Tourism in Liverpool City Region hits £6 Billion milestone as visitor numbers soar

Liverpool City Region’s tourism industry has reached a remarkable milestone, with the sector now valued at over £6 billion, according to new figures released today.

The latest independent research for 2023, commissioned by the Liverpool City Region Local Visitor Enterprise Partnership (LVEP), highlights the strong recovery of tourism since the pandemic, contributing significantly to the region’s economic growth.

The sector continues to demonstrate strong signs of recovery since the pandemic, contributing to the overall economic growth of Liverpool City Region.

Headline figures show:

Liverpool City Region tourism value has increased 21% from 2022 to £6.25bn.
Visitor numbers have increased by 4.4 million from 2022 to 60.29m.
The number of staying visitors has risen to 6.016m (compared to 5.833m in 2022)
The number of day visitors continues to rise and now stands at 54.28m – an increase of over 4 million visitors from 2022.
Jobs in the sector have risen to 58,435 a 13% increase since the 2022 figure of 51,605
Other figures show hotel occupancy rates from 2022 rose 2.2% to 76.5% in 2023, almost level with the 2019 figure of 78.4%.

The international appeal of high-profile events across the region such as the Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool and the Open Golf Championship in Wirral alongside wider city region events including the Southport Airshow, the Grand National and Liverpool Biennial, coupled with an annual uplift of 7% in the average income per occupied room (ADR) will also have contributed to the positive impacts recorded in 2023.

The number of staying visitors has also risen from 5.833m in 2022 to 6.016m in 2024- the highest since 2017, with spend by staying visitors increasing by 17% to £2.4bn.

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said:

“This is a fantastic milestone for the Liverpool City Region and a testament to the incredible resilience and creativity of our area. To see the visitor economy now generating over £6bn is proof that our efforts to showcase the best of what we have to offer – from our stunning cultural landmarks to world-class events – are paying off in spades.

“2023 was a year like no other, with the vibrant colour and glitter of the Eurovision Song Contest, which put us on a global stage, and events like The Open and the Grand National drawing visitors from far and wide. Our region’s appeal is stronger than ever, and these figures show that people are voting with their feet.

“But it’s not just about the numbers; it’s about the jobs and opportunities this growth is creating for local people. We’ve worked hard to make Liverpool City Region a destination that’s not just great to visit but great to live in. With more visitors staying, generating record-breaking hotel occupancy, and our cultural events calendar packed to the brim, we’re proving that this is a place where the world wants to be—and that’s something we should all be proud of.”

The city region has also followed national trends with the number of visitors staying in non-serviced accommodation rising by 4.4%. Liverpool is ranked the third highest city by VisitBritain for the number of nights reserved in short term rental properties

Initiatives spearheaded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, in collaboration with local authorities and businesses, have been instrumental in promoting the region.

A three-year £3.2m Destination Marketing project, supported by the Strategic Investment Fund has focussed on delivering a coherent programme of regional marketing activity, hand in hand with public and private sector businesses, targeting domestic and overseas growth markets and dispersing those visitors and their spend across the region.

The business events sector has also been boosted by continued £1.25m support from the Strategic Investment Fund and working in partnership with the newly formed Accommodation BID and ACC Liverpool. This partnership has previously supported 32 conferences in the city region, creating an economic impact of over £14m with over 36,000 delegates welcomed to the city region, totalling 363,000 bed nights. The continuation of this project will continue to support critical events for the city region.

The city region’s tourism sector is poised for continued growth with the recently formed LCR LVEP. This pioneering partnership chaired by Tony Hall CBE, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, will position the region as one of Europe’s major events capitals, seeking to deliver maximum economic benefit across the city region from its worldwide visitor appeal. The new Board will now shape a five-year destination management plan which will be launched in March 2025.

The 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.