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THE British Tourist Authority is hoping its new global logo UKOK will emulate the highly successful I Love New York slogan.

UKOK will front a £5 million marketing campaign to lure visitors back to Britain after last year’s disasters of

foot and mouth and September 11, which cost the country £2 billion in lost tourism revenue (Travel Weekly, January 7).

BTA researchers interviewed Americans at length about the use of its latest branding to see if it would have the same impact as New York’s world-famous rallying call.

The authority’s chairman David Quarmby said: “I Love New York is very popular. UKOK could be like that.”

He hoped the slogan would be as resilient as New York’s and feature in BTA campaigns for years to come. The Big Apple has used its strapline for 25 years.

Quarmby dismissed comments the new logo was harking back to the embarrassment of Cool Britannia, the line used

by the newly elected Labour government to promote the UK.

“It’s nothing to do with Cool Britannia, it is thoroughly researched and plays on the British trait of understatement. Last year was the worst ever for tourism,” he said.

BTA’s marketing drive to the seven key markets of the US, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Belgium and the Netherlands is being supported by the Government. US visitors are down 9% on last year.

Culture secretary Tessa Jowell helped launch the campaign at the Tower of London. She said: “Tourism had a difficult year last year, but there are signs of recovery. The decision by Americans and Europeans not to travel hit tourism hard and this campaign will remind people to come to Britain.”

Jowell said the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester would spearhead promotions. She said the Government would help people organise Jubilee events and said there was no basis in sniping comments that events would be hampered by bureaucracy.

British Incoming Tour Operators Association chief executive Richard Tobias and British Airways chairman Lord Marshall also helped launch the BTA initiative.

Tobias said improving hospitality standards would draw visitors, while BA is to offer cheap tickets to Americans to entice them back.