Warwickshire braced for £15m tourism boost

WARWICKSHIRE’S economy is set for a major boost during 2017 with an additional £10-15m expected to be pumped into the county’s tourist industry from increased visitor-numbers.

With so many world-renowned attractions across the county, including Warwick Castle, the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Rugby World Hall of Fame, the tourist sector is a major component of the county economy.

Overseas visitors spent more than £100m in Warwickshire in 2015.

This sum is expected to significantly increase this year as visitors from around the world, notably the United States and Europe, take advantage of sterling’s post-Brexit devaluation.

Tourism chiefs said the full implications of Brexit on the national and local economy would take years to unfold with 2017 likely to be tough as uncertainty over the future, causes businesses to hold fire on planning and investment.

But Warwickshire’s Economy & Skills Group Manager Dave Ayton-Hill said there was likely to be a very positive impact on tourism in the short and medium-terms.

“The significant and sustained devaluation of sterling, particularly against the dollar and euro, will encourage more overseas visitors to come to the UK next year,” he said.

“And with so many fantastic attractions in Warwickshire, we can expect to welcome our share.

“Indications from the US are that a lot of people who have long been thinking of a trip-of-a-lifetime to the UK will now take this opportunity while their money will go that much further. That is good news for Warwickshire because, whereas European visitors tend to come over for a weekend or few days, because of the distance involved tourists from US come for two or three weeks so spend that much more.

“We expect an extra £2.5m spend from visitors from the US and £5.3m from Europe.”

He said that when visitors from elsewhere were factored in then the £10m-15m uplift became plausible.

“The challenge, not just for Warwickshire but for the UK as a whole, is for Britain to be seen as not turning its back on Europe in light of the Brexit vote,” he added.

Warwickshire was last year named by renowned travel guide Lonely Planet as the most recommended place to visit in the UK.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, leader of Warwickshire County Council and board member of the Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Warwickshire is a world-class visitor destination with our stunning countryside, historic buildings and vibrant cultural scene attracting record numbers of visitors from around the globe. Tourism is a huge driver of the county’s economy supporting more than 18,000 jobs.”