Can Liverpool replace London as UK’s tourism capital?
The Liverpool City Region is making a bold play to replace London as the tourism capital of the UK.
Local leaders have unveiled a five-year plan which it hopes will boost the region’s economy, create jobs and become the go-to destination in the country.
Liverpool has been emboldened in its ambitions after hosting major cultural and sporting events in recent years, such as Eurovision and the Open golf championship.
According to figures published by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the area’s visitor economy currently generates £6.25bn a year and employs more than 58,000 people.
That’s still some way off London’s which generates more than £14bn a year.
Liverpool leaders also say that the region attracts around 60 million visitors annually – a figure which probably would not stand up to much scrutiny as the whole of the UK welcomed around 130 million people in the year to September 2024, according to Visit Britain.
To back up its new vision, the region has unveiled a new designation management plan alongside Local Visitor Enterprise Partnership (LVEP) “that sets out for the first time a unified vision across the city region to further accelerate growth over the next five years.”.
The stated aim is to make the city region, which includes Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral, “the best place in the UK to ‘visit and stay for a for a day, a week or a lifetime’ by 2030”.
Combined authority members will vote on the plan next week ahead of a launch during English Tourism Week in March.
Liverpool plan will ‘enhance our region’s unique appeal’
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said: “The Liverpool City Region’s visitor economy is thriving, and this new destination management plan will help build on that success, ensuring we remain at the forefront of the UK’s tourism industry.
“Our region is renowned for its cultural heritage, musical legacy and sporting excellence. From the iconic Beatles history to top-flight football, and the internationally acclaimed events we host, there’s something here for everyone.
“This ambitious plan will not only boost visitor numbers and jobs, but it’ll also enhance our region’s unique appeal which is known throughout the world.”
In 2023, the Liverpool City Region set up one of the first Visit England accredited LVEPs to lead, market and manage the visitor economy.
Tony Hall, Lord Hall of Birkenhead and a former director general of the BBC, was named chair of a new board created to lead the partnership.
Local leaders said its new plan has been put together after studying the likes of Melbourne, New York City and Barcelona.
The new plan is seeking to create a sustainable growth in visitor numbers, and increase the level of gross value added (GVA) per job from £22,000 to £27,200. The combined authority said this could create an extra £309m each year.
At the same time, a major events strategy is currently exploring how to attract and stage more showpiece events, including the potential introduction of a tourist levy.