VisitBritain Invites the World to Enjoy an Adventure in Sherlock Holmes’ Britain

VISITBRITAIN INVITES THE WORLD TO ENJOY AN ADVENTURE IN SHERLOCK HOLMES’ BRITAIN

Celebrating the release of “Sherlock Holmes,” the new action-adventure mystery starring Robert Downey Jr. as the legendary detective, national tourism agency VisitBritain has joined forces with Warner Bros. Pictures to invite tourists to discover Sherlock Holmes’ Britain – Past and Present – with a new campaign and online movie map, visitbritain.com/sherlockholmes. The campaign, showcasing locations with links to Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, launches ahead of the new film’s premiere in London on 14 December 2009.

As part of the partnership, VisitBritain will be working with the film’s media and promotional partners globally to award Sherlock Holmes-themed trips to Britain that will include a stay at a luxurious Radisson Edwardian Hotel.

Guy Ritchie, the film’s director, commented, “Sherlock Holmes is an iconic British character and bringing our story to life on the streets of London, Liverpool and Manchester was part of the fun of making this film.

Given the 150th anniversary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s birth this year, I’m excited to unleash our version of Sherlock Holmes to audiences in the UK and around the world.”

Sherlock Holmes opens in cinemas nationwide from 26 December. Sherlock Holmes was filmed on location in London, Liverpool and Manchester with scenes shot at St Paul’s Cathedral and the Houses of Parliament, Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, Manchester Town Hall, Liverpool Docks and at Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent.

Actor Robert Downey Jr added, “Sherlock Holmes has great pride in being English.

London is an incredibly fascinating city and the centre of the world at the time our film takes place.

Holmes knows every inch of it and feels it’s his city.

It was great fun filming throughout Britain.”

The website launches today (10 November) and features footage from the film, locations from the film and from across Britain linked to the great detective – including the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221B Baker Street in London. Itineraries to London, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh will help tourists enjoy a short break in Britain with a Sherlock Holmes theme.

VisitBritain’s marketing director, Laurence Bresh says: “Today, VisitBritain increasingly uses the UK’s world-renowned film and literary heritage – as well as music, fashion and culture – to raise awareness of the appeals of Britain and its destinations. Sherlock Holmes is known around the world as one of Britain’s most iconic characters. Our partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures is a great way of helping people discover the secrets of our destinations and entice them into having a fantastic adventure here.”

With a specially branded stand, VisitBritain is raising awareness of the new film and Britain’s popularity as a ’set-jetting’ destination as international travel buyers arrive in London for the annual World Travel Market at ExCeL. The film’s branding will also appear on limited edition Oyster card wallets distributed by VisitBritain throughout December and January from the Britain and London Visitor Centre and globally via visitbritaindirect.com. The campaign is supported by Radisson Edwardian Hotels, Visit London, Marketing Manchester and The Mersey Partnership.

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For further information, please contact:

Elliott Frisby, Press & PR Manager on +44 (0) 20 8563 3035, + 44 (0)7951 996241

Mark Di-Toro, Press Officer on +44 (0) 20 8563 3358

Notes to Editors

VisitBritain is responsible for promoting Britain as a world class tourist destination and for developing the UK’s visitor economy. It has representatives in 35 countries around the world and has expanded into India, China, throughout Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia

Overseas residents made 31.9 million visits to the UK in 2008, down by -2.7% on 2007. They spent £16.3 billion, which before adjusting for inflation, rose +2.3% in nominal terms

Every year 17 million visits are made by international consumers to the 46 websites that make up VisitBritain’s global family of websites, www.visitbritain.com, which together provide information in 26 different languages.

Mark Di-Toro

Press Officer

VisitBritain, 1 Palace Street, London SW1E 5HE

T: 0207 578 1098 | M: 07919 392 137 | F: 020 8563 3353 |

| W: www.visitbritain.org

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