Professional Documents
Culture Documents
City
Region
Visitor
Economy
Strategy
to 2020
october 2009
Vision:
A summary
It is 2020 and the Visitor Economy is now central World Heritage Site, and for its festival spirit.
to the regeneration of the Liverpool City Region. It is particularly famous for its great sporting
The Visitor Economy supports 37,000 jobs and music events and has a reputation for
(up from 23,000 in 2007) and an annual visitor being a stylish and vibrant 24 hour city; popular
spend of £2 billion (up from £1.3 billion). with couples and singles of all ages. Good
food, shopping and public transport underpin
Liverpool is now well established as one of that offer and the City Region is famous for its
Europe’s top twenty favourite cities to visit (39th friendliness, visitor welcome, its care for the
in 2008). What’s more, following the success of environment and its distinctive visitor quarters,
its year as European Capital of Culture, the city built around cultural hubs. Visitors travel out
continued to invest in its culture and heritage to attractions and destinations in other parts of
and destination marketing; its decision to use the City Region and this has extended the length
the Visitor Economy as a vehicle to address of the short break and therefore increased the
wider economic and social issues has paid value and reach of tourism in the City Region.
dividends. Liverpool is not only one of the top
five UK cities for short breaks, for conferences A focus on Liverpool city centre was the key to
and for shopping and cultural visits but also achieving this success but other parts of the City
one of the most popular areas in the UK in Region have also invested in their visitor offer
which to study, live, relocate and invest. and extended their appeal to particular target
groups. Southport, for instance, has built on
Annual occupancy in the city’s 50 hotels is its reputation as a classic resort, successfully
always above 70%. Large branded 4 star attracting national association conferences that
and budget hotels are complemented by an are looking for a resort location. It also attracts
eclectic mix of stylish, individually designed 5 the short break market and golfers, for whom,
star boutique hotels, aparthotels and serviced along with the Wirral Peninsula, it provides
apartments, as well as hostels catering for the a base to explore England’s Golf Coast, the
international backpacker. Liverpool City Region finest stretch of championship links golf in the
boasts more gold and silver rated places to stay world. Day visitors from across the Northwest
than any other comparable UK destination. and beyond enjoy the improved access and
visitor facilities on the coast, particularly in
Liverpool is frequently voted one of the Sefton and Wirral, as well as the City Region’s
best places to visit in the UK due to the industrial heritage product. A particularly strong
quality and breadth of its visitor offer. draw for visitors is the renowned collection
of public artworks that has developed across
The city is now renowned for its diverse and
the City Region, epitomised by St.Helens.
distinctive culture, for its iconic waterfront and
Contents
1
The Strategy for Tourism in England’s Northwest 2003-2010
Northwest Regional Development Agency – Revised 2007
2
Liverpool Culture Company 3 United Kingdom Tourism Survey, VisitBritain June 2009 4 ICCA rankings – Apr2009 5 United Kingdom Tourism Survey – Top Towns
2006-2008 6 International Passenger Survey 2005-2007 7 National Skills Strategy for the Hospitality, Leisure, Travel and Tourism Sector in England – People 1st
2007 8 Review of National Qualifications Framework and the Introduction of 14-19 Diplomas - 2009 9 Liverpool City Region Multi Area Agreement – June 2009
10
STEAM 2007 11 Includes all of Sefton Borough in which Southport is the main destination with a concentration of visitor
accommodation 12 England’s Northwest Staying Visitor Survey, 2007-8, Northwest Development Agency
13
Business Tourism to the Northwest, 2008, Northwest Development Agency 14 STEAM 2007
15
Brazil, Russia, India, China
5.6
Within Liverpool the key early areas for focus
are Liverpool Waterfront, the World Heritage
Site, Hope Street, The Ropewalks and the
Cavern Quarter; each quarter is reaching a
point in its destination life cycle where there are This will require ongoing analysis of gaps in
opportunities to refresh, re-brand and reinvest both the quality and range of the visitor offer
to attract visitors. These areas are using a in comparison to competitor destinations.
product/market matrix to help inform thinking on
investment priorities. This model may be of value 5.11
to others. In due course other areas will be added Hotel investment is a good barometer of the
including the Baltic Quarter and Chinatown. success of the Visitor Economy. The City Region’s
hotel offer has grown exponentially with the
5.7 number of hotel rooms virtually doubling in
In Southport key areas for focus will be Lord the last decade. In the city centre the number
Street (experience retail & emerging cultural of rooms has increased from 1500 in 1998 to
offer, including the Cultural Centre); the 4,000 at the end of 2009. The pipeline of hotel
seafront offer (Kings Gardens and Marine developer intent remains strong and the City
Park); West Street (diversifying and uplifting Region will seek to attract those brands and
the evening economy); Market Street and accommodation styles that complement its
Market Hall (nurturing creative industries). conference, culture and heritage offer.
