Industry News
For need-to-know industry news from VisitEngland and VisitBritain, keep reading below.
Economic Value of UK Tourism
VisitEngland’s major new report highlights that the tourism industry is worth £147 billion to the UK economy! This equates to approximately 5% of the national economy, making it larger than the insurance and pensions sectors combined and employing almost 1 in every 15 jobs across the UK.
You can read the full report here.
VisitEngland’s AccessAble Discount
The spending power of disabled people and their households (also known as the Purple Pound) is worth £275 billion to the UK economy. When it comes to tourism, research shows that many people use an accessibility guide to find out key features of places they would like to stay or visit.
AccessAble offers detailed accessibility guides to venues across the country. Tourism and hospitality businesses can use AccessAble to undertake a Guided Assessment or On-Site Assessment of their venue (from £165, prices depend on the type, size and complexity of each venue).
You can take advantage of VisitEngland’s discounts (50% off Guided Assessments; 25% off On-Site Assessments) and see if you’re eligible via this link!
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 January here.
In this month’s Sentiment Tracker, cost-of-living perceptions have significantly improved since December, with most UK adults being ‘cautious and very careful’ (42%) or ‘alright and unaffected’ (30%).
Overnight domestic trips in the next 12 months are below those anticipated for 2025, but spring and winter trip intentions are in line with last year. Positively, domestic trip intentions have steadily improved and perceived financial barriers have dropped to levels last seen in June 2025.
The number of UK adults more likely to choose UK trips (34%) outweighs overseas travel (26%) because they’re easier to plan (51%).
Short breaks will dominate the next few months, with the top destination ‘a city or large town’ for January – March and April – June. ‘Hotel/ motel/ inn’ is the leading accommodation, while the top motivation is ‘family time or time with my partner’ for both periods. ‘Trying local food and drink’ is the top activity for January – March, whilst ‘walking, hiking or rambling’ is top for April – June.
