Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to promote UK holiday destinations to people abroad.

Many events took place in 2022 which attracted tourists to different locations across the UK, from the Commonwealth Games to Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations and a variety of UNBOXED events. These sporting and cultural events provided attractive incentives for domestic tourists to explore destinations across the country and for international tourists venturing overseas post-pandemic to make the UK a destination of choice.

Earlier this year, VisitBritain ran its Welcome to Another Side of Britain marketing campaign. The £14 million GREAT-funded campaign put the spotlight on Britain’s cities, hit hard by the absence of international visitors, as well as on messages of welcome and reassurance to targeted markets with the greatest potential for quickly driving back value - including Europe and the US.

2023 is shaping up to be another year of exciting major events across the UK which will attract many international tourists. From HRH King Charles’ coronation in May; to the major international music event, Eurovision, which will be hosted on behalf of Ukraine in Liverpool; and sporting events such as the Golf Open and the World Snooker Championships, these historic events will continue to shine a spotlight on the UK and continue to support the UK’s tourism sector to thrive.

The Government will work with VisitBritain to market these events to our key international markets, with a campaign in the new year.