Nick Herbert supports tourism in West Sussex

Arundel & South Downs MP Nick Herbert MP joined a 'Party on the Pier' in Arundel on Saturday (12 March) to promote tourism in West Sussex.

The event was part of a national celebration of Britain's seaside piers, harbours and jetties to mark the start of British Tourism Week.   

The Tourism Week (12-20 March) is a nine day national promotion, which aims to demonstrate the importance and diversity of the UK's £115 billion tourism industry.   

Arundel hosted the UK's only inland ‘Party on the Pier' at its Town Quay.  This was the first time that the town has taken part in British Tourism Week and the Town will also be holding a number of other events during the course of the week, including a candlelit tour of the haunted prison at Arundel Jailhouse.

Arundel's participation is part of its ‘Arundel - Sussex in Style' tourism initiative to raise the national profile of the town as a gateway to the new South Downs National Park.  The initiative aims to encourage visitors to experience all the stylish attractions that it has to offer.

Mr Herbert was also joined by some of the RNLI's volunteer crew from Littlehampton Lifeboat Station. 

They travelled up the River Arun from Littlehampton to take part in the celebrations and raise awareness of what they do.

The MP commented: "It was great to join local people in the ‘Party on the Pier' to promote British Tourist Week.  Tourism is so important to West Sussex, and this was an innovative way to promote what our county has to offer.

"I was also delighted to meet the crew of the RNLI Littlehampton lifeboat.  What a fantastic job these volunteers do."

The MP added: "I wonder how many visitors to Arundel know that it was once a port, or that it was possible to travel inland from Portsmouth to London by river and canal?"

Ends     

Notes for Editors

1.    For more information about Arundel's events, visit www.arundel.org.uk.

2.    For more information about British Tourism Week, visit http://www.britishtourismweek.com/.