Celebrate Tourism in 2015!14-22 March 2015

EnglishTourismWeek

English Tourism Week is now established as one of the key tourism events in the calendar – an opportunity for individuals, businesses (large and small) and organisations to raise their profile with the media, politicians (local and national) and customers.

See how you can be involved by organising your own event, or take part in an existing one such as Tourism Superstar or a Big Weekend.

Celebrate the quality and vibrancy of our visitor experiences and the value our industry brings to England in a week-long programme of events to kick start the season this year.Taking place from 14 – 22

Join VisitEngland in 2015 for English Tourism Week and celebrate the importance of tourism and the benefits our industry brings to everyone, everywhere, every day, in England.

March 2015 English Tourism Week’s main objectives are to:• Raise the profile and understanding of tourism with decision makers, the media, those who work in the industry and those considering a career in the industry.

• Increase awareness amongst consumers including local residents who can discover the delights on their doorstep and visitors from further afield who can experience England, its variety, accessibility and value.

• Provide a national framework for local destinations, businesses and organisations to use to build their own marketing and PR campaigns.

• English Tourism Week provides you with a free national marketing and communication “hook” to heighten awareness of your own activities.

Support your industry!

Our sector touches everyone – visitors, residents and employees. It’s one of the few sectors active across the country. It’s the third largest employer supporting over 2.5 million jobs and providing a significant source of employment for those unable to work full-time. It’s a major employer of school leavers and young people and is an incubator for entrepreneurs.

The visitor economy is worth £106bn a year to England supporting thousands of businesses and seriously impacting on the performance of supplier industries including farming, transport, retailing, sport, museums and galleries, the theatre and other performing arts. Tourism cannot be offshored – it only happens here! So join us for English Tourism Week 2015 and support our valuable industry!

Get involved!Everyone is invited to get involved…. you may be running a bed and breakfast establishment, pub, café, local attraction or be the managing director of a national hotel or restaurant chain… every sector counts! So take advantage of English Tourism Week to promote your business.

By organising your own event, activity or promotion under the ETW15 campaign banner you will raise the profile of your own business and be adding to the combined efforts of the week to raise awareness with local residents, visitors and key decision makers. Everyone can get involved – even the simplest idea can be effective.

Involve local businesses• Hold a “made in…” event to highlight locally produced goods• Take part in VisitEngland’s “Tourism Superstar!” initiative • Arrange a tourism careers event with local colleges and tourism businesses• Work with local restaurants, hotels and shops to offer special discounts and offers• Get your local brewery to label a brew with a local name

Involve the community• Organise an “English tea party” in English fancy dress • Organise a Guinness World Record event, such as the world’s longest conga dance on your pier

• Set up an exhibition focusing on local history, arts or culture• Hold a competition to create a distinctive local dish• Hold a youth competition to design a new poster, video or shareable social media content

Involve your visitors• Get local TICs to organise ways to involve visitors in the week’s events • Set up a specialty festival celebrating local bands, beer or food, and promote it online to fans near and far

• Organise guided walks or cycling trips to see places of local interest • Create fun days out for local and visitor children and families• Promote local accessibility options to encourage visitors with access needs

www.englishtourismweek.co.ukAnd don’t forget to tweet us your events! @visitenglandbiz #ETW15

Events do not have to be big or costly. There may be something tourism related already going on in your area which you could “badge” English Tourism Week. If not, here are a few ideas of things you could organise either for your business or with others in your area. For even more ideas go to the ETW website and download “101 ideas for getting involved in English Tourism Week.”

Get started with our online toolkitVisit the ETW website for more ideas, templates, logos, case studies and information on how to make the most of English Tourism Week 2015.

14-22 March 2015

EnglishTourismWeek