England has a lot to offer

St George's day was picked to begin the �4m campaign, headed by the new tourism organisation VisitBritain.

Tourism minister Kim Howells, who helped launch the campaign, said he thought it was a good time to promote holidays nearer home.

The campaign, entitled Enjoy England, will include a television advert for the first time in 10 years.

The promotion is particularly aimed at professionals with no children as well as young families with pre-school children and couples with grown-up children.

HOLIDAYS IN ENGLAND? We ask people on the street whether or not they would holiday in England. In pictures

Organisers hope to boost bookings by an extra 250,000 from the beginning of May to the start of the high season in July.

British tourism took a major hit during the foot-and-mouth outbreak, with many foreign visitors put off by images of burning carcasses, and domestic travellers hampered by restrictions.

The aftermath of 11 September also saw fewer American tourists - a staple of the British industry - travelling overseas.

The Sars virus is also affecting global tourism, with the UK in greater need of domestic tourism than ever before.

UK Holiday Facts Britains spent average �200 each on UK holidays in 2002 Average stay for England holiday was 3.5 nights in 2002 Number of foreign tourists rose for first time in four years

Speaking at the launch Mr Howells said: "This campaign is about reminding the British what the rest of the world already knows - just how much this country has to offer."

England has "a rich heritage, outstanding natural beauty and a vibrant, contemporary culture", he said, making it a "world-class" destination.

VisitBritain chief executive Tom Wright said: "Through this campaign, we want the British to be as excited by England as our 20m overseas visitors."

VisitBritain was created this month from the merger of the British Tourist Authority and the English Tourism Council.