VisitEngland Chair visits Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby during English Tourism Week celebrations

The Chair of VisitEngland’s Advisory Board, Lady Victoria Borwick, has visited businesses in the Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby for a special trip as part of the celebrations for English Tourism Week (14-23 March 2025).

The trip was organised by the Visit Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) as part of VisitEngland’s annual English Tourism Week campaign, which aims to emphasise the vital role of tourism in boosting local economies and strengthening communities.

Victoria was greeted by Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire – which celebrates its 20^th anniversary in 2025 – and Stella Birks, Visitor Economy Development Manager at Derby City Council, as she enjoyed a three-day visit that highlighted the sector’s valuable £2.89bn contribution to the local economy.

The theme for this year’s English Tourism Week is 'supporting people and places to drive growth’, and the visit saw Victoria meeting businesses from around the county to find out more about their successes, opportunities and challenges for the future, alongside Visit Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby’s ongoing work to boost growth across the visitor economy.

Victoria toured Cromford Mills, birthplace of the modern factory system, to see first-hand the area’s rich historical and cultural heritage and took flight on a cable-car at one of the area’s most popular tourism attractions, The Heights of Abraham, which celebrated its 50^th anniversary in 2024.

The destination’s commitment to sustainability was highlighted during a visit to boutique nature-inspired hotel Wildhive Callow Hall, whilst a visit to the market town of Ashbourne provided the opportunity to learn about Derbyshire Dales District Council’s £15.9m Ashbourne Reborn project, which is supported by UK Government funding.

Victoria spoke about the importance of LVEPs in delivering growth during a dinner with local tourism leaders at the award-winning Cavendish Hotel at Baslow, which was recently crowned ‘Best Place to Stay in the UK’ by The Times and Sunday Times.

The dinner showcased the breadth and variety of the area’s tourism offer and provided opportunity for a ‘roundtable’ discussion with guests including Visit Peak District & Derbyshire Chair Sir Richard FitzHerbert; Cllr Barry Lewis, Leader of Derbyshire County Council; Sam Dennis, Strategic Director for Place at Derby City Council; Rob Gorton, Chair of Derby Destination Development Board and Senior Manager, Toyota Manufacturing UK; and representatives from local businesses including Chatsworth and the Devonshire Group, The Heights of Abraham, and East Midlands Chamber.

The following day, Victoria toured Derby where she heard about the inspiring vision to make the city a vibrant place to live, work and visit, and discussed the opportunities and challenges facing the cultural and retail sectors.

Victoria visited the Museum of Making, which showcases the region’s 300-year history of making, and toured the newly transformed Derby Market Hall, which is set to reopen in May following a multi-million-pound refurbishment.

Visit Peak District, Derbyshire & Derby’s status as an LVEP – a national portfolio of accredited tourism organisations, administered by VisitEngland – places it at the heart of tourism strategy for the region, working with partners and stakeholders to deliver visitor economy priorities.

Jo Dilley, Managing Director of Visit Peak District & Derbyshire said: “It has been our pleasure to showcase our outstanding tourism offer to VisitEngland Chair Lady Victoria Borwick during English Tourism Week.

“As well as highlighting some of our unique tourism gems, which help to generate £2.89bn in value for the Peak District and Derbyshire’s economy, Lady Victoria’s visit provided a valuable opportunity to highlight the importance of the visitor economy in supporting jobs, driving growth, and preserving and safeguarding our natural landscapes and cultural heritage for future generations to enjoy.

“A strong, sustainable visitor economy is integral not just to those who live, work and visit here, but for the fabric of our places and communities, and we are committed to working collaboratively on shared priorities to ensure the Peak District and Derbyshire continues to be a compelling destination, for both domestic and international visitors, for years to come.”

Commenting on her visit Lady Victoria Borwick, Chair of VisitEngland said: “I was delighted to visit tourism businesses in the Peak District, Derbyshire and Derby and see for myself the passionate local businesses and attractions that make this region an outstanding visitor destination.

“From spectacular natural landscapes to world-class heritage, welcoming accommodation and innovative new businesses, the region has so much to offer. I was also delighted to hear that the Local Visitor Economy Partnership is working collaboratively with partners, stakeholders and industry leaders to grow the region’s visitor economy in a sustainable and inclusive way.”