16
Hotel Futures 2009
17
England’s Northwest Visitor Survey, 2007-08 18 See Appendix B for definitions and more information on these market segments
19
Over half of all jobs supported by tourism in the Northwest are dependent upon spending by day visitors
- Draft report: Understanding Tourism’s Economic Impact – Regeneris Consulting - Apr 09
20
‘Significant’ means tens of thousands of general leisure visitors attracted by the destination in
its own right and does not include visitors attracted by specific events or sporting opportunities
21
Brazil, Russia, India, China
RACECOURSE . ALAN BLEASDALE . ALBERT DOCK . ANFIELD . ANOTHER PLACE BY ANTONY GORMLEY . THE ATHENAEUM . ATKINSON ART GALLERY
. BALTIC QUARTER . THE BEATLES . BEATLES STORY . BERYL BAINBRIDGE . BIDSTON HILL WINDMILL . BILL KENRIGHT . BILL SHANKLY .
BILLY FURY . BIRKENHEAD PARK . BIRKENHEAD PRIORY . BLACKBURNE HOUSE . THE BLACKIE . THE BLUECOAT . BOTANIC GARDENS MUSEUM
. THE BRIDGEWATER CANAL . BRIMSTAGE HALL COURTYARD . THE BRINDLEY . BRITISH LAWNMOWER MUSEUM . BROMBOROUGH GOLF CLUB
. BROUHAHA . CALDERSTONES PARK . CALDY GOLF CLUB . CARLA LANE . CASBAH COFFEE CLUB . CAST . CATALYST SCIENCE AND DISCOVERY
CENTRE . CAVERN CLUB . CAVERN QUARTER . CERI HAND GALLERY . CHAMPIONS LEAGUE . CHAPTER & VERSE LITERATURE FESTIVAL . CHINATOWN
. CHINESE NEW YEAR FESTIVAL . CHURCHTOWN . THE CITADEL . THE CORAL . CORNERSTONE . CREAM . CREAMFIELDS . CROXTETH HALL . THE
URE&
CULTURAL QUARTER . CUNARD BUILDING . DADAFEST . DAN DARE . DARESBURY VILLAGE . DAVID MORRISSEY . DIXIE DEAN . DOT ART . DREAM
BY JAUME PLENSA . ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN . ECHO ARENA . EVERTON FC . ELVIS COSTELLO . ERIC’S . EVERYMAN THEATRE
. EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE . FAB 4D . FACT . FIELD FOR THE BRITISH ISLES BY ANTONY GORMLEY . FLORAL PAVILION . FOR YOU BY
TRACEY EMIN . FORMBY GOLF CLUB . FORT PERCH ROCK . FOUR CORNERS . FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD . GARLANDS . GEORGIAN QUARTER
. GEORGE HARRISON . GEORGE STREET QUARTER . GOSTINS GALLERY . GERRY AND THE PACEMAKERS . THE GRAPES . GUSTAF ADOLF SWEDISH
CHURCH . HAMILTON SQUARE . HARD DAYS NIGHT GALLERY . HAYDOCK PARK RACECOURSE . HERITAGE OPEN DAYS . HESKETH GOLF CLUB .
HILBRE ISLANDS . HILLSIDE GOLF CLUB . HOMOTOPIA . HOPE STREET . HUB FESTIVAL . INDIA BUILDINGS . INTERNATIONAL BEATLES WEEK .
INTERNATIONAL SLAVERY MUSEUM . ISLA GLADSTONE CONSERVATORY . JACARANDA . JIMMY MCGOVERN . JOHN LENNON . JOHN SMITH’S GRAND
NATIONAL . KNOWSLEY HALL . LADY LEVER ART GALLERY . LEASOWE LIGHTHOUSE . LEEDS-LIVERPOOL CANAL . LEVEL ONE ART GALLERY .
LEWIS CARROLL . LIME STREET STATION . LION TAVERN . LIPA . LIVER BUILDING . LIVERPOOL ACADEMY OF ARTS . LIVERPOOL ARABIC FESTIVAL
. LIVERPOOL BIENNIAL . LIVERPOOL CATHEDRAL . LIVERPOOL COMEDY FESTIVAL . LIVERPOOL ECHO . LIVERPOOL EMPIRE THEATRE .
