Visit Kent is inviting visitors to start exploring Kent safely this summer as its brand-new campaign, the Secret Garden of England launches this week.
Aimed at reassuring visitors that it is safe to experience and enjoy Kent’s tourism and hospitality industry in-line with the easing of lockdown restrictions, the campaign is supported by a range of engaging digital activity including radio promotion, video seeding, programmatic advertising, paid social media and editorially rich content.
Sitting at the heart of the campaign, a compelling video produced by Kent-based creative agency Inkfield Media, portrays Kent's range of open landscapes, food and drink offerings and iconic sights.
Accompanied by an emotive spoken narrative, the video extends an invitation, and reassurance for residents and visitors alike to explore Kent, their ‘bigger back garden’, whilst building on earlier consumer messaging to #RespectProtectEnjoy the county safely and responsibly.
Visit Kent’s campaign is one of a handful of applications to have secured additional funding to participate in the UK-wide Enjoy Summer Safely initiative, part of HM Government’s overall response to the COVID-19 outbreak.
VisitEngland Director, Andrew Stokes said: “Millions of jobs and local economies depend on tourism right across the country and the industry needs all of us to make sure it gets back on its feet. This funding will encourage more of us to get out and discover the outstanding destinations and quality attractions close to home, right here on our doorstep. It will also support local businesses who have been working so hard to welcome visitors back safely, adapting and innovating to meet new ways of working and still providing a great visitor experience.”
Visit Kent’s application into the Enjoy Summer Safely fund would not have been made possible without funding provided by a range of local authority partners including Kent County Council, Medway Council, Canterbury City Council, Dover District Council, Folkestone & Hythe District Council, Gravesham Borough Council, Swale Borough Council, Thanet District Council and Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
Visit Kent Chief Executive, Deirdre Wells OBE, said: “I am delighted that Visit Kent has been selected to be part of the national Enjoy Summer Safely campaign. The past few months have been extremely challenging for our sector and we want to do all we can to encourage visitors to rediscover our beautiful landscape, rich heritage and fantastic food and drink. Our businesses have worked tirelessly to ensure that they can welcome visitors in a safe and secure way and we are so proud that their hard work and fantastic product will be showcased at a national level.”
Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Cllr Mike Whiting, added: “This is a tremendous boost for our campaign to move Kent forward and to support businesses in our hard-hit visitor economy. We want everyone to enjoy summer safely and feel welcome to explore and enjoy the delights of the ‘Secret Garden of England’.”
To view the Secret Garden of England video, and take a look at Visit Kent’s guidelines for enjoying summer safely in your ‘bigger back garden,’ visit: https://www.visitkent.co.uk/secret-garden-of-england/