British Tourism Week is officially launching today at the Celtic Manor hotel in Wales.
The launch is to be attended by former British Lion and Welsh rugby international Ieuan Evans and the Welsh Assembly government minister for heritage, Alun Ffred Jones.
Bernard Donoghue, co-chair of the British Tourism Week executive council, said: “We are delighted to be launching the industry’s fourth British Tourism Week at the Celtic Manor this year as in 200 days’ time it will be the venue for the first Ryder Cup to be held in Wales.
“During this time, Celtic Manor will be the best-known golfing and tourism destination in the world.
“This year Wales will show that by harnessing the global tourism opportunities of a sporting event you can reassert a destination in the mind of the global traveller.”
Donoghue added: “And this is just the first in a series of such opportunities for the UK, with the Olympics and Paralympics in London in 2012, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and the Rugby World Cup in England in 2015.
“These global sporting opportunities all showcase the nations of Britain, proving that tourism does in fact benefit everyone, everywhere and every day.”