Staycation: The London Eye is one of the many attractions in the UK taking part in the 20.12 discount scheme

　　Britons are being encouraged to holiday at home as a major tourism drive offering Olympic themed discounts is launched next week。

　　A new campaign offering 20.12 percent slashed off bills at participating venues will be unveiled by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Wednesday to boost 'staycations'。

　　The scheme includes hotel accommodation, meals, guided tours and entry to attractions, with discounts funded by the industry。

　　Government officials said more than three million hotel rooms were already lined up under the project, which is being backed by a range of companies, including Butlins。

　　Attractions, such as the London Eye and Alton Towers, are also taking part。

　　Reduced prices will also be offered on stays on the Royal yacht Britannia, now moored in Leith, Edinburgh, and visits to Chatsworth, the historic house in Derbyshire。

　　Tourists will be able to take advantage of the discount by using a dedicated website before the end of the Paralympics on September 9 to make bookings for this year and 2013.

　　Mr Hunt said: 'With the Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympic Games, this year is the perfect opportunity for more of us to holiday in the UK.'

　　Mr Hunt has travelled the UK, urging companies to take part in the scheme, telling them: 'It's now or never for London tourism。

　　'We will never have a year like 2012 to show the world that this is, quite simply, the most exciting, vibrant, cosmopolitan city on the planet。

　　'The inevitable moans and groans in the run up to an Olympics must not cloud the scale of the opportunity - including our biggest ever tourism marketing campaign to make sure we get a lasting benefit from being in the global spotlight.'

　　The scheme will be promoted by a £3 million television advertising campaign – the first of its kind in the UK。

　　The government hopes the 'holidays at home are great' campaign – launched by VisitEngland – will create 12,000 jobs, create 5.3million extra short overnight breaks, and generate £480million in extra spending over three years。

　　(Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website。)

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　　(Agencies)

　　英国将于下周发起一场大型旅游宣传活动，为民众提供以奥运为主题的折扣优惠，鼓励英国民众在国内度假。

　　周三英国文化部部长杰瑞米•亨特将公布参与20.12%折价活动的场所，宣传“国内度假”。

　　这一优惠计划覆盖了旅店住宿、餐饮、跟团旅游和景点门票，由企业资助提供折扣价。

　　政府官员称，包括英国大型连锁度假公司Butlins在内的一大批公司已经参与该项目，提供的客房已超过了300万间。

　　像伦敦眼和奥尔顿塔这样的景点也参与了该项目。

　　乘坐皇家游艇不列颠号和德比郡古宅查茨沃斯庄园游也将提供减价优惠。该游艇现在停泊在爱丁堡利斯港口。

　　游客在9月9日残奥会结束前上专门的网站预订今年和2013年的旅游项目将能享受折价优惠。

　　亨特说：“今年将举行维多利亚女王登基钻石禧年庆典和2012伦敦奥运会，是英国人在国内度假的完美时机。”

　　亨特到英国各地鼓动多家公司参与这一项目，他告诉他们说：“今年对伦敦旅游业来说是机不可失，时不再来。”

　　“我们再也不会有又一个2012年来向世界展示我们的城市，这个地球上最振奋人心、充满活力的国际大都市。

　　“在奥运会的准备过程中不可避免地会有人抱怨，但我们不能让这些抱怨阻碍和限制这次机遇带来的发展，包括我们史上最大规模的旅游营销活动，确保我们能从这次成为全球焦点的机会中获得长久的利益。”

　　英国将耗资300万英镑通过电视广告来宣传该计划，这样的电视宣传在英国历史上也是首次。

　　英国政府希望VisitEngland发起的这个“在家度假很棒”的宣传活动能创造1.2万个就业机会，新增短假度假人次530万，并在未来三年使消费额增加4.8亿英镑。