New Uncover The Story campaign launched to promote Leicester and Leicestershire tourism

A major new tourism campaign has been launched to promote Leicester and Leicestershire as a fascinating UK destination.

A major new tourism campaign has been launched to promote Leicester and Leicestershire as a fascinating UK destination for national and international visitors. The ‘Uncover the Story’ campaign has been developed by Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council, and will use a range of intriguing stories to promote the city and county as a compelling and distinctive destination to visitors.

Inspired by the discovery of King Richard III, the Uncover the Story campaign features a wide range of eye-catching artwork that will feature on websites, advertising, social media channels and other platforms. It has been developed to support city and county tourism businesses such as visitor attractions, accommodation providers, museums, food and drink producers, restaurants, bars and cafes, and festivals and events, as they look to recover following one of the longest local lockdown periods in the country during the pandemic.

Before the pandemic, tourism to Leicester and Leicestershire injected £1.9 billion into the local economy from over 35 million visitors and supported 22,700 jobs*. The pandemic has impacted the sector and this campaign is designed to help tourism businesses recover and grow.

The Uncover the Story campaign will establish a unique profile that distinguishes Leicester and Leicestershire from other tourism destinations, building on the brand awareness of the city and county through a collection of interesting and unique stories including:

  • Why is Leicester the Space City and why do we have Buzz Aldrin’s space underpants?
  • If you take a ride on the Great Central Railway you’ll be following the same route as Thomas Cook’s first ever popular excursion – which earned us the title of the Birthplace of Tourism
  • Leicestershire may be landlocked but we are home to the UK’s National Dive Centre where you can dive and explore an Elizabethan shipwreck.
  • A zoo that was started by a couple of friends and a pair of chimpanzees is now Twycross Zoo, a World Primate Centre
  • Why not stay in the hotel that is said to have inspired the board game Cluedo and entertained Edward VIII and Mrs Wallis-Simpson, or eat in one of the oldest schoolhouses in England?
  • Uncover why three Kibworth villages paint a portrait of England

City Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby said: “After a difficult year for the UK visitor economy, the Uncover the Story tourism campaign aims to entice visitors back to Leicester and Leicestershire’s many attractions as they recover from the national and local lockdowns. The discovery of King Richard III is an amazing story and really focused national and international attention on Leicester. In addition to this, we have many other unique stories to tell that we’re sure will inspire people to visit the city and county as restrictions are lifted once again.”

Nick Rushton, Leader of Leicestershire County Council, said: “The tourism sector is a major source of economic value to both the county and the city. It supports many thousands of jobs and as we get our local economy growing again, it’s vital we do everything we can to help businesses boom. From days out to longer stays, we have a wealth of attractions and stories to entertain and fascinate visitors and this campaign brings them neatly together.”

The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) leads economic prosperity across the Leicester and Leicestershire area. It is working with Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council to promote tourism locally. Emma Anderson is a member of the LLEP Board of Directors and said: “The tourism and hospitality industry currently employs 37,000 people in Leicester and Leicestershire, and this looks set to grow as we emerge from lockdown restrictions. Uncover the Story will be a fantastic boost to this key sector, as more people are encouraged to visit Leicester and Leicestershire and discover not only Richard III, but the rich social and cultural history of our city and wider region.”

For more details on the campaign and the unique stories from the Leicester and Leicestershire tourism industry, please visit www.visitleicester.info/uncoverthestory
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