Not very welcome

Their favourite locations, all of which feature prominently in this four-year tourism drive, predominantly feature attractions in London and Kent. It is as if the country begins and ends at the outer perimeter of the M25, though the Yorkshire countryside evidently forms the backdrop to one film without being identified.

At a time when there’s mounting consternation at how next year’s London Olympics are bypassing Britain, despite promises to the contrary by Sebastian Coe, it is alarming that VisitBritain appears to be so blinkered when tourism in these parts, and attractions like Harewood House, appear to be flourishing.

As its name implies, VisitBritain is responsible for promoting the whole country in equal measure. Given the ongoing imbalance in public funding that favours London over the English regions on issues like tourism and transport, it is high time that this quango lived up to its own branding if it is to avoid falling foul of the Trade Descriptions Act.