Visitor spending hits £7.1bn as tourism continues to grow

Birmingham's Christmas markets is a big draw for tourists

Birmingham’s tourism sector witnessed its most successful year in history last year, with hotel revenue, visitor numbers and visitor spend all reaching record highs.

The number of full-time equivalent jobs supported by the visitor economy also increased, up 7% to 75,748.

The figures, produced by the West Midlands Growth Company and research body Global Tourism Solutions, reveal Birmingham welcomed 41.8m visitors in 2017. Visitor spending was up 9% to £7.1bn.

Leader of Birmingham City Council, Cllr Ian Ward, said: “Tourism is a major part of the Birmingham economy, supporting thousands of jobs, and these outstanding figures underline the fact that this city is now a major tourist destination, with a growing profile on the global stage.

“Increasing numbers of visitors come to Birmingham every year and many return time and time again, thanks to our arts and culture, our fantastic food, our sporting offer and because they know they are guaranteed a warm welcome.”

Average hotel occupancy stood at 75%, matching the previous record set in 2016, whilst RevPAR (revenue per available room) was £51 in value, the highest figure ever recorded.

The city welcomed the most tourists during September, a month that included major events such as the Natwest T20 Finals Day at Edgbaston Stadium and Birmingham’s largest outdoor festival, the Birmingham Weekender.

The region’s literary heritage was celebrated as 2017 marked the 80th anniversary of JRR Tolkien’s classic fantasy novel The Hobbit. Heritage was also the sub-sector to see the greatest increase in visitor numbers, up 12% on 2016.

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