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 visitor economy generates £6.25bn a year, employs more than 58,000 people and attracts around 60 million visitors annually.
A new Destination Management Plan has now been developed by the 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 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 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.
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 of the city region’s six local authority areas: Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.
The plan will be delivered in collaboration with government bodies, private sector organisations, councils and community organisations.
