Manchester unveils £15bn plan to become go-to tourist destination outside London

Greater Manchester has unveiled plans to grow its visitor economy to be worth £15bn by the end of the decade in a bid to be the go-to tourism destination in the UK outside of London.

The new strategy, which covers a five-year period through to 2030, aims to increase the region’s visitor economy from around £9.4m in 2023 and approximately £10m in 2024.

Greater Manchester leaders are also looking it to become the most visited city-region outside of London, overtaking Edinburgh, and make itself a top 20 European destination.

The new plan also pledges that all employees in the visitor economy will earn a minimum of the Real Living Wage and that 30 per cent of all passengers using Manchester Airport will be international origin.

The strategy also sets out the aim of Manchester to be ranked as the most sustainable English city in the UK and in the top 50 in the world on the Global Destination Sustainability Index.

The announcements come a week after the Liverpool City Region made bold play to replace London as the tourism capital of the UK.

Local leaders also unveiled a five-year plan which they hope will boost the region’s economy, create jobs and become the go-to destination in the country.

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.

At the end of last week , a decade-long plan to increase Greater Manchester’s contribution to the UK economy by £13bn a year was unveiled by the region’s mayor , Andy Burnham.

The proposal would see the “whole Greater Manchester system mobilised” to deliver £1bn of investment every year between now and 2035.

Burnham has also promised to build new homes ‘on a scale and at a pace not seen in the past 20 years’.

‘Manchester is facing a very special moment’

Commenting on Greater Manchester’s plan Sir Chris Bryant, minister for media, tourism and creative industries, said: “Greater Manchester has so much to offer visitors from the UK and abroad.

“Whether you’re a gig-goer, food lover or sports fan, there is something for everyone.

“The region’s huge potential to attract tourists means it has a key part to play in helping us achieve our goal of welcoming 50 million international visitors a year to the UK by 2030.

“That is why it is so great to see the launch of Greater Manchester’s new visitor economy strategy, which will drive growth, support good jobs, and spread opportunity throughout the region while delivering a first-class visitor experience.”

The strategy has been developed by Marketing Manchester – the city region’s official
VisitEngland Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP).

Manchester City Council leader Cllr Bev Craig added: “It feels like here in Greater Manchester we are facing a very special moment.

“We have been celebrated across the world for all the fantastic things that our city-region is doing, and I want to stress the importance of the role that the visitor economy plays in helping to build and maintain Greater Manchester’s reputation as a world-class destination.

“Our visitor economy is not just something that makes us immensely proud and that bring people together; it also contributes significantly to our economy, generating almost £9bn of additional value and keeping over 100,000 people in work, but it can, and will, do more.”

According to Greater Manchester’s new strategy, it intends to meet its new targets by ‘creating a sense of place, attracting and delivering major events, enhancing the visitor offer and experience and providing improved transport options.

Victoria Braddock, managing director at Marketing Manchester, said: “This new strategy for the visitor economy is a great example of how to bring a sector together to create a detailed plan, with clear objectives for the next five years.

“It will guide how we collectively grow the visitor economy in a way that is sustainable and responsible, but that is also ambitious.

“With a lot of hard work and investment, over the last decade especially, we’ve got fantastic
foundations to build on within the visitor economy.

“Now, with a new strategy in place, as the region’s LVEP, it is Marketing Manchester’s job to encourage anyone working within the sector to get behind it, create initiatives and campaigns that support its delivery, and ultimately keep the sector on track, informed and accountable.”