Latest statistics show the economic value of tourism in Cheshire has grown over 20% in the last three years; visitor numbers increased by 23% to 31.05m and day and overnight visitors spending increased by over 15% more than in 2013, according figures released by STEAM.
Chester accounted for the majority of this growth due to leading attractions including the Walls and Chester Cathedral as well as Chester Zoo and Cheshire Oaks, both of which dominate their industries nationally.
The strong growth in leisure and business tourism has supported rising hotel occupancy in the city, with many popular hoteliers reporting up to 100% occupancy for the majority of weekends.
The figures build on Chester’s success in receiving a number of accolades over the last 12 months including: being named officially the best place to live in the UK (source: UK Hot Housing Index) and the fifth happiest place to live in Britain (survey: Rightmove), as well as being voted Europe’s fifth prettiest destination by American magazine US Today.
Alison Duckworth, Tourism Director at Marketing Cheshire, predicts that domestic tourism to Chester will grow significantly over the next five years, by an estimated 25-30%. She commented:
"The continued growth of Chester’s tourism sector is great news for the city and the economic growth of Cheshire’s visitor economy as a whole. This growth is likely to continue due to a number of factors including the opening of a new cultural centre which will help to revive the night time economy, ambitious plans by the Chester Growth Partnership and CH1BID teams to bring new events to the city centre, the expansion of new restaurants in Pepper Street and the new business district around City Place, all of which will bring new business and leisure visitors to the city.
"Improvements in public transport, including faster and better connectivity by rail with Manchester and Yorkshire; a new Coach Strategy in Chester and the development of a new bus station in the Northgate area, will all provide additional motivation and make it easier and quicker to visit Chester.”
International tourism is also expected to grow, due to the Northern Tourism Growth Fund which is establishing links with international trade buyers, as well as consumer awareness in core markets including China, USA, Germany and Australia. To support international tourism, Marketing Cheshire has added a translation tool for eight different languages to its Visit Chester website, and has made the International Welcome guide available in seven languages, which has led to Chester’s inclusion in Visit Britain’s GREAT China Welcome charter, helping to position the city as an attractive and friendly place for international visitors.
Alison added: "It is vital that with new opportunities, we are well placed to make the most of them. To do this we need to review the number and quality of hotels in the city, along with a clear strategy so that we can effectively compete with other destinations. We need to improve signposting from the station, implement more signs in foreign languages and better publicise free parking opportunities.
"Chester has huge strengths and opportunities, and it is vital that we capitalise on these to drive further growth in the visitor economy and widen its appeal as a leading place to live, work and visit.”
Read more at marketingcheshire.co.uk