VisitWales calls UK tourism pitch

VisitWales, the body that promotes Wales as a tourist destination, is hunting for advertising, direct marketing and media planning agencies to handle its £6 million UK domestic account.

The body currently has a roster working on the business that includes Wieden & Kennedy and Partners Andrew Aldridge. A pitch has been anticipated for some time but now has the green light following the restructure of tourism and economic development departments in the Welsh Assembly last year. VisitWales expects agencies to partner up for stage two of its tender process.

Appointed agencies will work with head of UK marketing Gillian Berntsen. She reports to Roger Parry, director of marketing for the Department for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks at the Welsh Assembly.

Partners Andrew Aldridge has worked with Visit Wales since 2004 and Wieden & Kennedy won the advertising account for in-bound tourism in June 2004. The latter developed a campaign to promote golf in Wales featuring Ian Woosnam last year. Wales is to host the Ryder Cup in 2010.