Agencies compete for 25m [pounds sterling] BTA tourist task.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

The Government is looking to counter the 2 billion [pounds sterling] drop in UK tourism revenue last year with a 40 million [pounds sterling] marketing rescue package to woo back international visitors.

Ogilvy & Mather, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO and BMP DDB will compete for the advertising business in a pitch being co-ordinated by COI Communications.

Tessa Jowell, the culture secretary, unveiled the push on Monday in a bid to counter dwindling tourist numbers, which fell dramatically last year to 23 million following the foot-and-mouth crisis and fear of travelling following the terrorist attacks on the US. Last year, tourism revenues dropped by 14 per cent to …