22 March 2013
Waveney MP Peter Aldous this week has pledged his support for English Tourism Week 2013.

English Tourism Week 2013 (16-24 March) is designed to raise the profile and importance of tourism and showcase the value of the industry to local communities and to the national economy. The initiative ran for the first time last year, and saw over 500 special activities and promotions celebrating tourism in England.

Visitor attractions across England, accommodation providers and tourism operators will be putting on special events aimed at reminding local residents of the fantastic wealth of tourism experiences on their doorstep.

In support of English Tourism Week (16 - 24 March 2013), Peter Aldous joined the Minister of Tourism, Hugh Robertson, Lady Cobham, VisitEngland’s Chairman, Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas, Chair of London & Partners and tourism businesses at an event in Westminster earlier this week to highlight the importance of customer service in the industry by launching a series of free WorldHost training sessions for tourism and retail businesses around the country.

The free taster sessions, run by the National Skills Academy for Retail which is part of the government’s national skills sector council People 1st, will provide tourism businesses with an insight into how the WorldHost training programme can help them improve their customer service and ultimately boost their bottom line. WorldHost has been used to train over one million people worldwide and was used to train 70,000 Games-makers and over 9,000 volunteers at the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games last year.

Peter Aldous said:
“Tourism is a vital source of income to the Waveney economy both in creating jobs and boosting growth. The training sessions are a fantastic opportunity to encourage businesses to benefit from the huge benefits that tourism has to offer.”

Minister for Tourism, Hugh Robertson said:
“In 2012 we welcomed the world as the Diamond Jubilee and the Olympic and Paralympic Games showed our country at its best. We want to build on that and continue to drive growth for the tourism industry. The standard of customer service and care can make or break people’s experience and perception of our country so I urge the sector to get behind this initiative as part of English Tourism Week.”

VisitEngland Chairman Lady Cobham said:
“This initiative is a key part of how we see the legacy from the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games benefitting the tourism industry. The welcome and customer care we extend to our visitors is crucial to our success as a competitive destination on the world tourism stage so I would urge businesses to take advantage of these taster sessions and ensure that we continue to be perceived as a warm and inviting country.”

For details on how to take part in these free WorldHost taster sessions contact sairina@nsaforretail.com or call 0207 462 5060.