Liverpool events ramp up city visitor numbers

Liverpool’s 2013 events programme has helped to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city, Liverpool City Council say.

The city’s Battle of the Atlantic (BOA) 70th anniversary commemorations in May pulled in 300,000 visitors alone as the most attended event so far.

During the celebrations between 24-28 May, both Liverpool ONE and City Central Business Improvement District (BID) reported the weekend as their busiest retail days.

The BID saw a dramatic rise in footfall, recording more than one million visitors, compared with 600,000 during the same period in 2012.

Elsewhere, the River Festival and Music on the Waterfront events instigated an 82% footfall increase at the Albert dock and the Merseyside Maritime Museum saw numbers in the thousands during the weekend.

The 25th anniversary of the Albert Dock generated a 20% increase in visitor numbers, more than 45,000.

Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson, said: “It’s hard to believe we’re only half way through the year and we’ve already had an enormous number of high calibre events.

“These latest statistics once again reemphasise the importance of culture and how Liverpool thoroughly deserves its reputation as one of the leading cities when it comes to putting on high-quality, free events.

“We work closely with partners across the city, and the outcomes really are a win-win situation for everyone. These events will have brought millions into the local economy, supported jobs which is extremely valuable in this current climate, and, importantly, brought a feel-good factor to the city.

“I want to thank all those responsible for working so hard and making these events such a success - here’s to the next six months!”

Pam Wilsher, head of Visitor Economy Development for Liverpool City Region LEP, which encompasses the City Region’s official Tourist Board, VisitLiverpool, said: “Events play an integral part in the success of the destination’s Visitor Economy and attract local people and visitors from across the region, country and beyond – which is demonstrated by these encouraging figures.

“The destination has become well renowned for staging national and international events – and a hugely successful events programme for 2013 continues to further build on this reputation. Visitors not only enjoy the events and fantastic atmosphere they provide, but they also experience the shops, restaurants, bars and hotels – which results in a positive economic impact for Liverpool City Region’s Visitor Economy.”

Ged Gibbons, chief operating Officer for City Central BID, which represents 630 businesses in the retail heart of Liverpool city centre, added: “Liverpool is fortunate to have a brilliant team of people working behind the scenes to pull together its world class events programme.

“The benefits of such large scale events like the Mersey River Festival ripple right through the city’s economy and also serve to strengthen and promote the city’s appeal as an amazing destination to visit and enjoy.’’