Cumbria Tourism, the county’s official Local Visitor Economy Partnership, is marking English Tourism Week 2026 by working with businesses, partners and MPs to highlight the vital role tourism plays in supporting local communities and driving economic growth across Cumbria.
Led nationally by VisitEngland, English Tourism Week runs from 13 to 22 March and celebrates one of England’s most important industries. Tourism supports more than two million jobs nationally and generates around £127 billion annually for the UK economy.
Here in Cumbria, tourism is our rural economic engine and unique place shaping force. Our £4.6bn visitor economy not only welcomes visitors but sustains 28% of total employment across the county, supports our communities, enhances culture and landscape and delivers vast health and wellbeing benefits for all. Our visitors spend more than £1.1 billion within the food and drink sector alone, while the industry also generates significant value across related sectors including more than £1.2 billion through the wider supply chain and around £600 million within transport.
Cumbria Tourism and its members have so much happening, kicking off on the eve of English Tourism Week when Cumbria Tourism Chair Mark Holroyd will represent the destination at 10 Downing Street for a special event marking the launch of the national celebration of tourism.
We are encouraging businesses to celebrate too, by hosting events, sharing stories and highlighting the brilliant experiences they offer visitors. A great example is Grasmere Gingerbread who have teamed up with Blue Badge Guides to bring free guided walks of the village.
Our MPs are also getting on board, visiting tourism businesses within their constituencies, giving our MPs the opportunity to meet operators, hear directly from the sector, and celebrate the important contribution tourism makes to local economies and communities.
And English Tourism Week also plays host to Cumbria Tourism’s Members’ Meeting on Thursday 19 March at Rheged, Penrith, when more than 100 businesses will gather for an event focused on the theme “Tourism: A Force for Good.”
The event will bring together businesses, partners and industry leaders to explore how tourism supports the county. Speakers will include Sarah Dunning, Chair of the Westmorland Family, and Teresa Jennings, Chief Executive of Brathay Trust.
The event will also feature a panel discussion with contributions from VisitEngland, Cumbria Community Foundation, Rosehill Theatre, SITU and Kirkby Lonsdale Community Interest Company.
Attendees will also hear the latest visitor survey findings and future trends, alongside updates on work underway, helping support tourism businesses across the county.
Cumbria Tourism Chairman, Mark Holroyd, says:
“English Tourism Week provides an important opportunity to celebrate the many businesses, organisations and people who help make Cumbria one of the UK’s most distinctive visitor destinations.
“Tourism plays a vital role in supporting jobs, sustaining rural communities and generating investment across our county. It also helps showcase the landscapes, culture, food and experiences that make Cumbria so special.
“By bringing together businesses, partners and MPs during the week, we hope to highlight both the value of the visitor economy and the positive impact it continues to have on communities across Cumbria.”
Cumbria Tourism is encouraging tourism and hospitality businesses across the county to get involved in English Tourism Week by sharing their stories, hosting events or promoting the experiences they offer visitors.
Businesses can access resources and ideas through VisitEngland’s official English Tourism Week toolkit, available here:
https://www.visitbritain.org/working-us/english-tourism-week