Amanda Milling, Member of Parliament for Cannock Chase, visited Silver Trees Holiday Park in Rugeley to shine a spotlight on the local area’s tourism industry. The visit was part of a week devoted to travel and exploration during English Tourism Week (ETW) 30 March - 7 April 2018.
Now in its eighth year, English Tourism Week raises the profile and showcases the benefits of the tourism industry to local communities and the economy.
Tourism is one of England’s largest and most valuable industries. English tourism directly employ more than 2.6m people and generate over £106 billion a year for the British economy. English destinations are also a huge draw for overseas visits – in the first nine months of 2019 there were a record 11.9 million visits to English regions outside London. International visitors spent £5.7 billion across England’s regions during this period. Locally, the West Midlands region welcomed 2.3m inbound visit in 2017, with these visitors spending £807m.
Domestic tourism in England is also driving growth and supporting jobs. In the first 11 months of 2018 there were 42.7 million domestic holiday trips in England, with these holidaymakers spending £10.4 billion in the same period. Domestic tourism in the West Midlands was worth £1.2bn to the local economy in 2017, with 7.86m traveling to the region in this same period.
English Tourism Week is particularly special this year, as we celebrate 50 years as the British Tourist Authority (BTA). The Development of Tourism Act was passed in 1969 and VisitBritain/VisitEngland are using this milestone to look back on the importance of tourism progression and its value to destinations across the nations and regions as well as local businesses, and to champion the future of tourism as one of the UK’s biggest drivers of economic growth and employment.
Amanda Milling MP said: “I was delighted to visit Silver Trees Holiday Park in Rugeley as part of National English Tourism Week. English Tourism Week is an annual celebration of English tourism and runs from 30th March to 7th April 2019. The idea is to raise the profile of the industry and celebrate the value and quality of tourism in England. We certainly have a lot so celebrate in the area. Silver Trees Holiday park is a great local asset, where visitors can enjoy the peace, tranquillity and beauty of the Chase as well as being able to see the deer close up.”
VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes said: “English Tourism Week is a fantastic opportunity to shout about the many hidden gems that England has to offer. Whether it is the contemporary culture in our vibrant cities, our countryside’s beautiful landscapes or our seaside destinations there is so much to see and do and we want as many people and businesses to get involved as possible. We really have a fantastic week to look forward to in what is arguably the most exciting week of England’s tourism industry calendar, inspiring more Brits to explore England in springtime and throughout the summer as we celebrate our valuable industry, boosting its profile and acknowledging the hard-working people who go above and beyond for our visitors.”
To find out what's on during ETW visit – www.visitengland.com/things-to-do/english-tourism-week.
