A five-year masterplan has been unveiled to make the Liverpool City Region the best tourism and career destination in the UK.
The city region’s thriving visitor economy generates £6.25bn a year, employs more than 58,000 people and attracts around 60 million visitors annually who come to enjoy its world-renowned cultural, musical and sporting attractions.
A new Destination Management Plan has now been developed by the pioneering Local Visitor Enterprise Partnership (LVEP) that sets out for the first time a unified vision across the city region to further accelerate growth over the next five years.
The comprehensive plan aims to make the region the best place in the UK to ‘visit and stay for a for a day, a week or a lifetime’ by 2030.
Combined Authority members will this week be asked to approve the strategic framework ahead of a launch during English Tourism Week in March.
Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:
“The Liverpool City Region’s visitor economy is thriving, and this new Destination Management Plan will help build on that success, ensuring we remain at the forefront of the UK’s tourism industry.
“Our region is renowned for its cultural heritage, musical legacy and sporting excellence. From the iconic Beatles history to top-flight football, and the internationally acclaimed events we host, there’s something here for everyone.
“This ambitious plan will not only boost visitor numbers and jobs, but it’ll also enhance our region’s unique appeal which is known throughout the world.”
In 2023, the Liverpool City Region set up one of the first Visit England accredited LVEPs to lead, market and manage the visitor economy.
Tony Hall CBE, Lord Hall of Birkenhead and a former Director General of the BBC, was named Chair of a new board created to lead the partnership and made up of experts from the worlds of sport, film, music, hospitality, retail and leisure.
High-profile events 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, all helped to drive growth in visitor numbers, income and jobs.
Independent research in 2024 calculated the sector grew by 21% from 2022 to 2023 – generating £6bn a year to the economy. Staying visitor numbers rose to six million and the total they spent increased 17% to 2.4bn. Around one in eight residents (12%) now work for the sector’s 4,800 businesses.
The new Destination Management Plan seeks to build on this success and harness the city region’s unique global appeal – including around golf, football, culture, hospitality and music – to boost growth and prosperity.
It has been developed after learning from some of the world’s most popular and successful visitor destinations, including Melbourne, New York City and Barcelona.
A new major events strategy is exploring how to attract and stage more showpiece events, including the potential introduction of a tourist levy.
The strategy also aims to highlight the importance and unique character, history and charm of the city region’s six local authority areas: Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.
The Strategy will focus on enhancing visitor experiences, creating sustainable growth in visitor numbers and boosting jobs in the sector. Increasing productivity – the level of Gross Value Added (GVA) per job – from £22,700 to £27,200, could close the gap to national visitor economy levels and generate an extra £309m of GVA each year.
The plan will be delivered in collaboration with government bodies, private sector organisations, councils and community organisations.
To help bring the plan to life, an eye-catching document aimed at the public will be produced alongside a media campaign.
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