Members of Parliament stepped back into history as they visited the top tourist attractions in Warwickshire to show their support for English Tourism Week.
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Jeremy Wright and Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington Spa, took time out from the busy schedule to support top tourist attractions in their constituencies.
The visits were organised by Shakespeare’s England, the destination management organisation (DMO) for South Warwickshire who met with Jeremy Wright at the historic venue of Kenilworth Castle along with Maggie Field, Town Clerk, the Mayor of Kenilworth, Councillor Michael Hitchins, and the team from English Heritage.
The day was concluded with Matt Western visiting Warwick Castle to experience the new Falconer’s Quest show which launched on Saturday, April 6 followed by the new Doggy Day Out trail created by the Warwick Visitor Information Centre to provide a route featuring all the dog-friendly establishments in Warwick.
Helen Peters, Chief Executive for Shakespeare’s England who organised the visit, said: “English Tourism Week kicks off the UK Tourism Season. It aims to promote local tourism and encourage people visit the attractions in their area and so it was great that our local MPs were able to support this campaign.
“It’s crucial for us to continue these strong connections with the MPs of our area to ensure that tourism is at the forefront of their agendas and with the Sector Deal for Tourism pending, the Secretary of State’s support is more crucial than ever.”
Jeremy Wright, MP for Kenilworth and Southam, said: “As the Cabinet minister with responsibility for tourism, I know how important it is to many Parliamentary constituencies.
“It is a particular pleasure to have in my own a fantastic attraction like Kenilworth Castle and to visit it again during English Tourism week. I congratulate English Heritage on their ongoing successful management of the site and all those involved in the promotion of local tourism.”
The MPs were joined by the Mayor for Kenilworth Michael Hitchins who expressed how proud he was of the town and of the Castle in bringing people to the area, calling on locals to cherish this special monument and visit regularly to re-connect with the area’s history.
Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington Spa, added: “I really enjoyed the terrific falconry display at Warwick Castle, it truly was an extraordinary spectacle which brings a new dimension to this world-class tourist attraction.”
Matt Bulford, Head of Historic Properties, West Midlands at English Heritage, the charity which manages Kenilworth Castle, said: “We were delighted to welcome Jeremy Wright to Kenilworth Castle during English Tourism Week.
“This is one of our most iconic sites and we were pleased to be able to show him the improvements that we’ve made as well as what we’re doing with the gardens over the summer and running him through the fun family events that we’ve got happening here over the next few months. It is always lovely to be able to showcase this property which sits in such a beautiful part of the country.”
Nick Blofeld, Divisional Director for Warwick Castle, added: “It was a wonderful opportunity to welcome Matt Western to visit us for Constituency Day.
“Our new show the Falconer’s Quest has just launched so it will be great to welcome guests who visit from around the world to enjoy the show during the Easter holidays.”
Liz Healey, Manager at the Warwick Visitor Information Centre, added: “There’s so much going on in Warwick at the minute so it was great to welcome Matt Western to experience our new trail.”