Tourism centre stage with English Tourism Week fast approaching

English Tourism Week is fast approaching with this year’s week dedicated to showing support for tourism businesses and destinations as they rebuild, with a focus also on skills and career opportunities across the sector.

With ‘You’re Welcome’ as its strapline this year, the week is also sending a message that England’s tourism industry is ready to welcome visitors and provide a stand-out experience.

Coordinated by VisitEngland and taking place from 18-27 March, English Tourism Week is an annual celebration of the tourism industry and kick-starts the season.  The week highlights tourism’s economic importance to local economies as well as promoting the innovation, quality and range of products and services on offer to boost domestic breaks.

English Tourism Week is also this year highlighting the wide range of jobs and career opportunities available across the industry in all parts of the country.

Tourism Minister Nigel Huddleston said:

"English Tourism Week celebrates the enormous contribution our brilliant tourism sector makes to the economy and I'm looking forward to supporting this year's events. 

"I encourage people to explore the huge range of opportunities available - from finding a new and rewarding career to exploring the exciting range of experiences, events and destinations on offer."

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said:

“English Tourism Week shines the spotlight on an industry which supports millions of jobs and local economies right across England, as well as encouraging people to discover and explore the outstanding tourism products, destinations and experiences right here on our doorstep.

“This year the week is also dedicated to supporting our industry as it rebuilds, showing that it is open and ready to welcome visitors back to the experiences they have missed during the pandemic. 

“We’re also using the week to highlight the range and variety of jobs across the industry and to encourage people to consider a career in tourism. From tour operating, destination marketing, hospitality and hotel management to business events, visitor attractions and policy development, our people-focused sector has a huge amount to offer employees.”

VisitEngland is also calling for businesses and destinations to get involved in the week with a ‘toolkit’ of marketing assets including posters available to download to promote their local products and services, attractions and experiences.

In the lead-up to English Tourism Week and throughout VisitEngland is encouraging people to show support for English tourism on social media by using #EnglishTourismWeek22. People can share photos and memories of favourite holidays in England on the Thursday during the week using #throwbackthursdays.

VisitEngland and local destinations are also asking MPs, local authorities, the UK Government and other stakeholders to get involved and show their support by visiting local businesses and attractions during the week.

English Tourism Week follows VisitEngland’s launch of its £1 million domestic campaign - ‘Escape the Everyday - enjoy an English city break this spring’ - to encourage short-breaks to English cities, hit hard by the lack of international visitors. The campaign is also highlighting the landmark events taking place across England’s cities this year including HM The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, showing the industry’s ability to host events of the highest calibre.

Tourism is one of England’s largest and most valuable industries, supporting hundreds of thousands of businesses, employing about 2.6 million people and, in 2019, generating £76 billion in domestic visitor spending.