English Tourism Week at 13: PR stunt or industry lifeline?

English Tourism Week returned last month for its 13th year, and took place between 14 and 23 March. The annual VisitEngland campaign aims to celebrate the nation’s visitor economy. In theory, it’s a chance for hotels, attractions and tourism boards to ride a national wave of attention. In practice, the results are mixed. To some operators, it’s a useful commercial hook – a platform to drive bookings and build local partnerships. But to others, it’s a fleeting moment with little measurable return. Yet in 2025, the stakes are higher. Domestic tourism is facing fierce competition from cheaper international breaks. While events-led footfall is up in some areas, many regional operators are still left chasing pre-Covid profitability. So the question is timely: what is English Tourism Week really doing for hotels, and what could it do better? While English Tourism Week is seen as a bit of a PR exercise, for the hotels that approach the campaign strategically, it can bring a commercial benefit. Vanina Principi, founder and director of hospitality consultancy firm VP7, says: “We’ve worked with independent hotels and small groups who’ve used ETW to drive bookings, build partnerships, and strengthen their local presence.” That success, Principi says, depends on integration. “We’ve seen that tying ETW into a wider marketing and revenue strategy works best”, she notes. “Offers that celebrate English heritage, limited-time collaborations with local attractions, and themed flash campaigns can all create momentum. Several hotels we’ve supported saw direct bookings rise by 6 to 9% during the ETW window, compared to the same period the previous year.” But the week also has a longer-term potential beyond immediate revenue, as Principi points out there’s a broader opportunity to increase visibility: “For smaller operators in particular, ETW is a moment to host local stakeholders, engage with media, and highlight sustainability or community-led initiatives. These efforts often lead to long-term benefits beyond the immediate commercial uplift, including press coverage and access to regional funding streams.” Chester Zoo is planning to expand further later this year with the opening of Heart of Africa – a 22.5-acre savannah zone – and luxury accommodation under The Reserve brand. When it comes to the yearly campaign, Cheshire’s tourism leaders bet big on the power of local pride and the numbers suggest they were right to; Cheshire and Warrington’s visitor economy is now worth £3.9bn – around one-tenth of the region’s entire economy – supporting 38,000 jobs and attracting 56 million recorded day visits annually. 2025 was no different, and Marketing Cheshire made sure to inform all residents and visitors alike that the region’s world-class tourism attractions are a key driver of economic growth, not just popular destinations. “Every visit to a Cheshire attraction, hotel, bar, shop or retail outlet is an investment back into our region and supports the growth of our visitor economy and local jobs,” Trevor Brocklebank, chair of Marketing Cheshire, adds. “Cheshire and Warrington is a wonderful place to live, work and visit and ahead of English Tourism Week, we just wanted to remind people of the tourism gems here on their doorsteps.” In 2023, Chester Zoo and Tatton Park were named among the most visited paid attractions in England, ranking third and twentieth respectively. In fact, Chester was named among the top 10 ‘Most Welcoming Cities on Earth’ in Booking.com’s Traveller Review Awards 2025 – the only UK city to make the list, so it’s easy to see that this part of the UK takes attraction-led tourism very seriously. But in order to keep its crown, Chester Zoo is planning to expand further later this year with the opening of Heart of Africa – a 22.5-acre savannah zone – and luxury accommodation under The Reserve brand. “We’re incredibly proud to be part of Cheshire’s world-class tourism offering, contributing to the region’s outstanding reputation as a top destination,” Jamie Christon, CEO of Chester Zoo, says. “A thriving visitor economy in Cheshire is vitally important to us. That’s why we’re always striving to evolve and provide fresh, exciting and genuine experiences that connect our visitors with nature.” The blend of leisure and business tourism is part of what’s fuelling the local economy. Meanwhile, English Tourism Week in Warwick proved to be a springboard of sorts. For Warwick Castle and its newly-opened hotel, 2024 had already brought a 52% rise in overnight stays compared with the year before, having attracted more than 10,000 visitors since first opening. According to Liam Bartlett, general manager of Warwick Castle, these figures reflect a town that thrives on tourism when the right levers are pulled. “Our new hotel has underlined to us that Warwick as a town thrives off events – both locally and further afield,” Bartlett says. “Our clientele is very broad. The majority of our guests are visiting the castle and Warwick, but this is complemented by business visitors too thanks to the central location of the town and convenient connectivity to the motorway and train networks.” This blend of leisure and business tourism is part of what’s fuelling the local economy. “We often have people who are visiting conferences and exhibitions staying with us, or attending larger events in the local area,” Bartlett added. “This is great not just for the hotel, but the local town too, as having more people staying locally – and for longer – ultimately helps to drive more footfall into the local community.” Bartlett’s comments came during a visit from Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington, who used English Tourism Week as an opportunity to show public support for the town’s visitor economy. Western’s visit was facilitated by Shakespeare’s England, the regional tourism board supporting English Tourism Week in South Warwickshire. With events like Comedy at the Castle, and a live concert series on the calendar, Warwick Castle’s strategy has been to build the infrastructure, create the experience and, and let demand flow. “We’re incredibly lucky to have such a stunning attraction and piece of history on our doorstep, and people understandably travel far and wide to come and visit,” Western said. “Tourism plays a major part in our local economy, and I welcomed the opportunity to view the hotel and the impressive facilities it provides visitors to our town.” According to Sian Smith, the content and digital executive at Shakespeare’s England, the hotel’s opening bodes well for the upcoming season – even after English Tourism Week has wrapped up and gone. “It’s great to see both Warwick and the surrounding areas benefitting from this impressive new hotel. A hotel of this size really complements the existing local accommodation offer,” Smith said. “The early signs are really encouraging for the hotel ahead of a busy spring and summer season as the wider region gears up to welcome visitors from across the UK and the rest of the world.” With events like Comedy at the Castle, and a live concert series on the calendar, Warwick Castle’s strategy has been to build the infrastructure, create the experience and, and let demand flow. After more than a decade, English Tourism Week remains a familiar fixture full of banners, official visits, and ribbon cuttings. But for all its visibility, the question lingers: what is it actually for? Well, for operators like Warwick Castle and Chester Zoo, the week offers an opportunity to galvanise public attention and strengthen local ties. The thread that ties Cheshire, Warwick, and the wider tourism sector together is this: where English Tourism Week is used tactically, it works. However, Principi sees room for evolution, a need for English Tourism Week to move beyond symbolism and into strategy. “To make ETW more effective in future, a shift towards practical, data-led support would be useful,” she says. “Hotels would benefit from access to year-on-year regional benchmarking data, particularly around occupancy and ADR, to understand the real impact of the week. VisitEngland could also provide more tailored toolkits to help hotels run targeted campaigns around ETW.” She also suggests that VisitEngland could play a greater enabling role by offering better toolkits, behavioural insights, and support for campaign execution, adding that “national campaigns that directly support regional booking platforms could help translate awareness into action”. The thread that ties Cheshire, Warwick, and the wider tourism sector together is this: where English Tourism Week is used tactically, it works. But its long-term relevance will depend on how well it equips the industry – not just to celebrate the visitor economy, but to sustain and grow it. In a sector worth billions to the UK and essential to hundreds of towns and cities, no opportunity should be just for show.