Prince launches UK tourism drive

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The Prince of Wales has launched the first British Tourism Week to highlight the importance of overseas visitors to the UK economy.

Charles, who is patron of the week, hosted a reception for 200 industry representatives at the Tower of London.

It was the first in a series of events, including a conference on the growing desire among tourists to visit famous film and television locations.

Tourism contributes £85bn to the economy and employs about 2.1m people.

Also at Monday's reception were Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell, Tourism Minister Shaun Woodward and travel presenter Judith Chalmers.

'Set jetting'

Tourists pay £12.7bn in tax to the government each year - enough for the salaries of 30,000 nurses.

Stephen Dowd, chairman of tourism week's executive council, said: "Royal recognition of the importance of British Tourism Week will help us redefine both the image and the reality of British tourism in the important years ahead."

And he added that Charles's interest in heritage and "in many of the quintessential elements that constitute Britain's tourism brand" made him the perfect ambassador.

On Friday, the first London International Film Tourism Conference will be held, prompted by the growth of a trend known as "set-jetting".

Research suggest 40% of tourists now want to visit places that have been popularised by TV shows and movies, such as sites in the capital used in the Harry Potter films.

National tourism agency VisitBritain says it has taken five years for visitor numbers to recover to 2000 levels, after being hit by the foot-and-mouth outbreak and 9/11 in 2001.

And it estimates that an overseas visitor arrives in Britain every second of every day throughout the year.