Pubs and brewers are being urged to throw their weight behind English Tourism Week 2012 in a bid to showcase how vital beers and pubs are to the tourism industry.
The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) described the week, which will run from 10 to 18 March and celebrate the benefits that tourism brings to everyone, as an ideal campaigning platform to highlight the important role drinking holes play.
Hosting quizzes, inviting a local MP to pull a pint and researching a pub's history are among the suggested activities that could help catapult the industry into the spotlight, according to the BBPA.
Only last month Campaign for Real Ale (Camra) research revealed that two pubs are closing every day.
BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds (pictured) said: "Our fantastic range of beers and pubs are a huge draw, with around 13 million tourist visits to pubs every year.
"Tourism is a key element supporting the one million jobs that depend on the beer and pub sector. With the Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics and Paralympics, 2012 couldn't be a better year to showcase our role. Let's use English Tourism week to highlight these strengths."
A BBPA spokesman added that further tips and guidance would be published shortly.
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By Helen Gilbert
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