Tourism worth an estimated £4.5bn for Liverpool’s economy
Tourism is worth an estimated £4.5bn to Liverpool’s regional economy – according to the latest figures.
Last year Merseyside welcomed 73m visitors and the industry now supports over 53,500 jobs.
Liverpool is the fifth most visited destination in the UK for overseas visitors with hotel occupancy data which showed a 2.2% increase for overnight staying trips.
The findings are contained in the latest independent research for 2017 commissioned by the Visitor Economy Team at Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership.
• The region welcomed over 64.2m visitors to the region – a 2.7% increase. This comprised of 59m day visitors (up 2.8%) and 5.3m staying visitors, up 2.6% on the previous year.
• Those staying in paid accommodation rose by 3.6% to 2.6m – the economic impact from this alone rising by 8.9% to £950m.
• Consequently, the region has enjoyed increased employment in the sector – over 53,500 jobs, an increase of 3.5%.
The results are calculated using a range of tourism data including hotel occupancy, transport figures, attractions attendance figures and event figures.
Long term trends show that from 2009 to 2017, there has been 66% growth in the economic value of the visitor economy to the Liverpool City Region, rising from £2.73bn to £4.53bn.
The increase has been linked to improved transport links and high profile events such as the Open Golf Championship.
The Brexit effect, which has made the UK a cheaper destination for overseas tourists, and domestically, has also help boost visitor numbers.
Peter Sandman, Head of Visitor Economy for the LEP, said: “In the ten years since Liverpool became European Capital of Culture, the city, and region as a whole has seen the visitor economy experience a healthy growth and the sector continues to contribute significantly to the region’s economy.
“It is particularly encouraging to see our overseas visitors staying longer, as well as the number of jobs supported by the sector continuing to grow – which covers a wide range of employment options across accommodation, food and drink, recreation and retail.”
