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VisitEngland, the national tourist board, is pleased to report the success of the first ever English Tourism Week. The national initiative was designed to raise the profile and importance of tourism, and showcase the value of the industry to both local communities and the economy. Over 400 special events and promotions took place between Saturday 10 and Sunday 18 March, from afternoon teas and cake baking competitions, to special guided walks and art exhibitions.
English Tourism Week was launched with the exciting announcement that HRH The Prince of Wales will be the event’s patron for the next year. Throughout the week, tourism operators up and down the country got involved by putting on special events and activity aimed at reminding local residents of the fantastic wealth of tourism experiences on their doorstep, and encouraging them to become local ambassadors for their home town.
The week saw the national tourist board’s announcement of findings from a major survey into the value of day visits to the economy. The research revealed that GB residents took 1.5billion tourism day trips in the UK in 2011, spending £54billion; in England, Brits took 1.3billion trips, spending £44billion
To highlight English Tourism Week, VisitEngland teamed up with the Daily Mirror to find England’s first ever Tourism Superstar – someone who goes the extra mile to make breaks in England extra special. On Saturday 10 March, the winner was announced as Newcastle cabbie, Alan Fidler; Mr Fidler will receive his accolade at the VisitEngland Awards for Excellence in Leicester on 22 May.
VisitEngland’s Chief Executive James Berresford celebrated English Tourism Week at the Best of Britain and Ireland show in Birmingham, sitting on the panel of Minister’s Question Time and giving an update on VisitEngland’s activity during 2012; VisitEngland’s Chairman, Lady Cobham, delivered the keynote speech at the Historic Town’s Forum’s National Tourism Conference at Blenheim Palace on Friday 16 March. Highlighting the links between Tourism, Heritage and Culture, the key focus was how to develop innovative and resilient tourism in our historic towns and cities, in spite of the economic climate.
The packed week concluded with Lady Cobham and Chairman of English Tourism Week, David Curtis-Brignell, joining the Prime Minister at an English Tourism Week networking event in his constituency of Witney, Oxfordshire (pictured below). The Rt Hon David Cameron MP highlighted the importance of the tourism industry in driving the economy, as the country’s third-largest export.
Lady Cobham commented: “We are delighted with the success of English Tourism Week, and the enthusiastic support it has received. Tourism operators and destination partners across the country have taken the initiative to heart, and come up with an incredible array of imaginative events and promotions, all aimed at highlighting the value of the industry. We hope this week-long celebration has inspired people to become tourism ambassadors for their local area, and we are already looking forward to building on this success for English Tourism Week 2013!”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
