Clinton In Celebrity Endorsement Campaign For Great Britain Travel

LONDON— The British Tourist Authority (BTA) is launching a campaign to lure tourists back to the country which uses celebrity endorsements from former U.S. President Bill Clinton, tennis ace Tim Henman and Hollywood director Ridley Scott, according to Reuters. The campaign, targeting tourists and travel executives, would include Internet links to the celebrities favorite areas of Britain, said a BTA spokesperson. Foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed at more than 2,000 farms since the outbreak was discovered in Britain in February. Though it appears to be past its peak, new outbreaks prompted more culls of sheep and cattle and the reopening of a mass grave for slaughtered animals in northeast England last weekend. The government estimates foot-and-mouth— which at one time forced the closure of much of Britains countryside and led to the slaughter of nearly four million animals — will cost the tourist industry at least five billion pounds ($7.28 billion). The English Tourism Council predicts a revenue slump of about 12% from domestic tourism alone in 2001, as hoteliers, pubs and even some London theater productions have endured a disastrous summer. According to the Reuters report, editors of the “Good Hotel Guide 2002” charged the government with ignoring the tourist industry. “Tourisms lack of political clout, as evidenced by this sorry tale, is a disgrace,” said editors Adam and Caroline Raphael and Desmond Balmer in an introduction to the guide. “The failure of Britains tourist industry to live up to its potential has already cost this country billions of pounds and many thousands of jobs. When will the government wake up?” The Tourism Council brushed aside the rebuke but acknowledged that problems existed. “There has been some neglect,” council spokesman Ken Kelling said. “Foot-and-mouth has shown how important tourism is to the economy in a graphic way…its taken something like that to get across that the tourism industry needs a bigger voice, a single voice.” SOURCE: Reuters