Following a competitive pitch, specialist travel PR agency, Guanxi, has been appointed by Virgin Trains East Coast to develop a PR and marketing campaign aimed at growing its Chinese customer base.

The campaign, which will be delivered both in the UK and in China, will maximise the opportunity offered by the huge growth in Chinese travellers to the UK, and the large number of Chinese people living and studying in the cities served by Virgin Trains East Coast.

Activity will include working with Chinese travel bloggers and student influencers, the launch of a Weibo social media account, PR campaigns in conjunction with destination partners, content creation and placement on key Chinese channels, and travel trade representation through Guanxi’s office in Beijing.

Laetitia Beneteau, Business Development Manager, Virgin Trains East coast said,

‘Today, China is becoming a focus for VTEC and it was very important for us to find a partner who understood not only the Chinese market, but also the ambitions and values of our brand. The team at Guanxi presented us with an exciting plan which meets our needs, and their connections with many of our tourism partners made them the perfect choice.’

Helena Beard, Managing Director, Guanxi, said,

‘Chinese UK tourist and student numbers continue to boom, with the fastest growth coming from the independent travel segment. By promoting Virgin Trains East Coast as the best choice for visiting popular cities like London, Edinburgh, York and Newcastle, we hope to encourage our Chinese visitors to explore more of the UK by rail.’