Last week the national tourism agency VisitEngland launched a new UK-wide campaign called ‘Escape the Everyday’ to encourage people to take a domestic break this autumn and winter.

The campaign is supported by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) as it hopes to inspire people to rediscover what’s on our doorstep here in the region, while ensuring we all stay within government guidelines. WMGC believes West Midlands residents can play a part in supporting the jobs and local supply chains across the region that rely on tourism.

The tourist season is usually tailing off by now but the hope is that it can be extended through the leaner winter months to help boost the local economy.

As sporting and cultural events got postponed and cancelled due to Covid-19 and the necessary restrictions that were introduced to safeguard against the spread of the virus, the visitor economy became the sector hit hardest.

Events that have been cancelled this year in the region include the Gymnastics World Cup, which was due to take place in March at the at Arena Birmingham and Sandwell’s MADE festival, which was due to be held at Sandwell Valley Country Park.

Thousands of households across the region rely on tourism for their livelihoods but families still face uncertainty as many businesses in the industry remain closed. The UK economy is facing a £24bn loss due to lack of tourism so we all need to play our part to help the sector bounce back.

As many people across the UK are yet to use their annual leave, the idea behind Escape the Everyday the campaign is to inspire people to use it during the Autumn and Winter for day trips and city breaks, with appropriate social distancing and safety measures in place, of course.

Around 1,000 tourism organisations across the region have now signed up to the UK-wide scheme ‘We’re Good to Go’, highlighting their commitment to visitors’ health and wellbeing.

Whatever size your business is – large or small – if you’d like to get involved in the Escape the Everyday campaign and help to boost visitor numbers in Sandwell there are several ways to get involved. Download the full industry brochure (PDF, 3.46MB) to find out more.