A £5 million drive to raise the international profile of the north of England has been kicked off by Manchester airport.
The UK’s third largest airport is searching for the people, businesses, attractions and other assets that ‘make the north a great place to trade with, invest in and visit’.
It plans to showcase these success stories to its 27.8 million annual passengers, travelling to locations ranging from Boston to Beijing, Houston to Hong Kong and Singapore to San Francisco.
Worth an estimated £5 million over the next year, the campaign will see the airport work with leaders in each of the northern regions to identify attributes that best represent their global strengths.
New images and artwork from different areas will be added every month to new sites across the airport.
The stories will also be promoted via a dedicated social media campaign in the UK and around the world.
The commitment was made during a visit to the airport by Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry, who said: “The success of the Manchester–Beijing route, and the new direct flights to Seattle opening up later this year, reinforces our shared vision of having a super-connected global north bringing the Northern Powerhouse to the world and the world to the Northern Powerhouse.”
Airport chief executive Andrew Cowan said: “Manchester airport has a critical role to play in driving growth across the north by connecting it to the world’s most important markets.
“It is this connectivity that will enable businesses to export their products and services to economies in all corners of the globe, and that will bring tourists, investors and students to our northern towns and cities.
“As well as providing direct access to more than 210 international destinations, we are always eager to promote the collective strengths of the North to those travelling through the airport, whether that be for business of leisure.
“That is why I am looking forward to working with our colleagues across the North to showcase the things that combine to make this a world class place to visit and do business with.”