Hotels, pubs and restaurants will be in the spotlight from next Monday with the start of British Tourism Week (BTW) 2010.
The event, now in its fourth year, is organised by VisitBritain and designed to underline the importance of Britain's fifth largest industry by bringing businesses and the government together to raise awareness of the what the UK has to offer in leisure and hospitality.
Research to be released on Monday predicts that tourism will be one of the best performing sectors in Britain over the next 10 years, particularly as the UK gets read to host the Olympics in 2012 and will grow faster than many other industries such as manufacturing and communications.
Celtic Manor Resort in The Usk Valley in Wales, home to this year's Ryder Cup, will host the official launch of BTW on Monday (15 March).
Former British Lion and Wales international, Ieuan Evans and the Welsh Assembly government Minister for Heritage, Alun Ffred Jones AM will join representatives from the industry to spread the word about the industry.
Oksana Higglesden of People 1st said the event already had the 'total support' of the hospitality skills council.
"As we approach the golden decade of sporting events and the opportunities it brings it's imperative that the sector gains the recognition it deserves as one of the largest and most valuable contributors to UK Plc. Its people and their skills play an integral part in the sector's success and we should not forget that continuous development is key to its future legacy."
A number of businesses are getting involved in the event and The British Beer & Pub Association has also produced a guide for pubs suggesting how they can get involved in the drive to highlight the vital role pubs play at the heart of Britain’s tourism and hospitality industry.
For more information visit www.britishtourismweek.com or for the BBPA's guide visitwww.beerandpub.com.