VisitBritain has awarded funding to Marketing Manchester to encourage American visitors to explore Greater Manchester and surrounding regions, supporting regional growth through one of the UK’s key international gateways.
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 Virgin Atlantic’s New York–Manchester route. Nearly £400,000* of funding has been earmarked across the GREAT Gateway Innovation Fund activity to develop international marketing campaigns showcasing the north-west of England to international audiences, delivered through key regional gateways.
VisitBritain will work with Marketing Manchester alongside partners including Virgin Atlantic; Manchester Airports Group; Go North Wales Tourism; Cumbria Tourism; Visit Peak District and Derbyshire; Visit Wales; Marketing Chester and Cheshire; and Rabbie’s Tours.
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.”
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 book a trip to Britain and visit now.
‘Starring GREAT Britain’ has been VisitBritain’s most successful campaign since 2019, generating £217 million in additional international visitor spending from its launch in January to June 2025. For every pound invested in the campaign, visitors spent an additional £20 in Britain.
The USA is the UK’s largest inbound visitor market by spend. VisitBritain is forecasting 5.5 million visits from the USA in 2026 (up 1%), with visitors spending £7.6 billion (up 4%). The UK is the third most popular destination for American travelers.
VisitBritain’s Gateway Fund encourages collaboration between local destinations and industry partners to promote inbound gateways through international marketing campaigns.