Visitors from the US are vital to Britain's tourism industry, and that of London in particular. Amercians contribute the most in terms of spending, but their numbers dropped severely following 9/11. Although they have risen steadily since that time, levels have still not recovered to the highs of 2000. Time then for the UK to roll out the big guns, and in terms of publicity there's none bigger than Her Majesty The Queen.
Ask an American to name something British and The Royal Family is almost certainly one of the first things they'll think of. It has to be Britain's ultimate international 'brand' and though they're unlikely to glimpse even a corgi, the monarchy and all its trappings is undoubtedly a major pull for those holidaying from the US. Leverging this appeal is witnessed in myriad pieces of marketing of the royal image, from appearances in glossy vacation brochures to the postcards picked up in any tourist dollar trap.
Finding out about what goes on inside this institution fascinates Americans just as much as it does The Queen's own subjects. Pure genius then, to bring the royal household into the households of 5 million American homes. ABC television's Good Morning America was given an unprecedented opportunity to film inside three of the royal residences over two days, reporting from Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace and Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh. Delivering such intimacy on such a giant scale is a PR coup for those representing the British tourism industry and will surely have a great and positive impact on businesses and visitor attractions UK wide.
Maintaining an air of mystery is fundamental to the appeal of the British royals. The past decade saw a great deal of that allure swept away in the glare of sad or negative publicity following the failure of several royal marriages, the shocking death of Diana Princess of Wales and the death of The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. However, throughout some very difficult times The Queen has preserved the air of dignity for which she is renowned and in recent years the reputation of her family has healed. Well thought out and carefully managed publicity showcases can only support this restoration and though they should never appear to be a regular occurrence, a similar initiative in a year or two's time could provide another boost to Britain's transatlantic appeal.
