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Grand Départ generated £102 million for Yorkshire’s economy

The Grand Départ of the Tour de France generated approximately £128 million overall, and £102 million for Yorkshire the official event impact review has revealed.

Using surveys and evaluations carried out before, during and after the race, the report reveals the Tour generated more than £128 million of economic benefit for the host areas overall, with £102 million for Yorkshire and £30 million for Cambridgeshire, Essex and London with £19.5 million for London.

The overall economic benefit figure is expected to rise in the years to come to over £150m as a result of increased tourism and profile and as long-term trade deals secured at the Yorkshire Grand Départ International Business Festival held around the event are realised.

Tour director Christian Prudhomme described it as “the grandest Grand Départ” in the 111-year history of the race.

The report, led by Leeds City Council as the lead local authority supported by UK Sport, Welcome to Yorkshire, Transport for London and TdFHUB2014 Ltd, examines and evaluates the impact of the event as well as its legacy.

Among the key findings of the report are:

• The race was watched in person by approximately one in four people in the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber region
• The event attracted 113,000 visitors from outside the UK, generating £33m into the UK economy
• The Tour provided £24.3m benefit to the accommodation sector in the host areas
• 18.6million people followed the race on television or on other devices in the UK

Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Keith Wakefield said: “Hosting the start of the Tour de France elevated Leeds and Yorkshire to a platform it has never been on before.

“The key to its success was the way the public supported the event in such numbers and with such passion they made it a truly remarkable weekend no-one who saw it will ever forget.”

Chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire Gary Verity said: “We’re absolutely delighted the event brought so much money to the county to help businesses big and small, and there are benefits for the county which are impossible to measure - the profile of Yorkshire around the world has never been higher and this will have a lasting impact on visitor numbers and businesses for years and years to come.”

Minister for Sport and Tourism Helen Grant said: “The Tour de France in the UK was an incredible success and once again showcased how well we put on major sporting events in this country.

“It showed the passion Britain has for cycling and will have inspired many to take up the sport as well as giving a significant economic boost to the host regions.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .