English Tourism Week and What To Expect

It was March 23^rd 2020 when the United Kingdom was plunged into a COVID-19 lockdown which saw both irrational and rational fear grip the nation. With this fear spreading it became increasingly clearer that foreign travel would be impossible for the foreseeable future leaving staycations and domestic travel in a better situation than before. In the year 2020 we saw the term “staycation” rise by more than 500% on Google UK searches demonstrating the demand that was palpable throughout the year. Fast forward to 2023, the UK have removed all COVID-19 restrictions regarding travel and many across the UK will be looking to take advantage of this fact. However with English tourism week taking place this March (17^th – 26^th), we believe that it is important for the general public to reembrace staycations and remember that there are some fantastic opportunities closer to home waiting to be explored. In this article we will be discussing why English tourism week is important, why your commercial establishment needs to make the preparations for incoming tourism and also what the best tableware and back-of-house equipment is necessary for the influx of customers expected.

English Tourism Week

Led by VisitEngland (the national tourist board for England), English Tourism Week is a chance for the general public to experience the vibrant, exciting and diverse history and commercial establishments of England. In 2019 alone English tourism generated over £100 billion a year in turn supporting 2.6 million jobs. The theme for this years English Tourism Week is “You’re welcome” which highlights that bars or restaurants are willing to welcome visitors back. Increasing the awareness of the quality bars and restaurants the UK has to offer also plays a key role in the upcoming week. Encouraging domestic travel is an important aspect of the staycation as an establishment will need a reason to focus efforts on domestic tourism. Through English Tourism Week the popularity of staycations can be determined, and decisions can be made based on the information gathered. Embracing the rich and intriguing history of the UK also forms part of English Tourism Week. When we think of domestic tourism in the UK we often think of national landmarks or monuments. However we at Alliance Online believe that local businesses and enterprises are the backbone of commercial success in a local area, hence why we supply to any hotel, bar or restaurant across the UK. If you think that your local area is worthy of tourism then the best way to go about it is by contacting your local MP. Your local MP will be supported with the key information needed to understand why tourism is an essential part of the local commerce.

Preparing For Tourism

If the prospect of increased tourism sounds daunting don’t fret as the potential for more customers should be of great interest to any hotel, bar or restaurant. This article was created with the intention of providing readers with the necessary information regarding the preparations for an event such as English Tourism Week. It may seem obvious but once the influx of customers happens it means that an establishment will need the highest quality capital equipment available to match the increased demand. For a commercial bar the most essential pieces of equipment are the dishwashers and bottle and wine coolers. At Alliance Online, we understand that finding the ideal dishwasher for commercial wares can be a difficult task as different glassware often requires precise cleaning procedures. To combat these potential issues we believe that our Winterhalter range of commercial warewashers would be the optimal solution for glasswashing and dishwashing extensively. Whatever is needed the Winterhalter technology allows for glasswashing, dishwashing and even bottlewashing. It is clear to see that the Winterhalter warewasher is the perfect capital equipment piece for the commercial bar as it offers efficient cleaning at a reasonable cost. As mentioned previously, one other bar essential is a bottle cooler. Keeping drinks chilled is a necessity, to keep operations running smoothly we at Alliance Online would highly suggest purchasing the Sterling Pro BBS200 bottle cooler if you don’t already have a bar refrigerator.

Best Tableware Options

Tableware is a facet of presentation that can often make or break a commercial bar or restaurant, the reason for this being singularity. Every aspect of a commercial establishment should be implemented with the goal of creating a consistent atmosphere. Many chefs and experts have made the claim that the food and drink presentation on the plate is only half of the battle with the other half being finding the right tableware that will help set the mood by complementing both the visual of the food but also the theme of the event or setting. For English Tourism Week, there are a few suggestions that could be made. One such being an embracement of staycations and the concept of domestic travel. An example of this being red, white and blue napkins, crockery and decorative pieces. A true representation of English culture would be by using colours reminiscent of the Union Jack. For any establishment tempted by this possibility we at Alliance Online stock a wide range of tableware options. One example being our white Bulkysoft lunch napkins which can be found in an array of colours tailored to any commercial environment. Not only napkins and banqueting rolls but we also stock crockery choices that would be suitable for this theme. One such example being the Utopia Atlantis blue collection which would complement the reds and whites of the napkins and table covers excellently. At Alliance Online, we understand that English Tourism Week might not sound of paramount importance to a commercial establishment. However, we also would note that any bar, restaurant or hotel that efficiently and proficiently prepares for the week will see benefits financially. We would also recommend that for any reader not interested in English Tourism Week to still strongly consider purchasing the recommendations made as the products mentioned are some of the finest currently on the market. For more information regarding tableware please refer to our tableware buying guide.