New Domestic Tourism Body Launches 15 Minute Holidays
Health and happiness suffer as over half of Brits feel stuck in the same routine.
VisitEngland, England’s new tourism body, today launches its first campaign with an appeal to stressed-out Brits to break their routine and turn their free time into a holiday.
The £3million ‘Enjoy Every Minute, Enjoy England’ marketing campaign highlights how the ‘holiday feeling’ associated with a traditional fortnight’s holiday can be replicated by simply taking a break – whether a mere 15 minutes, lunch hour, afternoon or weekend.
With hundreds of evenings, Saturdays and Sundays - plus hours of lunch breaks to fill - VisitEngland is calling for Brits to get out and enjoy England by making the most of what’s on their local doorstep. This message is extolled in the first TV advert from VisitEngland, to be premiered this evening at 7.00pm on ITV.
Research carried out by VisitEngland shows that 56% of Brits feel stuck in the same routine and 66% say they do not make the best use of their free time. Only 36% enjoy a full lunch hour on a regular basis.
The cost of not taking a break – on health, happiness and home life – as well as performance at work – is widely recognised. The ‘Enjoy Every Minute, Enjoy England’ campaign has been welcomed by well-being expert Dr Nick Baylis, author of the Rough Guide to Happiness: practical steps for all-round well being.
“There is a mountain of research which shows people who fair best in life, in terms of all-round health, personal relationships, income and job satisfaction, are very likely to be those individuals who get good at taking refreshing breaks that actively balance their personal and professional lives," says Dr Baylis.
"Life isn't meant to be a grind or routine but it's easy to get into a pattern of behaviour which we find difficult to break", he added. "Just by using lunch breaks to get out of the office more or doing something different of an evening or at the weekend keeps your mind and soul refreshed. And you don’t necessarily need much money or even time to take a really revitalising break. What you do need is an attitude of mind: doing things differently helps you feel, think and behave differently, and this is deeply revitalising."
According to VisitEngland 59% of Brits feel more refreshed after taking a lunch break at work and over half (55%) said taking a lunch break helps them work more effectively in the afternoon.
The impact of not taking a lunch break may be reflected in the recent increase in occupational stress and stress-related absences, as reported by the CIPD.
Even outside working hours, Brits don’t feel in control of their time. 59% of those polled admitted they don’t use make the best use of their weekends.
VisitEngland’s new TV advert features nine vignettes of different scenes and activities demonstrating what can be done around the country depending on how much time you have, and includes a voice-over by Helena Bonham Carter.
“Booking a hotel in your own town for the weekend is the best kind of break”, said Helena. “You avoid the travel, you don’t have to take the passport and you get to enjoy all the things in your own city that you never usually get the chance to take advantage of. I’ve just booked a holiday for me and my boyfriend in London, where we’ll be staying in a hotel 20 minutes from our house for the weekend.
“It’s easy to feel like you’re on holiday if you slow down, even if it’s just looking up when you take the kids to school rather than staring straight ahead. We’re all so worried about getting places, we don’t appreciate the time spent getting there.”
Amanda Smyth, VisitEngland Head of Marketing, said: “Our research shows that 82% of people feel better when they’ve been on a day trip, and 69% feel happier when they’ve got something to look forward to. We want to help people plan their free time better and make the most of what England has to offer. Visitors to www.enjoyengland.com can be inspired by 15 minute holiday packages as well as 600 great value offers.”
-ends-
For further information please contact:
Stephanie Boyle
Destination PR Manager VisitEngland
0208 563 3378
Stephanie.boyle@visitengland.org
Zoe Shurgold
Strategic Communications Manager VisitEngland
0208 563 3220
Zoe.Shurgold@visitengland.org
About VisitEngland
In response to a clear call from industry arising from the 2008 British Tourism Framework Review, VisitEngland has been created as the strategic leadership body representing the public and private sector stakeholders of English Tourism. It works in partnership with VisitBritain, the RDAs and local authorities, and the private sector, creating a national tourism strategy, optimising marketing investment, and developing the visitor experience across England.
VisitEngland continues to use its Enjoy England consumer brand in the domestic market and will market England under the VisitEngland brand in international markets.
More information can be found on www.visitengland.com and www.enjoyengland.com
