BTW 2008 - Support Messages for British Tourism Week

Chris Haycock

The British Tourism Week is a valuable way to highlight and celebrate the diversity that the whole of the country has to offer our visitors. BritEvents.com represents thousands of British entertainment venues in promoting their events to both overseas visitors and residents, and as such we are delighted to offer our support to this exciting event by promoting it to as wide an audience as we can. I hope the British Tourism Week is a truly successful event which increases the awareness and professionalism of the tourism industry in the UK.

Les Clarke

Malton and Pickering Tourist Information Centres are pleased to support BTW.Wherever you are in the tourism spectrum Event Organiser, Accommodation or Visitor Attraction Provider,Visitor or UK Resident don’t forget your national network of TICs. We can provide that missing link between customer and market, and a personal service aimed at helping you.

Visit Wales and the Wales Tourism Alliance

Tourism contributes seven per cent of Wales' GDP but, like every part of Britain, we are facing increasing challenges in boosting tourism visits and spending. If we are to compete on an even footing with other parts of the UK and with countries around the world, we must grasp the opportunities afforded us during British Tourism Week and ensure the future success of destinations, attractions and tourism businesses throughout our nation.

Roger Bailey

It is vital we take this opportunity to focus on what is good about this country and what it has to offer both domestic and inbound tourist visitors. With increasing competition we need to work together to offer the complete package. This includes people such as Blue Badge Tourist Guides, who with their other partners in tourism, can open people's minds to what Britain has to offer. British Tourism Week is such a fantastic way to do this and it has our full support.

Reed Travel Exhibitions

British Tourism Week is a unique opportunity to unite our industry behind a major national initiative, which will help highlight the importance of the industry to Britain's economy, to tourism businesses and to the British public. Reed Travel Exhibitions is delighted to be counted among the organisations playing their part in exploring how the UK's complex tourism industry can work together to improve its international competitiveness.

University of Exeter

We are proud to support British Tourism Week and tourism in the South West in general. We are offering discounts during this week at www.ex.ac.uk/visitors

UKinbound

Tourism's importance to the UK's economy is often unappreciated, despite continued growth and record numbers of visitors. Our industry suffers when we fail to recognise that every business contributes to a greater whole. Together, during British Tourism Week, we hope to change the perception that the different sectors - from transport and tour operators to accommodation providers, travel agencies and attractions - operate independently.

Royal recognition of the importance of British Tourism Week - with the announcement that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales is to be our Patron - will help us redefine both the image and the reality of British tourism in the important years ahead. His Royal Highness' interests in heritage and in many of the quintessential elements that constitute Britain's tourism brand, make him a perfect ambassador for our industry.

Jeremy Wright MP

Tourism is an industry of huge importance to our economy and, in addition to tourist attractions, the restaurants, cafés and shops benefit from an increase in visitors to our area. Both Rugby and Kenilworth have a great deal to offer visitors and I welcome the opportunity to celebrate that in British Tourism Week. Jeremy Wright MP for Rugby & Kenilworth

VisitBritain

British Tourism Week highlights the contribution made by businesses from every part of the UK's tourism industry, large and small, public and commercial in maximising future opportunities such as the Olympic Games.

The Prince of Wales' support as Patron of British Tourism Week is further evidence of the critical importance of tourism to the UK economy and of our royal heritage to the tourism industry. HRH has consistently supported our industry over many years and has been an influential ambassador at home and abroad. We are delighted that he will lend his support as we lay the foundations to ensure the future growth and prosperity of our visitor economy.

Adrian Marklew

As the sub-region with the UK's most popular seaside resort (Blackpool) and the UK's most visited attraction (the Pleasure Beach), Lancashire and Blackpool and tourism go hand in hand. It's a crucial part of our economy here, contributing £2.5 billion each year and supporting 49,000 jobs. We backed the year in 2007 and we are fully committed for 2008, especially as the spotlight is on the North West with Liverpool 08, and our food and drink year Taste Lancashire 08. Bon appetit and cheers to the importance of tourism!

Christine Stalker

Guest Houses & Small Hotels are a vital part of the hospitality industry and their contribution to the industry can easily be overlooked. By taking part in BTW, B&B proprietors have an excellent opportunity to fly the flag for their wonderful businesses! Bed & Breakfast News is delighted to encourage and support every small business by supporting British Tourism Week. We have included a full page feature in our March issue, encouraging our subsribers to take part in this important event.

VisitScotland and the Scottish Tourism Forum

Tourism is Scotland's most important industry with benefits for all parts of the country. The success of Scottish Tourism Week has shown the value of such events in highlighting tourism's value plays to as wide an audience as possible. As visitors judge Britain against not just domestic destinations but ones around the world, we must continue to encourage a greater appreciation of the value of providing a quality tourism product. We give our support to British Tourism Week to raise this appreciation to international levels.

Angela Hughes

London's Blue Badge Tourist Guides are delighted to be part of British Tourism Week. We strive to give visitors the very best of London with the wamest of welcomes & BTW is all about showing the rest of the world how much Britain has to offer. Don't miss all the free Blue Badge walks happening in London on Saturday 15 March.

Tourism Alliance

Oftentimes Government policies and tourism agendas are irrevocably inter-twined, while tourism can be a powerful catalyst in influencing social inclusivity and driving economic success at national, regional and local levels. By increasing industry awareness and addressing the lack of understanding of the size, scope and importance of the tourism industry, British Tourism Week will help us all to continue to work together to achieve mutual objectives for residents and visitors alike.

Association of British Travel Agents

British travel agents have long been a fixture of the global tourism industry, but our members are facing increasing challenges with the advent of the Internet and do-it-yourself packages abroad. ABTA's involvement in British Tourism Week and our ongoing "Book Britain" campaign will help us further our commitment to developing our member's knowledge and awareness of the wealth of opportunities available in selling domestic breaks.

Jane Evans, Chief Executive, MIA

The Meetings Industry Association are proud to be supporting British Tourism Week. Through the sharing of best practice and by encouraging the industry to raise standards we can ensure that the UK becomes a destination of 'first choice'.

Peter Hampson

UK tourism is big business; it helps drives the economy of most towns and rural communities, and in doing so it contributes significantly to the social well-being of both the visitor and visited. In many areas the visitor economy is one of, if not the most important economic activities. We should celebrate tourism’s contribution the to the good of the Nation at every opportunity. For this reason the British Resorts And Destinations Association and it public and private sector members give their unreserved support to British Tourism Week. We urge others to do the same and help Britain celebrate a truly Great British success story.

Scott Dolling

Tourism and a sustainable visitor economy is vital to Suffolk with 10% of the county’s workforce involved in the sector. British Tourism Week gives us the platform to present the important connections between visitors and what they add to the local community and economy to our stakeholders.

England's Regions

Half of our international visitors never explore beyond London, while many Britons are too quick to escape to foreign destinations. Yet with ever-increasing accessibility from overseas into our regions, we have even greater opportunities to maximise the wealth of tourism opportunities available in every part of England. By drawing attention to the whole of the country, British Tourism Week will help us ensure that our visitors are aware of all they can enjoy wherever they choose to travel.

Peter O'Meara

BTW is a celebration of one of the most consistently successful industries in the UK. By drawing attention to its success in this way, more people will be made aware of just how diverse,important and essential the industry is. In addition,it should help to create a greater understanding of the significant positive contribution it makes as a major invisible export.