English Tourism Week rallying call to take fresh look at Cheshire’s “world-class” tourism gems
English Tourism Week returns on March 14-23
Cheshire residents were today urged to take a fresh look at the “world-class tourism attractions” on their doorsteps to help fuel further growth in the region’s vibrant visitor economy.
Home to globally renowned attractions, Cheshire and Warrington’s Visitor Economy is worth £3.9bn - one-tenth of the region’s economy, supporting 38,000 jobs and attracting 56m recorded day visits a year.
Ahead of the return of English Tourism Week on March 14-23 – the annual VisitEngland campaign to celebrate the nation’s visitor economy sector – Cheshire’s tourism body Marketing Cheshire issued a rallying call for people to continue to fuel the local economy by enjoying a great day out in the region. Visitors to Cheshire and Warrington can enjoy Chester’s Roman history, world famous zoo and beloved racecourse to Gulliver’s World theme park in Warrington, the UNESCO World Heritage site at Jodrell Bank, beautiful Tatton Park, muddled mazes of BeWILDerwood in Malpas and Macclesfield’s Treacle Market to name just a few.
New attractions for 2025 include Lapland UK bringing it’s premium Christmas experience to Capesthorne Hall, creating 1,200 seasonal jobs.
There are also two exciting new additions at Chester Zoo, where Heart of Africa opens this Easter – an immersive 22.5-acre zone, featuring a savannah, home to giraffe, zebra, roan antelope and ostrich; new indoor habitats such as naked mole rats, cobras and locusts as well as aardvarks, meerkats, warthogs, eastern black rhino, painted dogs, and flamingos.
And from August it will be home to luxury short-break accommodation The Reserve providing guests with luxury accommodation and unforgettable, personalised face-to-face experiences with extraordinary animals.
Marketing Cheshire continues to raise awareness of the importance of tourism and recently welcomed Aphra Brandreth, Chester South and Eddisbury MP for an eye-opening tour of the historic Cholmondeley Castle and wider estate, home to popular gardens, BeWILDerwood and major events including Deva Fest. The Chair of Marketing Cheshire, Trevor Brocklebank, said: “Every visit to a Cheshire attraction, hotel, bar, shop or retail outlet is an investment back into our region and supports the growth of our visitor economy and local jobs. Cheshire and Warrington is a wonderful place to live, work and visit and ahead of English Tourism Week we just want to remind people of the tourism gems here on their doorsteps.”
The rallying call comes as Cheshire and its unrivalled hospitality continues to make ripples across the world.
In February, Chester was named among the top ten Most Welcoming Cities on Earth in Booking.com’s Traveller Review Awards 2025 - the only UK city making the list,
And the accolade came hot on the heels of Cheshire success in Visit England’s Top 20 Most Visited Paid Attractions in England table last year thanks to the inclusion of Chester Zoo (third) and Tatton Park (20th).
Jamie Christon, CEO of Chester Zoo, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be part of Cheshire’s world-class tourism offering, contributing to the region’s outstanding reputation as a top destination.
“Each time someone visits Chester Zoo, not only do they get to immerse themselves in incredible wildlife experiences and enjoy a fantastic day out, they’re also supporting the essential conservation efforts we lead both here and globally.
“As an international wildlife charity, a thriving visitor economy in Cheshire is therefore vitally important to us – the more visitors we can attract to the zoo, the more species-saving work we can carry out. That’s why we’re always striving to evolve and provide fresh, exciting, and genuine experiences that connect our visitors with nature. Heart of Africa and The Reserve will do exactly that, drawing much-needed attention to the critical environmental issues our planet faces and showing how people can help address them.”
Cllr Jean Flaherty, Deputy Leader of Warrington Borough Council and the lead on tourism on the Cheshire & Warrington Joint Committee, said: “Across Warrington. Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester we have a rich tapestry of tourism and hospitality gems and there’s no better way to celebrate English Tourism Week than spending a day out taking a fresh look at the truly world class attractions that contribute billions to our economy.”