Websites for young consumers abroad

There are many websites which provide information about the UK today in a lively format aimed at the general public. Some of the main ones are:

• Planet Britain is the definitive statement of the lifestyle of the UK for young people. It contains sections on topics as diverse as Street Culture, the Arts, Design and the Media, Sport, Studying, Science and Technology.
• Football Culture is based on the successful British Council exhibition Football Nation and highlights all the passion and commitment of fans who share a common culture around the world. As well as being the home of football and currently a cosmopolitan sport, the UK has been a source of innovation in the sport. Did you know that the Acme Thunderer whistle was invented in the UK and the most popular referee whistle in the world? Do you know how goalposts evolved, how pitch markings changed?
• CultureLab UK is a new website which celebrates UK science and technology, highlighting recent achievements. Sections deal with Design, Digital, Fashion, Film, Future, Life and Music.
• UK the Guide is the British Tourist Authority's portal website aimed specifically at young people.

Organisations' websites

More general websites suitable for overseas consumers of containing information on the UK include:

• UK online - a portal site for all government activities
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) - contains regularly updated information about British embassies around the world, policies and speeches
• The British Council - information about the British Council and its activities around the world
• British Tourist Authority - the award winning tourism website about Britain (not Northern Ireland)
• The Design Council - full of good stories about design and innovation
• The Department for Education and Skills - the work of the department
• The Department for Culture, Media and Sport - the work of the departments with links to all the major cultural agencies
• Trade Partners UK - a site for UK exporters
• Invest UK - investing in the UK

New projects

The Kiosks Project

This is an exciting project which has the potential to make information on the UK available all around the world in a coherent way. At present all the government departments involved in overseas projection of the UK - the FCO, The British Council, the British Tourist Authority and others - all have their own websites.

This project aims to bring these together under a single internet gateway of information which is customer friendly. A user will no longer have to look in the British Council site for information on cultural activities, the FCO site for details of applying for a visa, and the BTA site for transport information. After Autumn 2001 they will be able to access this information in one go from anywhere in the world.

For more information see the FCO website.