‘Booming’ Lincoln tourist economy tops £200m
The organisation tasked with promoting Lincoln to the world says that tourism is “booming” in Lincoln four reporting that four million people visiting the city last year, bringing 7% growth to the visitor economy which topped £203m – a record figure.
Data from the official 2017 STEAM tourism report shows the greatest growth in Lincoln’s accommodation sector (+16%), food and drink (+6%) and transport (+6%).
Employment for the city’s tourism businesses also grew by nearly 4% with the total number of people working in the tourism industry reaching over 2,500.
“From our own research we knew that last year was a good one for the city” said Lydia Rusling, chief executive at Visit Lincoln. “But the official figures released this week have exceeded our expectations.
“This latest data clearly shows how important the visitor economy is to the city. I would like to say thank you, and well done, to all the businesses who make Lincoln such a special place to visit and for supporting Visit Lincoln’s activities and ambitions for growth.
“This is unprecedented growth which rivals that of much bigger historic cities across the UK – we should be incredibly proud.
“Tourism is a very competitive market and by working together Lincoln was able to attract more visitors than ever before. The Lincoln Knights Trail, Battles and Dynasties exhibition and Domesday Book at Lincoln Castle all gave great incentives to visit in 2017. New developments such as Stokes at The Lawn, our promotion at London Kings Cross, along with VisitLincoln.com and award-winning campaigns created a winning formula”.
Claire McDowall, principal events & culture officer at City of Lincoln Council said: “As Lincoln continues to grow from strength to strength it is very encouraging to see that the hard work being put in to promote our city as a world-class tourist destination is really paying off.
“More visitors to Lincoln means more money coming into the city’s economy, which is a benefit to local businesses and everyone who lives here.
“This year has seen the opening of the Lincoln Transport Hub, which provides a modern, welcoming gateway to visitors coming here by public transport. The Cornhill Quarter is being redeveloped and will offer visitors a mix of shopping, dining and cultural experiences from the moment they arrive in the city.”
“Lincoln has a vibrant and exciting future, and I expect that visitor numbers will continue to grow as we invest in the city and make it an even more appealing destination for visitors from all over the world.”
