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

drive: 运动；宣传活动

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'.

staycation: 在本国度假

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.

London Eye: 伦敦眼，全称英国航空伦敦眼（The British Airways London Eye），又称千禧之轮，坐落在伦敦泰晤士河畔，是世界第三大摩天轮。

Alton Towers: 奥尔顿塔，它是英国最大的主题公园及游乐场，也是世界十大游乐场之一。

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.'

Diamond Jubilee: 维多利亚女王登基钻石禧年庆典，是英国女王登基60周年庆典，也叫钻石庆。

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

now or never: 机不可失，时不再来

'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.

vibrant: 充满生气的

cosmopolitan: 世界性的；世界主义的；四海一家的

'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.

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