Industry News
For need-to-know industry news from VisitEngland and VisitBritain, keep reading below.
New Chair of the BTA Board Announced
Harris Bokhari has been announced as the new Chair of the British Tourist Authority Board, which trades as VisitBritain and VisitEngland.
To find out more about Bokhari’s appointment, read the press release here.
English Tourism Week 2026
English Tourism Week returns from 13 – 22 March 2026!
This annual celebration of the tourism industry showcases its importance to local communities and economies as one of England’s largest and most valuable industries.
This year’s theme is ‘local stories, national growth’.
English Tourism Week aims to kickstart the spring/summer season and give businesses and destinations a marketing hook to engage with customers and encourage bookings. The celebration also increases awareness among domestic visitors of the quality and variety of the English tourism offer and encourages domestic travel.
If you are putting on a special event for English Tourism Week or choosing this time to launch a new product, please send full details to [email protected] and [email protected], giving us time to pitch to local media and include you in VisitNorwich content.
Deadlines to Note:
Print: 12 January 2026
Broadcast, Online & Socials: 13 February 2026
Please remember to upload special events and offers to our What’s On page!
This Month’s VisitEngland Sentiment Tracker
You can find VisitEngland’s Domestic Sentiment Tracker for December here.
In this month’s Sentiment Tracker, cost-of-living perceptions have improved since last month, with the proportion of UK adults being cautious at 46%.
Overnight domestic trips in the next 12 months are below those anticipated for 2025, but trip intentions for December 2025 improved and were in line with levels from early 2025. The number of UK adults more likely to choose UK trips (34%) in the next 6 months outweighs overseas travel (31%) because they’re easier to plan (55%).
Short breaks will dominate the next few months, with the top destination ‘a city or large town’ for January – March. ‘Hotel/ motel/ inn’ is the leading accommodation, while the top motivation is ‘family time or time with my partner’. ‘Trying local food and drink’ is the top activity for January – March, whilst ‘walking, hiking or rambling’ is top for April – June.
