Sixth-best-in-Europe accolade provides great boost for Warwickshire tourist industry

Warwickshire's tourism industry has received a giant boost with the accolade of sixth most must-see location in Europe from one of the world's most renowned travel guides.

In its list of recommended places to visit this summer, the Lonely Planet guide named Warwickshire as the best location in the United Kingdom and put only five - The Peloponnese (Greece), Aarhus (Denmark), Venice (Italy), The Dordogne (France) and Lviv (Ukraine) - above it Europe-wide.

It is a massive coup for the county as some members of the guide's vast global audience are sure to head to Warwickshire as a direct result of reading about it.

Tourism is a huge driver of the county's economy. The sector supports over 18,000 jobs and generates around £1 billion into the Warwickshire economy every year (£1,042,665,500 in 2014, the Warwickshire tourism impact survey revealed).

"Warwickshire County Council is delighted that Warwickshire has been voted the sixth-best place to visit in the top ten of Europe by the Lonely Planet," said Cllr Jeff Clarke, the county council's portfolio holder for the environment. "We are also the only UK destination to make the select list and the endorsement will be hugely significant for our region, which boasts a huge amount of world-class attractions and areas of countryside for visitors and residents to enjoy."

Cllr Phil Johnson, chairman of the Communities Overview & Scrutiny Committee, added: "There is so much to be proud of and to enjoy in our wonderful county and to receive this accolade underlines the huge interest that Warwickshire's history and heritage holds for people from all over the world."

Warwickshire County Council is constantly working in partnership with destination management organisations like Shakespeare's England and Northern Warwickshire Tourism Association to promote what the county has to offer internationally.

The county is rich in visitor attractions, historic houses and celebrated gardens and has magnificent castles at Kenilworth and Warwick. There is also Stratford-upon-Avon, famed as the birthplace of William Shakespeare, but also so much more - from theatres and stately homes to cycle-paths and boat-trips, visitors to Warwickshire are spoilt for choice for things to see and do.

The county's market towns and villages fuse the magical heritage of old England with the contemporary bustle of irresistible shopping, farmers’ markets and restaurants. Quirky surprises are also thick on the ground, including the Atherstone Ball Game which dates from medieval times. Rugby is the birthplace of the sport and will later this year see the opening of the Rugby Hall of Fame based in the art gallery in the town centre - just one more world-class visitor attraction for visitors from around the world.

The much-coveted Lonely Planet list is compiled from extensive research involving, of course, visits to all the places.

"Our Best in Europe 2016 list offers up our recommendations for travellers seeking an authentic experience in Europe," said editorial director Tom Hall. "These destinations should be on any traveller's wish list this summer."

As part of its commitment to the tourism sector, Warwickshire County Council is, alongside Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Coventry City Council and Shakespeare's England, sponsoring the annual Coventry and Warwickshire Tourism and Culture Awards, to be held at the Ricoh Arena on September 22nd.