Tourism South East go back to their roots for British Tourism Week

NEWS RELEASE

11 March 2010

Tourism South East go back to their roots for British Tourism Week

The team at Tourism South East have been getting back to their roots and working on the ground with tourism businesses as part of the annual British Tourism Week which takes place from 15 - 21 March 2010. This key week in the annual tourism calendar sees events taking place nationwide to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of the UK’s £114 billion tourism industry, Britain’s fifth largest industry accounting for 8.2% of the country’s gross domestic product.

Over 40 employees have dedicated their time across the region with jobs ranging from serving customers at Tourist Information Centres to lending a helping hand in the receptions and restaurants of hotels. Others assisted tour guides at attractions and some helped businesses gear up for the 2010 season.

The Directors of Tourism South East led the way with Chairman John Williams and Chief Executive Mike Bedingfield getting stuck in at Port Lympne Wild Animal Park in Kent and Marwell Wildlife in Hampshire respectively. Malcolm Lane, Corporate Services Director, assisted at the East Sussex National Golf Resort & Spa and Marketing Director Nigel Smith polished up his skills in car cleaning at Mercedes-Benz World in Surrey. Development Director Peter Colling donned his gardening gloves for the day at Waterperry Gardens and amateur dramatics enthusiast and Partnership Director Simon Matthews went back in time to take on a new role a Dickens World in Kent.

Mike Bedingfield, Chief Executive of Tourism South East helped muck out the animals at Marwell Wildlife in Hampshire. “Team South East has been hugely enthusiastic in partnering with tourism businesses for British Tourism Week with over two thirds of our staff taking part. The initiative has helped us to better understand the local level issues of operating tourism businesses enabling us to better represent them in our day jobs. As we come out of the recession tourism, which is worth in excess of £12 billion p.a. to the regional economy and supports over 300,000 jobs, will be an invaluable industry for skills and employment.”

To find out more about British Tourism Week visit

www.britishtourismweek.com

For more information about Tourism South East visit

www.tourismsoutheast.com

ENDS

Note to Editors:

Photos show Mike Bedingfield at Marwell Wildlife, for more photos or further information please contact Hannah Payne on 023 8062 5471, hpayne@tourismse.com

Full list of participating businesses is as follows

Berkshire

Nirvana Spa & Leisure, Wokingham

The Look Out Discovery Centre, Bracknell

Hampshire and the Isle of Wight

Blue Reef Aquarium, Portsmouth

Chewton Glen, New Milton

Chilworth Manor, Southampton

Enchanted Manor, Isle of Wight

Exbury Gardens, Exbury

Hoburne Holiday Parks, Bashley and Naish

Romsey Tourist Information Centre, Romsey

Lainston House Hotel, Sparsholt, Winchester

Marriott Meon Valley, Southampton

Marwell Wildlife, Colden Common, Winchester

National Motor Museum, Palace House and Beaulieu Abbey, Beaulieu

New Forest Activities Centre, Beaulieu

Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth

Princess Coaches, Southampton

Royal Navy Submarine Museum, Gosport

Shorefield Holidays, New Forest

Whitley Ridge Country House Hotel, Brockenhurst

Kent

Dickens World, Chatham Martime

Port Lympne, Hythe

Smallhythe Place, Tenterden

Oxfordshire

Bicester Hotel, Golf and Spa, Bicester

Bicester Village, Bicester

Fallow Fields, Kingston Bagpuize

The Beetle & Wedge Boathouse, Wallingford

Waterperry Gardens, Wheatley

Sussex

Chichester Cinema, Chichester

Cowdray Heritage Trust, Midhurst

East Sussex National Resort & Spa, Uckfield

Surrey

Birdworld, Farnham

Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking

Mercedes-Benz World, Weybridge

Painshill Park, Cobham

The Lightbox, Woking

Tourism South East is the official tourist board for South East England, covering Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey.

The South East is the largest region for tourism in Britain outside of London, worth in excess of £12 billion p.a. to the regional economy (7% of regional GVA) supporting over 300,000 jobs.