VisitEngland Chair Hails Cheshire’s World-Class Tourism During Three-Day Tour

Lady Victoria Borwick, Chair of VisitEngland’s Advisory Board, has praised Cheshire and Warrington’s tourism sector as “world class, diverse and full of warmth” following a three-day visit meeting local leaders and exploring the county’s attractions.

Lady Borwick, who was in the region to speak at the Marketing Cheshire Connect conference at Champneys Mottram Hall, extended her stay to experience first-hand why Cheshire’s £3.9 billion visitor economy is thriving and why Chester was recently named one of the most welcoming cities on Earth by Booking.com.

During her time in Cheshire, she toured some of the county’s most iconic attractions — from the UNESCO World Heritage Site Jodrell Bank and the engineering marvel of Anderton Boat Lift, to cultural hubs such as Storyhouse, the award-winning Chester Market, the historic Chester Cathedral, Chester Racecourse, the oldest working racecourse in the world, and world-renowned Chester Zoo. Her itinerary also included family favourites such as the Ice Cream Farm and BeWILDerwood, alongside meetings with Chester Racecourse and other tourism leaders.

Reflecting on her visit, Lady Borwick, said:

“Cheshire is blessed with world-class attractions and a visitor economy that combines history, culture, nature, and innovation as well as people delivering tourism experiences with passion and pride.  As a Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) and working with VisitEngland this compelling destination is taking its place on the global stage driving international as well as domestic visitors.”

At the Marketing Cheshire Connect conference, Lady Borwick delivered an update on VisitEngland’s work and joined a panel discussion on regenerative tourism. She also met with representatives from Lapland UK, who are launching their second Christmas experience at Capesthorne Hall this November — an attraction set to create 1,200 seasonal jobs and draw 170,000 visitors every year.

Jamie Christon, Chair of Marketing Cheshire and CEO of Chester Zoo, said:

“We were delighted to welcome Lady Borwick to Cheshire. Her visit gave her the chance to see the breadth of our visitor offer, from heritage to hospitality, family attractions to festivals. Her reflections underline what we already know — that Cheshire and Warrington are world-class destinations with enormous potential to attract more overseas visitors.”

The visit was arranged by Marketing Cheshire, who are working closely with VisitEngland to grow international tourism and ensure Cheshire continues to shine on the global stage.