England 12/08/2013 – Whilst other industries in the city of Liverpool have experienced decline the city has seen significant growth within its tourism sector.
Several reports and sources have shown that visitor numbers to the city of Liverpool have increased rather than declined since the recession began in 2008. The city has bucked the trend of falling visitor numbers that many UK tourist destinations have experienced over the same period. According to the ‘Weathering the Storm: UK Tourism During the Recession’ report, Liverpool has seen visitor numbers increase by around 23% since 2007. Today, visitor numbers top 1.2 million, in 2007, under a million people visited the city. The positive impact on the local economy is significant. Over the same period, GDP grew by 8% across all sectors, yet across the tourism industry revenues increased by 12.6%.
Many hotels in the city centre of Liverpool are reporting almost full occupancy throughout much of the year. Interestingly many of these guests are international visitors, bucking another trend. Since 2007, the number of international visitors coming to the UK has fallen by at least 2 million, yet increasing numbers of international visitors are still choosing to visit Liverpool.
Growth largely due to Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture status
The exact reason behind this increase in visitor numbers is not clear. However, there is little doubt amongst local businesses that the fact the city gained European Capital of Culture status in 2008 has helped Liverpool a great deal. The city was able to showcase itself to the world, and many were so impressed with what they visited the city. Liverpool has also benefitted from the fact that more people are taking city breaks, and that more UK residents are choosing a Staycation over foreign travel.
The city and those involved in the tourism industry are working hard to capitalise on this growth and ensure that it continues into the future. Hotels like the Crowne Plaza Liverpool are upgrading and updating their rooms and re-doubling their efforts to provide everything their guests want. They are keeping tabs on what is going on in the city and telling their visitors about events to encourage them to come back to the city for a second visit and tell their friends and families about Liverpool when they return.