BIRMINGHAM is improving its status as a destination city after new figures showed it attracted an additional 154,000 tourists last year, generating more than £4bn to the local economy.
The figures released by industry research body, Global Tourism Solutions, show visitor numbers rose to 32.8m in 2010, from 32.6m in 2009 – bringing an additional £18m into the city. The overall value of the city’s visitor economy is now £4.6bn.
Birmingham’s strong performance appears to be bucking both a national and international trend – with tourism bodies VisitBritain and VisitEngland both reporting drops in the number of domestic and international visitors holidaying in the UK.
The GTS report, which is produced nationally to assess the economic impact of visitors to the UK’s major cities, also revealed the 32.8m visitors spent nearly 37.5m days in Birmingham in 2010 – an increase of 364,000 days. The average visitor to the city stays for 1.1 days and spends £140.
Birmingham’s visitor economy has grown significantly over the last five years with visitor numbers rising by 13% from 29.1m to 32.8m. These figures fuel the sector’s growing economic impact, which has risen by nearly three quarters (72%) in the last five years – from £2.7bn in 2005 to £4.6bn in 2010.
The strength of the city’s visitor economy has also created 21,220 jobs over the last five years, with employment in the sector going up by more than half (57%).
Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Birmingham’s visitor economy has seen strong growth in recent years – from visitor numbers, their economic impact and the number of jobs created by the sector. Today’s figures confirm its position as a key driver of the local economy.
“The city’s continued investment in its infrastructure, transport networks and resources to promote its offer at home and abroad have helped to attract new visitors and provide them with the high quality experiences they need to return, and to recommend Birmingham to others. This growing reputation is what, in turn, has created economic growth and jobs for the city.”
He added the city continued to support the work of Marketing Birmingham in promoting the city as a visitor destination.
Neil Rami, chief executive, Marketing Birmingham, said: “These figures are extremely encouraging given the current economic climate and are testimony to Birmingham’s proposition for both leisure and business visitors alike.”
The city’s non-serviced accommodation sector also saw significant benefits from the increased visitor numbers. The research outlined an overall increase in the number of overnight stays at non-serviced accommodation, with the sector enjoying a 17% jump in bookings, up from 609,480 to 711,560 as consumers seek home-from-home hotel experiences when visiting the city. In comparison, national figures fell, with 6% fewer bed nights and a 5% decrease in spend.
