Rise in overnight visits to Greater Manchester

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The number of overnight visits to Greater Manchester rose by 8.4% in 2012 – with 10.3m people spending a night in the region.

They contributed to a £325m+ rise in the value of the tourism industry to the local economy, from £6.2bn in 2011 to £6.6bn in 2012.

2,896 new jobs were also created during the year – taking the number of jobs supported by the tourism industry from just over 81,000 to almost 84,000.

Paul Simpson, managing director of Visit Manchester, said: “Tourism is delivering for the city more than ever before. New jobs, new visitor attractions and a whole host of special events across Greater Manchester made 2012 a year to remember.

“A destination’s hotel occupancy is a great measure of its visitor appeal. Greater Manchester’s average is an enviable 73% - and with new developments in 2012 taking the number of rooms to over 20,000 (20,474) - that shows just how strong demand is.

“2013 has more than matched 2012 and I am confident we will see the value of the industry continue to rise.”

The data has been released as part of the latest STEAM (Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor) report – which is commissioned each year by Visit Manchester, the tourist board for Greater Manchester.