Leeds makes top five destinations
A BIGGER spend has driven Leeds into the top five visitor destinations outside London.
Latest statistics point to Leeds attracting visitors who are spending more, with the day visit economy doing particularly well, according to a recent VisitEngland report.
With an average of over 23 million visits per year, Leeds is showing robust tourism strength in the face of difficult economic times. Average expenditure by the day visitor market has hit an average of £683.43m per year.
Lurene Joseph, chief executive of Leeds and Partners, said: “I am delighted by these positive figures for the city. When we see results for 2013, with the opening of fabulous new venues such as Trinity Leeds and the first direct Arena, we are confident we will see a significant further increase in visitor economy volume and value. We are keen to see people making the most of their time here by staying longer and taking time to explore the city’s hidden gems.”
Leeds and Partners is looking to further improve the delivery of the conference and visitor economy for the city and are working closely with VisitEngland.
Sibh Megson, head of visitor experience, marketing and sales for Harewood House Trust, said: “We have had a really promising start to 2013. Visitors are up 12.5% on last year and we have lots of exciting plans for the summer.”
