Latest visitor economy survey reveals steady increase in visitors to Lancashire
The county’s annual STEAM report, which evaluates the volume and value of visitors to Lancashire, has been released by Marketing Lancashire, the county’s LVEP (Local Visitor Economy Partnership). It analyses data from hospitality and tourism businesses gathered in 2023 and shows that visitors to Lancashire rose to 66.7million, up by 2.8% on previous 2022 figures.
Visitor numbers have recovered steadily over the past four years and are now only -3.0% below pre-Covid figures.
The report also reveals 83 million visitor days were generated in 2023, an additional 1 million visitor days compared with visitor days generated in 2022; bucking the slow recovery trend for day visitors typically seen across the rest of the UK since the Covid pandemic.
Despite the rise in visitors and visitor days, the value of tourism activity in the region was estimated to be £5.4bn, compared with £4.8bn in 2022, which represents a marginal decrease in real terms of -1.2% when indexed to allow for rising inflation.
Lancashire’s visitor economy also supported a total of 57,311 Full-Time Equivalent jobs (FTEs) in 2023; an increase of 4.6% on the year before.
Vikki Harris, Marketing and Partnerships Director for Marketing Lancashire comments “We are pleased to see the number of visitors to Lancashire continue to grow and the number of visitor days increase by 1 million in 2023.
“At -2.5% behind pre-Covid visitor days, compared to the rest of England at -25% visitor days, Lancashire is clearly showing a faster recovery from the impact of the pandemic on tourism.
She continues “In the last year we have seen new attraction and hotel openings, new restaurants and visitor experiences, so we would consider the sector to be relatively stable, despite the significant cost of living challenges faced by businesses and consumers.
“Alongside our district partners, we will continue to do everything in our power to support the sector and help grow new domestic and international visitors, with a specific focus on accessibility and sustainability; promoting Lancashire as a place that welcomes everyone and a destination that consistently offers good value days out and quality short breaks .”
Read the summary and full STEAM report 2023 here.
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Comments from Lancashire destination partners:
Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “It is very encouraging that the 2023 annual STEAM report shows an increase in visitor numbers, while the economic impact of tourism remains steady.
“Blackpool welcomed large crowds thanks to a diverse programme of major events, the launch of new attractions, a two-month extension of the autumn Illuminations season, and the expansion of the hugely successful Christmas By The Sea village.
“All of these factors, combined with strong partnerships and impactful marketing, reinforce our commitment to keeping Blackpool as the UK’s most visited seaside resort and firmly establishing it as a thriving year-round destination.”
A Fylde Council Spokesperson said, ‘ Fylde Council has made significant investments in tourism infrastructure throughout the borough, including town centre event spaces, new café developments, enhanced accommodation options, and improvements to key attractions such as Fairhaven Lake and the Beach Hub, set to open this Spring. These investments reflect the Council’s commitment to providing high-quality experiences for visitors while supporting local businesses.’
Councillor Jayne Nixon, Lead Member for Tourism, Culture and Leisure, commented: “These figures demonstrate Fylde’s enduring appeal as a premier destination within Lancashire. Our beautiful coastline, outstanding natural environment and vibrant events programme continue to attract visitors from across the UK and beyond.
“As we look forward to what we hope will be a warm summer season, we’re particularly excited for visitors to enjoy our excellent water facilities, including our popular paddling pool. Beyond our renowned beaches, Fylde boasts an impressive array of cultural venues that significantly enhance the visitor experience, from museums and galleries to theatres and historic sites.”
Deputy Leader of Chorley Council, Councillor Peter Wilson said “This latest data is really encouraging and we’re striving to get even more visitors to come to Chorley over the coming years.
“As part of our recently launched Destination Management Plan for Chorley, actions have been set out for the next five years, working towards Chorley becoming a top visitor destination. We’re looking forward to seeing the results of these actions and working with partners in the borough so together we can shout about the fantastic attractions Chorley has to offer and help drive visitor numbers.”
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STEAM (Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor) is an evaluation model used by many Destination Management Organisations. It uses locally derived data from a variety of sources such as hotels, attractions, tourist information centres, events and other accommodation to estimate the number of visitors, revenue generated and employment supported by tourism. The model provides the county with a continuous tourism economic impact dataset which reveals trends and helps highlight areas of particular growth or in need of support.