Visit North Yorkshire hosted its first literature exchange and tourism industry event this March, welcoming over 120 tourism professionals from across the county to hear from key speakers, network and connect. The event, which took place at the Bolton Abbey Station on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway, brought together representatives from the county’s accommodation, visitor attractions and experiences providing a place for collaborative conversations, and even the opportunity to network during a scenic train journey.
Taking place during English Tourism Week 2026, an initiative led by VisitEngland to highlight the importance of English tourism, the event’s key speaker was the Chair of VisitEngland’s Advisory Board Lady Victoria Borwick, who was in the area following a Yorkshire familiarisation visit.
During the North Yorkshire section of the visit, Lady Victoria Borwick visited Sandburn Hall, Castle Howard, Rievaulx Abbey, Sutton Bank National Park Centre to take in the “finest view in England”, the World of James Herriot Museum and Grantley Hall, finishing her trip by joining the Tourism on Track event near Skipton.
Lady Victoria Borwick’s role with VisitEngland is instrumental in promoting tourism across the country and follows a career which has seen her gain 20 years of commercial experience in the events and conference sector. She spoke at the event to highlight the importance that tourism has in driving economic growth and why it is a major sector that should be taken seriously. Tourism is worth £147 billion annually to the UK, which is about 5% of the national economy. With England (excluding London) accounting for £86billion or 58% of tourism GDP in the UK.
Alongside speaking about the benefits of the new Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) programme, her speech also referred to recent work between VisitEngland / VisitBritain and Visit North Yorkshire as part of the Starring campaign to shine a spotlight on Yorkshire as a must-visit destination for set-jetters with a focus on its recent appearance in the adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
Following her visit, she said: “The York and North Yorkshire area has such a diverse offer, from city to coast to countryside. What has been most impressive during my visit is the local characters that I have met along the way, they are the reason that this area is known for being so friendly, warm and welcoming.
“With the theme of “local stories, national growth” for this year’s English Tourism Week, I have enjoyed hearing the tales from the people that so passionately promote the area and work within its attractions and accommodation to ensure every visitor has a memorable experience. Without these people, England wouldn’t be the wonderful destination that it is.”
Head of Economy & Tourism for North Yorkshire Council, Tony Watson said: “English Tourism Week provides a great opportunity to shine a spotlight on the importance of the visitor economy. And we certainly made the most of it this year by hosting a visit with Lady Victoria Borwick to highlight North Yorkshire’s rich and diverse visitor offer, as well as holding our first Tourism industry event and literature exchange bringing together the people that make North Yorkshire so special.”
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