HERI
LIVERPOOL FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL . LIVERPOOL FC . LIVERPOOL INTERNATIONAL TENNIS TOURNAMENT . LIVERPOOL IRISH FESTIVAL
. LIVERPOOL LIGHTHOUSE . LIVERPOOL LITERARY FESTIVAL . LIVERPOOL METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL . LIVERPOOL MUSIC WEEK
. LIVERPOOL TOWN HALL . LIVERPOOL WATERFRONT . LORD STREET . MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR . MALCOLM LOWRY . MATHEW STREET
FESTIVAL . MATHEW STREET FRINGE . THE MCGANNS . MENDIPS . MEOLS HALL . MERSEY FERRIES . MERSEY TUNNEL TOURS . MERSEYSIDE
MARITIME MUSEUM . MR HARDMAN’S PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO . MUSEUM OF LIVERPOOL . NATIONAL CONSERVATION CENTRE . NATIONAL
MUSEUMS LIVERPOOL . NATIONAL WILDFLOWER CENTRE . NEPTUNE THEATRE . NESS BOTANIC GARDENS . NORTHWEST RACING MASTERS
. NORTH WEST ROAD TRANSPORT MUSEUM . NORTH WEST VINTAGE RALLY . NORTON PRIORY . NOVAS CONTEMPORARY URBAN CENTRE . OPEN
EYE GALLERY . PACIFIC ROAD ARTS CENTRE . PAUL MCCARTNEY . PENELOPE BY JORGE PARDO . PENNY LANE . PHIL REDMOND . PHILHARMONIC
HALL . THE PHILHARMONIC PUB . THE PIER HEAD . PLAYHOUSE THEATRE . PORT OF LIVERPOOL BUILDING . PORT SUNLIGHT VILLAGE . PRESCOT
MUSEUM . PRINCES ROAD SYNAGOGUE . RADIO CITY TOWER . RAINHILL TRIALS . RED RUM . REDWIRE . RINGO STARR . RIVER MERSEY . ROGER
TAGE
MCGOUGH . ROMAN STANDARD BY TRACEY EMIN . ROPEWALKS . ROYAL BIRKDALE . ROYAL COURT THEATRE . ROYAL LIVERPOOL GOLF CLUB .
ROYAL LIVERPOOL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA . RUNCORN WIDNES BRIDGE . SANKEY VIADUCT . SEFTON PARK PALM HOUSE . SIR
SIMON RATTLE . SOUTHPORT AIRSHOW . SOUTHPORT AND AINSDALE GOLF CLUB . SOUTHPORT ARTS CENTRE . SOUTHPORT COMEDY FESTIVAL .
SOUTHPORT FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL . SOUTHPORT FLOWER SHOW . SOUTHPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL . SOUTHPORT PIER . SOUTHPORT THEATRE .
SPACEPORT . SPEKE HALL . ST. GEORGE’S HALL . ST.HELENS RFC . ST.HELENS CAMRA BEER, CIDER AND PIE FESTIVAL . ST.HELENS COMEDY WEEK
. ST.HELENS MUSIC FESTIVAL . STANLEY DOCK . STANLEY PARK . STEVEN GERRARD . SUDLEY HOUSE . SUMMER CLASSICS – MUSIC IN THE PARK .
SUMMER POPS FESTIVAL . SUPER LAMB BANANA BY TARO CHIEZO . TATE LIVERPOOL . TERENCE DAVIES . SIR THOMAS BEECHAM . THREE GRACES
. TRANMERE ROVERS . TURNING THE PLACE OVER BY RICHARD WILSON . U-BOAT STORY . UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE . UNITY THEATRE
. VASILY PETRENKO . VICTORIA GALLERY AND MUSEUM . VIEW TWO GALLERY . WALLASEY GOLF CLUB . WALKER ART GALLERY . WAVERTREE LOCK
UP . WAYFARERS ARCADE . WEST LANCASHIRE GOLF CLUB . WESTERN APPROACHES MUSEUM . THE WHITE STAR . WIDNES VIKINGS RFC . WILLIAM
BROWN STREET . WILLIAMSON ART GALLERY . WILLIAMSON TUNNELS HERITAGE CENTRE . WILLY RUSSELL . WIRRAL COUNTRY PARK . WIRRAL FOLK
FESTIVAL . WIRRAL FOOD AND DRINK FESTIVAL . WIRRAL HISTORIC VEHICLE RALLY . WIRRAL INTERNATIONAL GUITAR FESTIVAL . WIRRAL TRAMWAY
AND TRANSPORT MUSEUM . WORLD MUSEUM LIVERPOOL . WORLD OF GLASS . WRITING ON THE WALL . YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE . Z CARS
8.6 Southport
8.7 England’s Golf Coast
Southport will continue to invest, deliver and
capitalise on its classic resort position for The City Region will continue to prioritise
regional leisure visitors (day and overnight stays), attracting international golfing events
for niche markets and, over time, for UK short- and visitors and promoting England’s Golf
breaks. It will also strive to further enhance Coast for golfing holidays and short breaks,
its positioning as a national resort offer for particularly building on the world class links
business visitors targeting high value destination golf available. By building on success to date
conferences and exploiting the exhibitions market. and capitalising on the international profile
opportunities that golfing tournaments present
Key objectives are: to put the City Region on the world’s media
map including using the championship courses
To strengthen and consolidate the visitor offer of the Royal Birkdale and Royal Liverpool as
for regional Cosmopolitans visitors – the initial standard bearers for the quality of the offer.
