Why more people are visiting Birmingham than Liverpool, Oxford and Bristol

Birmingham is the fourth most visited city in the UK, beating places such as Oxford, Liverpool and Bristol, according to latest research.

Our rapidly transforming skyline, welcoming nature and excellent hospitality and leisure opportunities have all contributed to our attraction to visitors.

And our tourism industry across the region is set to get even bigger - especially with the Commonwealth Games on the way - rivaling London, Edinburugh and Manchester all currently ranking above Birmingham.

West Midlands Growth Company recently launched their tourism strategy aiming to grown the regions visitor economy from £12.6 billion in 2018 to £13.7 billion during the next decade, a 9% increase.

This growth will be achieved by attracting more domestic and international visitors, generating an estimated rise in spend of £1.1 billion across the region. You can see more details at the video at the top of this story.

Award winning hospitality expert Jan Denning has been supporting local businesses as they recover from the impact of the pandemic.

She said: “The leisure sector is so important to the whole of the UK, and it’s a massive sector for Birmingham. Both leisure tourism and business tourism, which is really conference, meetings and events.

“That alone was worth about £41 million. Obviously it’s a little bit difference now since the pandemic, but it’s a massive sector. And it’s absolutely key to keep driving that sector because it’s a key driver for the visitor economy in any region, and particularly Birmingham.”

Mike Ollie, Westside BID said: “Well, bounce back? Absolutely undoubtedly. Our foot fall now is higher than it was two years ago. Can you believe it! So we’re as happy as can be.”

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