This week marks English Tourism Week, and to celebrate all the great attractions that England has to offer, I had the pleasure of attending the opening of Alison Lambert’s powerful charcoal drawings and monotype exhibition at Derby Museum and Art Gallery.

It was fantastic to speak with both Alison and Alex Rock from the museum about how our creative industries help us express who we are, shape our identity, and play a vital role in our local economy.

With the government’s new tourism and industrial strategy around the corner, I want the creative sector to be at its heart. Our museums are a huge draw for international tourists and the UK’s rich culture and heritage are often cited as the main motivations for visiting.

I’m pleased that £20 million has been made available through the Museum Estate and Development Fund to support regional museums, and it will go a long way to ensuring we meet our milestone for 50 million international visitors by 2030.

We need to encourage more visitors beyond London, and Derbyshire is a perfect destination—home to the Peak District, the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, and full of rich history and stunning sights.