The annual celebration of country’s tourism industry to be held online over 25-31 May will bring together destinations, local authorities and businesses to place a spotlight on the importance of tourism to local and regional economies, as well as the wider UK economy.
MPs are also asked next Thursday (28 May) to share photos and social media posts from previous English Tourism Weeks or their favourite English holiday destinations under #ThrowbackThursday and #EnglishTourismWeek20.
Tourism minister Nigel Huddleston said the week-long event recognised the role the sector plays in supporting jobs and attracting investment.
"This is a challenging time for the industry, and we’re providing support through an unprecedented government package for businesses and workers," said Huddleston.
"I hope everyone will use English Tourism Week as an opportunity to celebrate the sector, and we’ll be encouraging people to book a great British holiday as soon as it is safe to do."
VisitEngland director Andrew Stokes added the bash would also seek to celebrate the sector’s diversity, and showcase "the quality, range and value" of English tourism.
“While we cannot run events as usual this year, the spirit of the week has never been more important," said Stokes.
"Tourism has been one of the first and hardest hit economic sectors due to the Covid-19 pandemic and this year’s virtual week is dedicated to showing support for the industry, the millions of people who work in it and the hundreds of thousands of businesses impacted.
“It is also about looking towards the future recovery and doing everything we can right now to ensure that tourism can bounce back to once again become one of the most successful and vibrant sectors of the economy."
VisitEngland says it has been working "across the industry and with the UK government" to ensure tourism is able to recover as quickly as possible once restrictions are lifted.
It is working to develop common industry standards to provide a "ring of confidence" for tourism businesses, attractions and destinations in England, as well as reassurance to visitors that businesses have clear processes in place for when restrictions are lifted.