focus will be Lord Street. This will include The potential for the development of a major
working with businesses to deliver a distinctive golf resort at Hoylake is also acknowledged.
specialist retail area to a consistent quality that
helps strengthen the Classic Resort and Lord England’s Golf Coast is a specific and strong
Street brand. To back this up in the longer term, theme within international and national
the resort will capitalise on Lord Street’s unique markets. It has a specialist and spatial identity.
sense of place by creating opportunities for It requires dedicated specialist marketing
high quality cultural experiences that will add but also needs to be included where and as
breadth and diversity to the product offer whilst appropriate within mainstream marketing.
enabling it to compete more effectively with other
Northwest visitor destinations such as Chester. The City Region will use the positive quality of
life associations of golf to underpin regeneration
To make more of the nightlife offer of and inward investment messages and set
Southport – targeting regional Style Hounds standards for management of the public realm
through better targeted marketing and to ensure a high quality visitor experience that
promotion, in conjunction with related product also delivers a quality environment for people
development within the night time economy. living and working along the coast.
22
Northwest Day Visitor Survey, Final Results, Northwest Development Agency, September 2008
23
though it is acknowledged that free entry to many of Liverpool’s attractions plays a role in this.
Occupancy in the city’s 50 hotels outstrips That new way of making the most of the City
the competition and the city is frequently in Region’s cultural assets is all about recognising
the top three of some of the most prestigious that while culture has many strands, it is
consumer awards like Condé Nast Traveller. the collective impact of the sheer volume
of quality venues, iconic buildings, national
Liverpool is now renowned for its diverse museums, distinctive historic quarters, sporting
and distinctive culture, for its waterfront, for and musical events and associations and
its heritage and for its festival spirit. It has a spectacular festivals that creates the wow
reputation for being a stylish and vibrant 24 factor. That wow factor is Liverpool City Region.
hour city; popular with couples and singles
of all ages. Good food and good shopping Key stakeholders have developed a strong
underpin that offer and the City Region is culture-focused response to delivering a
famous for its friendliness and visitor welcome. lasting legacy from The European Capital of
Culture 2008 tackling head on the opportunity
Liverpool is deservedly known as having one and challenge of making culture really work
of the world’s most stunning and recognisable for them. This is all about using culture as a
waterfronts, successfully blending iconic theme to connect different venues and locations
contemporary buildings such as the Museum within the city and across the City Region; to
of Liverpool and further exhibition extensions bring diverse stakeholders together to deliver a
to the BT Convention Centre with historic shared agenda; to illustrate how best practice
dockland buildings that now have new leisure in one area benefits another; to help visitors
and commercial uses. A digital led approach to make a connection with places that leaves a
the animation of the waterfront means visitors lasting and positive impression and to join up
have a personalised interactive experience the creativity of businesses. The result is one
with the past, present and future. A number of the most creative and culturally rich city
of new 4 and 5 star hotels on both sides of regions in Europe that has been particularly
the river are evidence of the commitment to successful in attracting creative businesses,
quality of place and design. A commitment in part through a very strong support of
that is shared by all waterfront stakeholders. entrepreneurship. The City Region is now a
The physical transformation of the waterfront byword for excellence in cultural regeneration
continues apace with construction now on- attracting thousands of business and academic
site at Wirral Waters and Liverpool Waters visits every year from all over the world keen
with an exciting mixed use of commercial, to learn how to do things ‘the Liverpool Way’.
leisure and residential developments.
