LONDON, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of British students who head to Asia, South America and other exotic destinations on their gap years were Wednesday urged to add Britain as a new destination to their travel plans.

VisitEngland launched a campaign to inspire more young students to discover Britain by taking mini gap-year style breaks on their own doorsteps.

The 3.25 million U.S. dollar "Join the World -- #MyMicrogap" campaign will target young people with experiences and activities typically taken during a gap-year that can be condensed into a micro-holiday of one to three nights in the UK.

The campaign kicked off today with the first in a series of short films being rolled out across digital display and social media channels during the coming months.

The campaign, launched by VisitEngland and run in partnership with the tourism organisations of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, is part of a drive to get more young people to holiday at home.

Visit England said statistics show that in 2016, 16-to-34 year olds took almost 1.4 million fewer holidays in Britain than a decade previously.

The microgap campaign follows research by VisitEngland into the travel habits of young Brits which showed that less than a quarter of 18-to-34 year olds were likely to take a career break to travel in the next three years.

The idea of microgapping however appealed to almost two-thirds with more than half likely to take a microgap during the next three years. Research showed that young people keen on taking a microgap wanted the same self-development opportunities typical of a gap-year.

Top activities and experiences sought were well-being and relaxation, visiting iconic landmarks, trying local food and drink and seeing nature and wildlife.

VisitBritain director of marketing Clare Mullin said that whether learning a new skill, volunteering or ticking off a bucket list experience, Britain "is packed full of life-enriching experiences right here on our doorstep".

Mullin said: "From mastering the pottery wheel at a ceramics course in North Wales to walking alpacas in the Lake District, from canoeing on Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland to soaking up the live music scene in Glasgow, Scotland, we want young people to take a new look at the adventures, experiences and destinations on offer."

Join the World -- #MyMicrogap is expected to generate additional 80 million U.S. dollars in domestic tourism spend for the economy.