This week, I joined Tourism Minister Michael Ellis to shine a spotlight on the country’s tourism industry.
On Monday I attended a parliamentary reception for the Tourism Alliance where I met with leaders in the tourism industry to celebrate the seventh annual English Tourism Week. On Wednesday I attended a drop-in session with the Tourism Minister to mark the event, which runs from 17-25th March 2018. I also met with representatives of national tourist organisation VisitBritain/VisitEngland at the drop-in to hear about the launch of its global tourism campaign ‘I Travel For…’.
Launched in February this year, the ‘I Travel For…’ campaign uses short films and story-telling to highlight unexpected experiences and less explored destinations in Britain, as well as its globally renowned and iconic landmarks and attractions. The digital campaign kicked off internationally with a launch film on Facebook and Instagram and will be followed by a series of films and images promoting destinations across Britain. VisitBritain’s I Travel For... campaign is part of the UK Government’s GREAT Britain campaign, which promotes the UK internationally as a place to visit, study, invest and do business.
Tourism Minister, Michael Ellis said: “From the beautiful Cornish Riviera to the iconic Hadrian's Wall, England boasts a wealth of unique heritage, breath-taking views, and world-class culture. English Tourism Week is a great opportunity for us to showcase the very best of what our country has to offer. In 2017 more than 44 million Brits holidayed in the UK and this week gives us a chance to raise the profile of the destinations that are so important at creating jobs and supporting the local economy.”
Tourism makes an incredibly significant contribution to the UK economy and I am delighted to join in the celebrations of this important industry. The tourism industry is worth £127 billion to the UK economy and plays a vital role in creating jobs and boosting growth across our nations and regions. Now in its seventh year, English Tourism Week helps raise to the profile of the industry and provides an opportunity to showcase the benefits of tourism to local communities and the economy. I’m fortunate that my Mid Worcestershire constituency boasts a host of beautiful sites for tourists to the UK to visit and the social media campaigns that have been taking place throughout English Tourism Week have given me the opportunity to share some of my favourite locations.