85 billion visitor economy.The major media and content collaboration will commence its roll-out with Yellow Pages directories from December 2007. As each of the 104 regional editions of Yellow Pages directories are published throughout 07-08, consumers will note the addition of six pages of editorial in the preface showcasing “Great Days Out in Britain”. Visit Britain has worked with Yell to develop compelling editorial providing detail on local and regional attractions and activities, all within a two-hour drive of each individual directory area.
Packed with images, each section features a range of visitor attractions plus listings of local and regional tourism websites alongside www.enjoyengland.com branding. The six pages of editorial content are split in to three sections - ‘On Your Doorstep’ for attractions within the immediate area of the particular directory, ‘In Your Area’ which covers those within 80 minutes drive, and ‘Further Afield’ which takes a look at what is around a two hour drive away. Many of the attractions are members of VisitBritain's Visitor Attractions Quality Assessment Scheme which ensures visitor’s expectations of their leisure experience will be met.
Tom Wright, chief executive of VisitBritain, says: “This fantastic opportunity is part of our commitment to developing new partnerships to widen our audiences and extend our provision of tourism information. Such a wide-reaching partnership is only possible following the development of EnglandNet, our comprehensive database of tourism products across the UK, which means we can easily format information about accommodation, attractions and events for all kinds of uses.
“Yellow Pages directories are found in more homes than any other printed classified directory in the UK*, and this will help us to get the message to millions of potential visitors about the wide range of leisure experiences they can enjoy here in their own country. Together, we can boost business for tourism organisations nationwide.”
The introduction of new editorial content in Yellow Pages directories is part of Yell’s continuous programme of enhancements to its products. This also includes a fresh new look to Yellow Pages directories rolling out from December onwards.
Clodagh Ward, consumer development director at Yell, said: “Thousands of people turn to Yellow Pages for trusted local information every week. Adding useful and inspirational tourist information gives our consumers extra editorial content and helps them understand their local areas even better. It’s the start of an exciting partnership for us with Visit Britain.”
The new directories begin publishing this month with Middlesbrough featuring attractions such as Nature’s World, Captain Cook Birthplace Museum and Ormesby Hall, as well as Go Ape!, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Hall Hill Farm and Castle Howard further afield. Directories for Sunderland and Durham are also published in December.
For further information about this press release, please contact the Yell Press Office.
Notes to Editors
- * Saville Rossiter-Base 2006-7
- VisitBritain is responsible for promoting Britain as a world class tourist destination and for developing England’s visitor economy. It has representatives in 36 countries around the world and, in the last three years, has expanded into China, throughout Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia, and increased its presence in India with representatives in Bangalore and Mumbai
- In 2006, there were 32.7 million visits to Britain, 9% up on 2005. They spent over £16 billion in the UK: a 12% increase on 2005. Globally, the UK retains 6th place in visitor arrivals, slipping one place to 6th in spend
- VisitBritain’s international website, www.visitbritain.com, was awarded World’s Leading Tourism Authority Internet Site for the third year in a row at the 2006 World Travel Awards by more than 200,000 travel and tourism professionals. With information provided in 26 different languages, every year international consumers make over 12 million visits to the 46 websites that make up visitbritain.com. VisitBritain plans to increase this to 25 million by 2009
- An archive of media releases, information on VisitBritain's marketing activities, print quality, free-to-download images and more details about the work of VisitBritain in promoting Britain as a destination, can be found on VisitBritain’s online press centre, www.visitbritain.com/presscentre
Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages directories are published by Yell, a leading international directories business operating in classified advertising markets in the UK, US, Spain and Latin America through printed, online and telephone-based media. Yell’s principal brands include: in the UK, Yellow Pages, Yell.com and Yellow Pages 118 24 7; in the US, Yellow Book and Yellowbook.com; and in Spain, Paginas Amarillas and PaginasAmarillas.es. All these brands are trademarks.
Yell.com
Launched in 1996, Yell.com is a leading local search engine and major online advertising medium for UK businesses. Yell.com provides users with a direct route to finding a business or service online using keyword, type of business, or company name and location as search criteria. Users can review relevant search results and quickly determine the right business for their needs.
www.yell.com provides several useful features such as zoom-enabled maps with directions, closest car parks and a personal Yell.com address book facility to keep a record of regularly used businesses.
About Yellow Pages 118 24 7
Yellow Pages 118 24 7 is the telephone-based directory enquiries service that provides in-depth, up-to-date classified business information, business and residential listings, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More than just a number, Yellow Pages 118 24 7 provides essential business information such as opening hours, location details, prices and special offers or even film times and summaries.
Yellow Pages 118 24 7 is provided by Yell, a leading international directories business operating in classified advertising markets in the UK, US, Spain and Latin America through printed, online and telephone-based media. Yell’s principal brands include: in the UK, Yellow Pages, Yell.com and Yellow Pages 118 24 7; in the US, Yellow Book and Yellowbook.com; and in Spain, Paginas Amarillas and PaginasAmarillas.es. All these brands are trademarks.
