Cheshire locals are being encouraged to take a fresh look at the 'world-class tourism attractions' on their doorstep, in a bid to support the local economy.

In February Chester was named among the top ten most welcoming cities on earth in Booking.com's traveller review awards: the only UK city making the list.

Chester Zoo also came third in Visit England's top 20 most visited paid attractions in England table last year.

Home to globally renowned attractions, Cheshire and Warrington's Visitor Economy is worth £3.9 billion, supporting 38,000 jobs and attracting 56 million recorded day visits a year.

Ahead of the return of English Tourism Week starting on 14 March, Visit England launched its annual campaign celebrating the nation's visitor economy sector.

Part of this sector is Chester's world-famous zoo, with its newest 'Heart of Africa' set to open this Easter.

The immersive 22.5-acre zone features a savannah, home to giraffe, zebra, roan antelope and ostrich; new indoor habitats such as naked mole rats, cobras and locusts as well as aardvarks, meerkats, warthogs, eastern black rhino, painted dogs and flamingos.

Soon the zoo will also open 'The Reserve', luxury short-break accommodation (Image via: Chester Zoo)

Soon the zoo will also open its luxury short-break accommodation: 'The Reserve'.

It will provide guests with luxury accommodation and face-to-face experiences with extraordinary animals.

Jamie Christon, CEO of Chester Zoo, said: "We're incredibly proud to be part of Cheshire's world-class tourism offering, contributing to the region's outstanding reputation as a top destination.

"Each time someone visits Chester Zoo, not only do they get to immerse themselves in incredible wildlife experiences and enjoy a fantastic day out, they're also supporting the essential conservation efforts we lead both here and globally.

"As an international wildlife charity, a thriving visitor economy in Cheshire is therefore vitally important to us.

"The more visitors we can attract to the zoo, the more species-saving work we can carry out.

"That's why we're always striving to evolve and provide fresh, exciting, and genuine experiences that connect our visitors with nature.

"Heart of Africa and The Reserve will do exactly that, drawing much-needed attention to the critical environmental issues our planet faces and showing how people can help address them."

Chair of Marketing Cheshire, Trevor Brocklebank, said: "Every visit to a Cheshire attraction, hotel, bar, shop or retail outlet is an investment back into our region and supports the growth of our visitor economy and local jobs.

"Cheshire and Warrington is a wonderful place to live, work and visit and ahead of English Tourism Week we just want to remind people of the tourism gems here on their doorsteps."

Cllr Jean Flaherty said: "Across Warrington. Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester we have a rich tapestry of tourism and hospitality gems.

"There's no better way to celebrate English Tourism Week than spending a day out taking a fresh look at the truly world class attractions that contribute billions to our economy."