BTW 2008 - Support Messages for British Tourism Week

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.

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.

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.

Sarah Callander Beckett

We salute British Tourism Week and rural tourism in particular. Often unrecognised by government, our contribution to the rural economy as well as the enjoyment of millions of holidaymakers must not be underestimated. Landowners and farmers offer overseas guests a true taste of our regional differences, our historic houses and parks, local foods and festivals. The represent a true spirit of enterprise! Recognition for everything that tourism businesses in the countryside contribute should be stronger and be celebrated for being truly British!!!

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.

Tourism Society

Britain's visitor economy is dependent on organisations from a variety of industries. Retail, hospitality, attractions, airlines, tour operators and many government departments and agencies all have their part to play. British Tourism Week acknowledges the vital role of employees in all these sectors - from front-of-house staff to senior managers. We aim to encourage both employers and employees to improve their customer service and skills levels through training and development that we may all take pride in offering world-class visitor experiences.

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

Steve Brown

As Chair of the Partners for England Forum (made up of senior decision makers and influencers from across the sector), I enthusiastically support British Tourism Week, and see this as a key initiative which not only raises the profile of tourism but also offers another platform to ensure the on going prosperity of England's visitor economy. I am delighted to see that British Tourism Week, like Partners for England, encourages collaboration across the private, public and voluntary sectors.

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.

Guild of Registered Tourist Guides

The national association of quality-assured professional tourist guides is delighted to support British Tourism Week. Regional Blue Badge and City Green Badge Guides plan a series of events from London to Land's End, Cumbria to Kent. Our aim? To inspire, entertain and amuse as we showcase the difference a trained and qualified guide can make to the visitor experience - 52 weeks of the year!

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.

David Thompson

As a Blue Badge Guide and member of the Executive Council of the Guild I am delighted to be able to participate in British Tourism Week by offering my services in the form of two guided walks through the City of London. I wish the event every success.

Clare Packer, VisitNorwich

VisitNorwich is promoting special offers for local residents at tourist attractions and other local businesses across the Norwich area. The aim of the Residents First campaign is to help local people get to know the attractions on their doorstep and to encourage them to make more use of them – by becoming a ‘tourist’ in their own area. We’re very excited about this opportunity to show off to local folk the best of what the Norwich area has to offer to its visitors. And what better time to do it than to coincide with British Tourism Week which raises national and international awareness of the size, value and importance of Britain’s visitor economy.

Mike Greaves

The Scottish Tourist Guides Association is pleased to support this important national initiative. Tourism is an important industry to Scotland and the UK as whole. We feel that this is a great opportunity to celebrate and highlight the work done by individuals and organisations to make Tourism such an important part of our economy. We are proud to be involved and are looking forward to working with everyone to take this opportunity to build for future success and growth.

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.

Andy Woodward

Farm Stay UK represents the interests of 1,200 rural and countryside members providing quality accommodation to domestic and international visitors. Tourism may be the UK's 5th largest industry, yet those particpating in the industry do not recieve the due recognition for their professionalism and commitment for the remarkable jobs that they undertake. Any advance that British Tourism Week can achieve in changing these perceptions and delivering the financial support the industry as a whole requires are truly welcomed. Farm Stay UK will be hosting events in support of BTW.

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!

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.

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.

Zaheed Nizar

The UK has so much to offer tourists, and British Tourism Week is the perfect opportunity for businesses within the hospitality industry to demonstrate this with the 2012 Olympics only 4 years away.