British Airways invites the GCC to visit Britain

With visits from the GCC region to the UK up by 30% and spending having doubled over the past 5 years, British Airways is inviting GCC tourists to visit Britain with its special “Visit Britain” reduced fares and shopping discounts. The airline has slashed its fares from the GCC to several destinations in the UK in all its cabins, for bookings made during the month of September. 

According to The British Tourism Authority, VisitBritain, £1.2 billion was injected into the UK economy from the GCC countries in 2012, with shopping being a major factor. As tourism from the GCC markets become increasingly more important, British Airways is looking to provide travellers easy, convenient ways to travel, combined with special offers.  As part of the Big British Invite campaign, and to make travellers’ stay even more enjoyable, the airline is also providing a range of exclusive discounts with some of the biggest names on Britain’s high street, including Harrods’s, Liberty and Westfield. To take advantage of these offers, shoppers can simply present their British Airways boarding card to the selected vendors, or shops, when they visit Britain. 

Paolo De Renzis, Area Commercial Manager, Middle East and Central Asia, said: “The GCC is a very important region for us and we are constantly looking for ways to further connect with our customers. The UK is a great place to visit all year round for shopping arts and culture, and we are delighted to welcome our GCC guests to Britain with special fares and offers. The journey begins with the flight, and what better way to experience the best of British hospitality than with British Airways.” 

While London accounts for the majority of inbound visitor spend, other destinations such Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh outside London are also seeing an increase in visitors.  To cater to this demand and as part of its exclusive fares, British Airways has made it possible for customers to travel to Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Leeds, and Jersey for just a little bit more. 

Annique Labuschagne, Manager Gulf Markets for VisitBritain added, “The booming growth in travel from GCC regions to the UK is set to continue with these markets expected to grow year on year, reaching a 32% increase by 2016. VisitBritain’s strategy to support this is focused on promoting the UK’s key destinations, including and outside of London, plus a range of family activities and leisure attractions to excite the region.” 

Travellers can explore the UK with British Airways’ special fares, reduced especially for the UAE market. The promotion is valid across all four cabin classes for a limited time, with fares starting from just AED 2,605* in World Traveller economy class, and other great fares available in in World Traveller Plus, Club World and First. 

A full timetable of British Airways' flights to London and beyond is available online at ba.com – where customers can book, pay and check-in online for their flights.