'VisitBritain' shines spotlight on 'Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games'

VisitBritain shone spotlight on Birmingham, the West Midlands and Great Britain in an event in Kolkata on March 16, 2022.

The team invited tourism industry stakeholders from the eastern region to showcase the UK tourism and hospitality and driving bookings ahead of an exciting summer. Representatives from around 40 tourism agencies and associations from the East of India attended the event.

Speaking at the event, Nick Low, British Deputy High Commissioner to Kolkata, said: "It is a treat to have our friends from 'VisitBritain', the United Kingdom's national tourism agency, back in Kolkata. And the timing could not be better - the United Kingdom will lift all its remaining pandemic international travel restrictions from this Friday! Let us fall in love again? No! Because we have never fallen out of love. This year, we are highlighting the magnificent West Midlands, truly the heart of Britain. Home to Shakespeare, the Commonwealth Games, three cities, four boroughs and a royal town. Cradle of the industrial revolution and now a green workshop. And enough world-class arts, culture, cuisine, history, shopping and sport to last a lifetime. Let us go!"

In his visit to Kolkata, Vishal Bhatia, Country Manager, 'VisitBritain' said: "We have a year of landmark, unmissable and historic events this year in the UK, including Her Majesty the Queen's 'Platinum Jubilee', the 'Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games' and 'Unboxed,' the UK-wide celebration of creativity - all set for global tourism draws and offering visitors from India once-in-a-lifetime experiences that they can only have in the UK - as well as the return of favourite annual festivals and events," he added.

Being held from July 28 to August 8, 2022, the games will be the biggest sporting and cultural event ever held in Birmingham with thousands

of world-class athletes, more than one million spectators and an estimated global audience of 1.5 billion.

Alongside the sports programme is a six-month cultural festival is underway from March. The Queen's 'Baton Relay' has also been travelling around the Commonwealth, with a recent historic stop in Dubai, UAE, as part of UK National Day at 'Dubai Expo' and the UK before arriving in Birmingham for the opening ceremony on July 28.

The UK Government has funded a 24 million pounds, three-year Business and Tourism Programme (BATP) to convert the excitement and interest of the games into trade, tourism and investment opportunities for Birmingham and the West Midlands, promoting the region and the UK to the world.

According to the BATP, looking at tourism specifically, the games are estimated to attract an additional 39,000 visitors to West Midlands and the UK by 2027 with 12 million pounds visitors spent

overall.