YOU can’t get more English than that! What’s a summer seaside holiday without an ice cream, eh? This smiling youngster is the face of a major new campaign to celebrate the amazing tourism on our own doorstop here in England.

A great series of posters captures the many appeals of the country’s tourism offerings, from grand stately homes to small businesses, and from magical memories to messing about in boats.

It’s all to do with the annual English Tourism Week, which this year runs from March 17 to 26 and celebrates “diverse, exciting and vibrant” people, places, experiences and attractions, spearheaded by the tireless team at VisitEngland.

English tourism, we are told, makes up 80 per cent of the UK’s visitor economy which, in 2019, generated more than £100 billion a year and supported 2.6 million jobs. We’ve had the pandemic since then, of course, but we’re bouncing back.

Expect to see a lot of chatter about the week in both mainstream and social media, with senior Government figures – and perhaps even a Royal or two – popping up to promote the message. King Charles III is Patron of English Tourism Week.

There’ll doubtless be a host of new initiatives announced at the British Tourism & Travel Show at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre, which runs on March 22 and 23. I’ll be there to report on all the news, so check back later.

The aim of the week is to increase awareness amongst both domestic and overseas visitors of the ‘amazing’ value and quality of the English tourism offer, and encourage domestic travel.

Meanwhile, local tourism businesses are encouraged to lobby MPs to enlist their support for the industry and to bring more attention to tourism’s contribution to the areas they represent.

But it’s not all about businesses – because the likes of you and I are being asked to get in on the act too. There’s nothing quite like good ‘word of mouth’ recommendations to boost tourism.

So share the news on your socials, using the hashtag #EnglishTourismWeek23 and tag @VisitEngland. On #throwbackthursdays share photos and memories of your favourite holidays in England to celebrate the times and places we love!

Watch out, too, for the big reveal of the winner of the search for the winner of England’s Tourism Superstar, now in its 11th year and supported by The Mirror, whose readers have been voting for their favourites. See you on holiday in England soon!