VisitEngland director: tourism is still a feel-good industry

As 2026 gets underway it’s timely to reflect on the importance of our tourism industry and recognise that 2025 was a very mixed picture for many tourism businesses in England.

Tourism is one of our most valuable industries, supporting hundreds of thousands of businesses and a variety of jobs at all levels. From the entrepreneurs and small businesses to our visitor destinations and attractions, tourism is the backbone of our economy.

Domestic overnight trips have dropped 8% year-on-year as consumers wrestle with cost-of-living uncertainties and companies with the higher cost of doing business. Seaside destinations have been particularly hard hit as cities have grown in popularity. VisitEngland is launching a £300,000 marketing campaign to shine a spotlight on the North West’s coastal gems, encouraging Brits to take a break in England, supporting us to make the case for similar marketing activity in the future. If we could convert just 10% of what we spend on travelling abroad to holidaying at home, we could deliver an £8 billion boost to our economy.

The value of tourism extends way beyond its economic benefits. A recent VisitEngland study on tourism’s social impact found significantly higher levels of community pride, social cohesion and sense of wellbeing amongst those living and working in tourist areas. Almost 60% of residents in tourist destinations felt connected to their community compared to 35% elsewhere.

We must continue to attract the visitors of the future and grow the visitor economy regeneratively and sustainably. VisitEngland’s Awards for Excellence and online business advice hub, as well as the Local Visitor Economy Partnership programme, are just a few ways in which we support destinations to put their unique tourism offer at the heart of their activity, attracting visitors, inward investment and ensuring positive contributions to their communities.

Tourism is a feel-good industry, it also drives growth. It creates memories of a lifetime and also creates first jobs that develop into fulfilling careers. At VisitEngland we are working with public and private sector bodies, building partnerships to ensure growth that benefits us all.

Looking ahead to 2026, we will again be supporting English Tourism Week, running from 13th – 22nd March, highlighting tourism’s economic importance and promoting businesses and destinations to boost domestic breaks.

We continue to deliver our statutory duty to provide expert advice and insights to industry and to the UK Government, and to make the strongest case for tourism, one of England’s greatest industries.

Andrew Stokes,
Director, VisitEngland

For more information head to www.visitengland.com. 

This comment is from the 2026 edition of Who’s Who in Group Leisure. Posted to thousands of our readers it is also available online for everyone by clicking here.