Shopping – They are a high spending segment Very high internet access; 79%
when it comes to clothes shopping. They will
58% have no children at home
shop at the main high street outlets (Next,
Warehouse, etc) but are very keen on their 60% ABC1
brand names. They are the Fashion Tribe 55% working full time
referred to by many clothes retailers keen
They live life at a relaxed pace and enjoy 10% of the GB population
intellectual challenges, arts and culture. Older profile; 73% over 45; 53% over 55
57% with internet access
Interests & Activities
21% with children at home
Days out and attractions – Traditionals are
51% married or living as married; 28%
looking for days out that are peaceful & relaxing,
widowed, separated or divorced
nostalgic and educational. Offers that are
geared towards heritage and exploration will 43% C1C2; 36% DE
appeal to Traditionals. This includes National
58% taken an overseas holiday in past 3 years.
Trust attractions, churches and cathedrals and
botanical gardens. They are also happy just 41% retired; 31% working full time
exploring the countryside or a market town.
Rank Town/City Visits (000s) Rank Town/City Visits (000s) Rank Town/City Visits (000s)
Newcastle-
11 Nottingham 282 11 317 11 Cardiff 304
upon-Tyne
Brighton / Newcastle-
13 Bath 269 13 265 13 278
Hove upon-Tyne
Newcastle-
14 266 14 York 253 14 Bath 278
upon-Tyne
* 2008 figures just released - Liverpool retains 6th place with 553,000 visits
24
all visits including business tourism
Rank Town/City Visits (000s) Rank Town/City Visits (000s) Rank Town/City Visits (000s)
Newcastle-
8 1,298 8 York 1,191 8 Scarborough 1,341
upon-Tyne
Newcastle-
9 Liverpool 1,257 9 Sheffield 1,137 9 1,336
upon-Tyne
Newcastle-
10 York 1,247 10 1,094 10 Liverpool 1,088
upon-Tyne
Statistical Health Warning: Visit Britain, who source both of these tables, advise that
caution should be used as sample sizes can be low. For this reason we tend to place
higher reliability in locally gathered data, such as hotel occupancy figures.
4,000
3,000
Rooms available, as at end of year
2,000
1,000
3,088
3,088
3,172
3,225
3,386
3,768
2,878
2,623
2,650
2,798
3,443
3,965
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Mumbai 86 672
Dalian 87 666
San Diego 88 650
Bruges 89 641
Antwerp 90 636
Liverpool (GB) 91 625
New Delhi 92 612
Valencia 93 611
Kunming 94 607
Granada 95 606
Wuxi 96 594
4. Business Tourism
ICCA International Congress and Convention Association Rankings
City rank
London 19th
Edinburgh 28th
Glasgow 42nd Adelaide
Brisbane
Manchester 68th
Graz
Liverpool 86th Cities in similar rank: Marseille
Orlando
Belfast 120th
Riga
Oxford 164th San Francisco
Southampton 164th
Cambridge 181st
Newcastle 181st
Birmingham 234th
Cardiff 265th
Note: To achieve ICCA rankings, the events that are taken into consideration are:
• a minimum of 50 delegates
• regular event (not ad hoc)
• an event that rotates between at least three countries
* 2007 figures
No. of staying nights (m) City Region 10.7 11.0 11.3 10.8 11.0 11.2 11.6 11.9
No. of staying nights (m) Liverpool 3.7 3.8 4.3 3.8 4.1 4.3 4.5 4.6
No. of overseas visitors nights (m) 4.5 3.9 4.7 4.3 4.5 4.7 4.9 5.0
Total staying tourism spend (m) £504 £552 £607 £514 £532 £549 £585 £603
Tourism related employment* 22,000 23,000 25,000 23,000 23,000 24,000 25,000 26,000
Average spend per staying night £47.00 £50.29 £55.34 £48.65 £49.06 £49.59 £51.88 £54.16
Index of attractions (indexed to 2003) 125 130 160 132 136 138 142 146
Room occupancy - Liverpool 73% 71% 76% 70% 72% 73% 74% 74%
Bed-spaces* 27,000 28,000 31,000 34,000 37,000 38,000 40,000 41,000
Additional Indicators
No. of day visits (m) 57.4 58.6 61.5 61.3 62.8 64.3 66.3 68.2
Total day visit spend (m) £749 £793 £838 £794 £814 £825 £858 £892
Nights spent in serviced accommodation (m) 3.4 3.6 4.3 4.2 4.8 5.1 5.4 5.6
Total room nights sold in Liverpool (000) 808 851 915 851 890 911 957 992
Performance Measures
Passenger traffic via LJL Airport (m) 5.0 5.5 5.4 5.3 5.7 6.1 6.5 6.9
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