Britain's Welcome Extends To Visitors Of All Ages

This month British icon and one of the world's most loved bears is being given the star treatment. To celebrate the global release of Paddington the film, British Airways and VisitBritain have rolled out the red carpet with these top five ways for fans of all ages to follow in Paddington's paw-steps on a journey to Britain.

1. Travelling with children

The key to making travelling with children as smooth and enjoyable a journey as possible is to keep them entertained. The team at British Airways provide children with entertainment packs as soon as they take their seats on long-haul flights to ensure they are kept amused throughout the journey. The inflight entertainment system includes Skyflyer Kids' Zone entertainment channels. As well as Disney and Cartoon Network programmes, blockbuster family movies and a dedicated audio music channel.

2. London for first time visitors

The young hero was named Paddington after the station he landed up in – and anyone who visits London will soon discover it's the ideal place to start your own great adventure. London is celebrating the cinema debut of this favourite bear with the Paddington Trail. Designed by a host of artists, designers and celebrities the trail of 50 Paddington statues are located across the capital taking in the key museums, parks and shops which track Paddington's favourite haunts. One of those places is the Natural History Museum in Kensington. Aside from the unparalleled dinosaur collection – from bones to animatronic velociraptors and an incredibly life-like Tyrannosaurus Rex - there are creepy crawlies, volcanoes, earthquakes, blue whales, fossils and all sorts of fun and games! From April 2015, visitors to London will be able to embark on a three hour Paddington adventure with BritMovie Tours who are launching a tour dedicated to the Peruvian bear and the inspiration behind the film. Visitlondon.com/paddington

3. Real life Paddington encounters

Just a few hours from London is Chester Zoo where you can meet the inspiration for the beloved book and film character. Paddington comes from 'darkest Peru' – and the only bear that hails from South America is the Spectacled Bear (also sometimes known as Andean Bears). Chester Zoo is home to two of these bears which have white rings around their eyes (no two bears have the same pattern). In 2015 Chester Zoo will open the new Islandsdevelopment, the most ambitious in UK zoo history. Islands will immerse visitors in an adventure where they will come face-to-face with residents ranging from warty pigs and banteng cattle to Sulawesi macaques, Sumatran orangutans and Sunda Gharial crocodiles.www.chesterzoo.org

4. The best bear buys

London's Paddington Station has a dedicated Paddington shop where you can pick up a Paddington memento or have your photo taken with the Paddington statue that you'll pass by on your way there. For all things Paddington – from cute keyrings, comfortable sweatshirts and cuddly bear toys - head towww.visitbritainshop.com. You'll also find memorabilia of your favourite bear at markets such as London's Portobello market or pop into Hamley's on London's bustling Regent Street – and lose yourself in a cosy world of teddy bears and soft toys…including Paddington of course! www.hamleys.com . And don't forget to stock up on Paddington's favourite snack – Marmalade. Fortnum & Mason offers a comprehensive selection of handmade marmalades in its flagship London store or sample one of the many Paddington-themed marmalade afternoon teas available around Britain.

5. Room for all your luggage

On British Airways flights, children and infants have a generous free hand and checked-in baggage allowance, which comes in handy when you consider all of the extra equipment required for travelling with kids, from bottles to nappies to their favourite bear. Furthermore, at the departure gate, families are invited to board first, and if passengers have a small folding pushchair, this can be taken right to the aircraft door at most airports.

Nicole Backo, Regional Commercial Manager, Australia, British Airways said:'Thanks to Paddington and his travels, we are very excited to be able to bring a touch of quintessentially British scenery to cinema screens in Australia. We are the only European airline to be servicing the Australian market and we have been linking travellers from Australia with the UK for nearly 80 years. We hope you love London just as much as Paddington does!'

Joss Croft, Marketing Director at VisitBritain said: 'This film is a huge opportunity that we really could not let slip through our paws! The power of set-jetting is an important element in driving incremental tourism with the right film acting as free advertising, so we do all we can to capitalise on that. The film demonstrates the warm welcome that Britain delivers to all our visitors – albeit in this case an ursine Peruvian!'

To celebrate the launch of 'Paddington', British Airways is currently offering airfares to Britain from AUD$1771.74 inclusive of taxes and surcharges for travel between 16JAN15 to 30SEP15, and the fares are on sale until 31DEC14. For more information go to www.ba.com.