NewcastleGateshead receives tourism boost of over £1bn thanks to major events

Today (September 27) marks World Tourism Day with newly released figures showing that tourists visiting NewcastleGateshead in 2018 contributed £1.76bn to the economy.

In a year which saw the region host the Great Exhibition of the North, visitor expenditure rose by four per cent from 2017, highlighting the importance of tourism to the wider economy.

The tourism industry continues to see significant growth, with a total of 18.65 million people visiting NewcasteGateshead last year - up 3.5 per cent from 2017.

The figures are estimated using the Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Model (STEAM)1 and also show a three per cent increase in the value (£1.1bn) and volume (16.4 million) of day visits from 2017.

Sarah Stewart, chief executive of NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said: “Our major events, attractions and experiences ensure that NewcastleGateshed is a very attractive visitor destination.

“It’s brilliant news that visitor numbers and expenditure are growing, and these new figures highlight the ongoing importance of the industry to the wider economy.

“Last year we hosted the biggest event in England in the Great Exhibition of the North and saw a variety of exciting new venues which added further to what the destination has to offer visitors. These included shipping container villages Stack Newcastle and By The River Brew Co, new bars Revolucion de Cuba and Charts, and the Maldron Hotel.”

The number of overnight stays increased to 5.44 million nights, with visitors spending £626m (up six per cent from 2017).

Tourism continues to be the fourth largest sector in the North East and a very significant employer. In 2018, 16,193 people were employed in tourism in NewcastleGateshead, up by 4.6 per cent on 2017.

Early figures for 2019 see a continuation of the upward trend in visitor numbers. The region hosted the European Professional Club Rugby Finals in May with over 80,000 fans attending the two games and a hotel occupancy of 99 per cent over the weekend.

Over 20 new bars and restaurants have opened in the first half of 2019, including Banyan Bar, The Gunner and Everyman Cinema, with more openings planned for the rest of the year.

Stewart added: “While visitor numbers increased again last year, 2019 has already seen two major events, the European Professional Club Rugby Finals and World Transplant Games, attract thousands of visitors from all over the world to the region.”