Latest figures for the city region show the visitor economy is now worth over £5bn surpassing the pre-pandemic high of £4.98bn in 2019.
Other figures show that although the pandemic continues to affect tourism there is a strong recovery happening across the city region.
These findings are contained in the latest independent research for 2022 commissioned by the Visitor Economy team at Growth Platform – Liverpool City Region Growth Company.
Headline figures show:
- Although visitor numbers are still below the pre-pandemic figures of 66.27m in 2019 they have picked up to 55.94m. Visitor numbers dropped to 26.14m in 2020 and 42.15m in 2021.
- The number of staying visitors has risen to 5.83m overtaking the 2019 figure of 5.40m and is higher than the 2018 figure of 5.48m.
- The number of day visitors continues to rise to 50.11m catching up with 2019 figures of 60.86m. 2021 saw 38.12m.
- Jobs in the sector have picked up to 51,605. The figure from 2019 was 55,703. They had dropped to just over 24,000 in 2020 to 38,000 in 2021.
- Other figures show hotel occupancy is also steadily rising to 74.3% from the 55.2% in 2021. The figure in 2019 was 78.4%.
Liverpool City Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Culture, Councillor Harry Doyle, said:
“We’re delighted with the rate of recovery, and seeing such a significant economic boost is a real vote of confidence for a sector this city relies so heavily upon.
“It’s important not to forget that at the start of 2021 Covid-19 restrictions were still in place and it was a pretty bleak outlook for this industry, particularly in Liverpool – so these figures are a welcome confidence boost that show the city is bouncing back. And of course, we can expect another strong set of results next year when the data for 2023 is unveiled, as the city continues to bask in the afterglow of Eurovision.
“I’d like to thank those working in our visitor economy sector, they should be incredibly proud of their achievements in making Liverpool a must-visit destination for all.”
Susan Finnegan, Acting Head of Visitor Economy, said:
“Liverpool’s visitor economy is resoundingly on the rise once again – it’s a return to true form and a clear sign of even greater things to come. But it’s important to note our job is far from over and we never rest on our laurels. There are still many challenges, but Liverpool and the wider city region is resilient, resourceful and ready for any challenge.
“So, we are determined to continue to welcome even more visitors, encourage greater spending and longer stays and we’ll show the world what a truly amazing place Liverpool City Region is for visitors, residents and businesses alike.”
Welcoming the latest figures Janet Nuzum, Visitor Economy Sector Manager at Growth Platform said:
“We are absolutely delighted to witness the resurgence of tourism in Liverpool City Region. And these figures can only go on an upward trajectory with the success of hosting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, The Open Championship, the Grand National Festival and other world-famous events. The Eurovision alone is forecast to increase the number of visitors to the city region by around 5% for years to come – boosting the economy by £250m by 2026.”
“There is of course still work to be done but the support and resilience of our local community, businesses and tourism partners have not only been integral to this fantastic recovery but are key to the continued growth of our visitor economy.”
These figures are published by the STEAM (Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor) model, which is used throughout the UK tourism industry to measure economic impact of the visitor economy. Hotel occupancy data is provided by STR Global Ltd. For a full version of the report please click here.