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DAVID BECKHAM’S ‘BEST OF BRITAIN’ REVEALED
Beckham shares his top UK tourist hot spots as the world prepares to visit Britain
June 18, 2012 - On day 31 of the Olympic Torch’s tour of Britain, Samsung’s global ambassador for London 2012, David Beckham, shares with VisitBritain his top tourist tips revealing a combination of locations across the UK that he wants to visit with his family.
Beckham’s top ten leads the upgrade of VisitBritain’s ‘Best of Britain’ app which was launched with Samsung earlier this year to inform and inspire the Games spectators and visitors to Britain this summer. New content on the app includes recommendations, accommodation and entertainment options provided by the national tourism agency to help make London 2012 an Olympic Games everyone can enjoy both in and outside of the Olympic venues.
Beckham’s exclusive suggestions:
- Take a tour of Buckingham Palace;
- Experience some real East London food at Tony Lane’s Pie & Mash shop;
- Go on a stadium tour of Old Trafford and the new Wembley;
- Grab some fresh air at one of the Royal Parks like Hyde, The Regent’s or Richmond;
- Play a round of golf at St Andrews;
- Go shopping at Manchester’s Northern Quarter, or markets like Camden, Portobello or Spitalfields;
- Take the kids to Thorpe Park or on the Harry Potter tour;
- Don’t miss London’s theatre scene and plays like War Horse or Jersey Boys;
- Eat at Ceconnis or NOPI in London;
- Go for a walk in the countryside and stop off at a pub along the way.
Inspirational content of key Olympic Torch Relay destinations and competition locations are also on the app to help inspire future travel and create a lasting legacy for places associated with the Olympic Flame. Guides for key destinations such as Land’s End, Much Wenlock, Stonehenge, Liverpool and Dover all offer startling imagery and stirring content to allow international visitors to plan their next Britain itinerary.
Sandie Dawe, Chief Executive at VisitBritain said: “David Beckham is not only a global superstar, but an ambassador for Britain wherever he goes. To have his personal insight on what the world should come and see when they visit the UK gives the country a fantastic lift ahead of this year’s Games.”
Sunny Hwang, Vice President & Head of Worldwide Sports Marketing, Samsung Electronics said: “Samsung’s collaboration with VisitBritain demonstrates how we will provide a more enjoyable and exciting experience for anyone looking to take part in the Olympic Games this summer. David Beckham is helping Samsung deliver an Olympic Games everyone can enjoy, and his support for the Best of Britain app shows his commitment to London 2012 as Samsung’s global ambassador.”
Samsung and VisitBritain also extended their partnership to help more people experience the sights, emotions and stories of the Torch Relay, through innovative smart technology and social media by enabling VisitBritain’s Super Bloggers to join the Samsung caravan on key dates of the journey. The bloggers will capitalise on the unique access to tweet, blog and create stories that highlight the towns and cities celebrating the exciting moments of the Torch Relay, and showcase cultural landmarks across the UK.
Images and inspirational content will be posted via all of VisitBritain’s digital platforms, enabling people around the world to enjoy the iconic sites the Torch will be passing through. A unique interactive map has been created to allow potential visitors to ‘Follow the Torch’ as it makes its journey, and gain insightful information on locations along the Olympic Torch Relay route.
Notes to Editors:
Beckham’s list in full-
“I've always been brought up to love the Royal Family and this year is a special year with the Queen's Jubilee. Buckingham Palace is in the heart of London and it’s been the scene of so many great moments in British history – none of us will ever forget the amazing wedding last year and best of all, it’s open for visitors during the summer so you can have a look around the State Apartments."
“I've been fortunate to play in The Premier League, one of the greatest football leagues in the world, and you can’t beat the atmosphere of being there for a game. If you can’t catch a Game across the country then check out the fantastic stadium tours at places like Old Trafford, Anfield and Stamford Bridge, and of course, Wembley."
“Families can get out in the fresh air at one of the London’s Royal Parks with the kids – Hyde and Regents Park are like an oasis in the Central London. Or get away from it all in Richmond Park where you can see wild deer, horse ride and amazing views across London."
“It seems like many sports in the world have their origins in Britain and Scotland is the home of Golf. It's where the game was invented and where you’ll find some of the most beautiful and challenging courses in the world. If you love the game, make your way to the Old Course at St Andrews Links."
“Britain leads the world in fashion and has some of the best shopping experiences in the world. Manchester’s designer stores around the Northern Quarter are a match for anything in London, but if you don’t have time to leave the capital then you will be spoilt for choice around town and some fantastic markets like Camden, Portobello and Spitalfields."
“Kids can’t get enough of theme parks as I know being a father of four. You're never far away from one in Britain: Alton Towers is close to Stoke and just outside London you’ll find Thorpe Park. New in town is the Warner Bros. Studio Tour where you can see the making of Harry Potter movies."
“If there’s one thing you can’t miss when you’re in London, its Theatre land, I love going out with the family to a show. The West End is famous for musicals and shows and they are great for a night out or a family matinee. Young and old will love the Lion King or Matilda, and there’s always something to see when I’m back in London like like War Horse, or Jersey Boys."
“You can get great food from all over the world in Britain and some of the best restaurants in the world can be found in London. Whether it’s a special night out at the Ivy, Ceconnis or Nobu, somewhere new like the Bread St Kitchen or Nopi in London."
“And here’s an insiders tip for a real East London food experience– you’ve got to try Pie & Mash (Tony Lane's Pie & Mash shop in Waltham Abbey is a favourite)."
“Britain is famous for its countryside, and where better to end a bracing walk than sat by a log fire in one of our beautiful country pubs. The best places will always welcome kids and serve great local food.”
‘Best of Britain’ app notes-
The App is available for free on all Samsung Galaxy smartphones and Galaxy Tab devices from SamsungApps and is the latest
move by VisitBritain to provide visitors to Britain from around the world with the best possible information about attractions the country has to offer.
VisitBritain has already developed a range of social media platforms on Facebook and Twitter while VisitBritain.com, voted the world’s best
national tourism organisation website, is available in 21 languages, opening up exclusive access to content for visitors to Britain from around the world.
Samsung is a worldwide wireless communications equipment partner of the Olympic Games and has committed to making this content available to all Samsung Galaxy smartphone and Galaxy Tab customers in the form of an application and ‘Best of Britain’ widget. It will be available for download through the Samsung Application Store. About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2011 consolidated sales of US$143.1 billion. Employing approximately 206,000 people in 197 offices across 72 countries, the company operates two separate organizations to coordinate its nine independent business units: Digital Media & Communications, comprising Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, and Digital Imaging; and Device Solutions, consisting of Memory, System LSI and LED. Recognized for its industry-leading performance across a range of economic, environmental and social criteria, Samsung Electronics was named the world’s most sustainable technology company in the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. For more information, please visit http://www.samsung.com/.
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About VisitBritain
- VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, is responsible for inspiring the world to explore Britain and for developing the UK’s visitor economy.
- Americans made 2.8 million visits to Britain in 2012 and spent $3.7 billion USD (£2.4 billion). The US remains in the top spot in terms of market value for inbound tourism and is one of the top three most important markets in terms of visitor numbers.
- Visitors traveling to Britain can find out more information from visitbritain.us plus purchase money and time saving local transport, sightseeing, attraction, theatre and tour tickets from visitbritainshop.us
- Follow us on Twitter @VisitBritain, Pinterest (VisitBritain) and Facebook: LoveUK & LoveUK Film & TV