The report shows a continued recovery in visitor numbers in Liverpool since the COVID-19 pandemic. Visitor numbers in 2023, when the city hosted Eurovision, were up by 4.4 million to 60.29 million.
According to the report, the number of staying visitors climbed to 6.016 million, compared to 5.833 million in 2022. The number of daytime visitors has risen exponentially, now standing at 54.28m and representing an increase of more than 4m visitors from 2022.
Other figures show that hotel occupancy rates from 2022 increased from 2.2% to 76.5% in 2023, almost level with the 2019 figure of 78.4%. This has led to a boom within the city centre’s hotel sector, with the number of hotel beds fast approaching 10,000 and encouraging occupancy figures for the first half of 2024.
Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram said: “This is a fantastic milestone for Liverpool city region and a testament to our area’s incredible resilience and creativity. 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 such as 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.”
