VisitBritain has awarded funding to Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership and Marketing Manchester to encourage French and American visitors to explore the north-west of England and surrounding regions.
The GREAT Gateway Innovation Fund – which sees destinations and the tourism industry working in partnership to drive visits and visitor spending through regional gateways – will focus on easyJet’s Paris-Liverpool flights and Virgin Atlantic’s New York-Manchester route. Nearly £400,000 of funding has been earmarked to develop international marketing activity to showcase the best of the north-west to tourists.
VisitBritain will work with Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership and Marketing Manchester, plus partners including easyJet; Go North Wales Tourism; Liverpool John Lennon Airport; Manchester Airports Group; Marketing Chester and Cheshire; Rabbie’s Tours; Virgin Atlantic; Cumbria Tourism; Visit Peak District and Derbyshire; and Visit Wales.
VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates said:
“We are encouraging destinations to work in partnership with the tourism industry to showcase the very best of their region to visitors across our most valuable inbound markets, driving bookings to Britain.
“This important fund also highlights how easy it is for international visitors to travel through our regional gateways, encouraging them to explore further and to visit now, with their spending supporting local businesses, destinations and economies.”
Natalie Wyatt, Liverpool City Region Destination Partnership Managing Director, said:
“We are delighted to have been successful in securing this funding from VisitBritain to increase the number of inbound visitors to the region and wider Northwest. Working with destination partners, easyJet and Liverpool John Lennon Airport we will emphasise unique, authentic and memorable activities that go beyond standard tourist experiences and position Liverpool as a gateway to the Northwest.
“From the rhythm of Liverpool’s waterfront to the tranquillity of the Lakes and the Roman foundations of Chester to the rugged charm of North Wales, the aim is to position the Northwest as a single, unforgettable journey that is accessible, diverse and authentically British.”
Victoria Braddock, Marketing Manchester Managing Director, said:
“The US is an important market for Greater Manchester, and we are pleased to have been successful in securing funding from VisitBritain to continue to strengthen awareness and presence for the region in key areas such as New York. Working in partnership with Virgin Atlantic, who operate direct flights into Manchester Airport, this funding will support us to welcome more visitors from the US to Manchester.
“As part of this funding, we’ll be showcasing the best of the region as a fantastic place to visit, with a rich music heritage, delicious dining scene, access to outdoor activities, and an upcoming year which is packed full of world-class cultural and sporting events. This also allows us to highlight the benefit of Manchester as the UK’s Global Gateway to the North, offering direct access to wider destinations including North Wales, the Peak District and beyond.”
Marketing activity will include VisitBritain’s global screen tourism campaign ‘Starring GREAT Britain’, which is using the powerful draw of film and TV locations and places seen-on-screen to inspire visitors to put themselves in the picture, book a trip to Britain and to come and visit now.
‘Starring GREAT Britain’ has been VisitBritain’s most successful campaign since 2019 generating £217 million in additional spending by international visitors from its launch in January to June 2025. It means that for every pound invested in the campaign, visitors spent an additional £20 in Britain.
In 2024, the USA and France were the two largest inbound markets for visits to the UK. Both also featured in the top three markets for visitor spend. VisitBritain is forecasting 5.5 million visits (up 1%) and 3.7 million visits (up 4%) from the USA and France respectively in 2026, spending £7.6 billion (up 4%) and £2.2 billion (up 7%). The UK is the third most popular destination for both American and French tourists.
VisitBritain’s Gateway Fund encourages collaboration between local destinations and industry working in partnership to promote inbound gateways by developing international campaigns.
