A new strategy for Greater Manchester’s visitor economy has been launched, setting out a roadmap to lead the sector through an expected period of growth in the coming years.
For those living, working, and regularly visiting Greater Manchester, it is clear the city-region is on a rapid growth trajectory, and this is particularly evident when assessing the progressive development of the city-region’s visitor economy over the last two decades.
With thousands of additional hotel bedrooms, internationally-significant new cultural, leisure, and entertainment venues, a packed live events and conference calendar, and a thriving food, drink, and nightlife scene; Greater Manchester’s visitor economy – defined by experiences that attract visitors and serve them within a destination – is now set to grow even further and faster.
To support and direct the sector through this next phase, a new strategic framework – the Greater Manchester Strategy for the Visitor Economy 2025-2030 – was launched today on Wednesday 29 January 2025 at a packed event held at The Midland Hotel, Manchester.
Stakeholders and visitor economy partners from across the city-region were joined at the event by business leaders and senior politicians including Minister for Tourism, Sir Chris Bryant and GM Business Board member Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council and Economy, Business, and Inclusive Growth Lead at Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
At the core of the strategy is an ambition to encourage growth in a sustainable and inclusive way, and for the visitor economy to be recognised for its rich contribution to social and cultural life across Greater Manchester and its positive impact on the city-region’s diverse communities.
The core ambition of the new strategy states:
“By 2030 our visitor economy will be proudly recognised for its rich contribution to social and cultural life across Greater Manchester and its positive impact on our city-region’s diverse communities. It will continue to provide inspiration and a sense of belonging for residents, visitors, and businesses, whilst fuelling sustainable economic growth for all.”
The strategy has five targets to meet by 2030:
- Greater Manchester will be the most visited city-region outside of London and a top 20 European destination.
- 30% of all passengers using Manchester Airport will be of international origin.
- The economic impact of the visitor economy across Greater Manchester will increase to £15bn.
- All employees in the visitor economy will be earning a minimum of the Real Living Wage.
- Manchester will be ranked as the most sustainable English city in the UK and in the top 50 in the world on the Global Destination Sustainability Index.
To meet these targets the strategy has four strategic aims:
- Creating a sense of place – our visitor economy is a sector through which the very best of Greater Manchester’s values and personality can shine. In raising its profile and awareness of all that our city-region has to offer – and by encouraging growth in a sustainable and inclusive way – our visitor economy will inspire and reinforce a deep sense of place and civic pride.
- Attracting and delivering major events – Greater Manchester is a place that truly flourishes when hosting spectators and audiences; when our distinctive welcome, passion, and expertise – combined with a casual sense of fun – results in an atmosphere unlike any other. Our visitor economy thrives on this success and will support the city-region to do more of what it does best: put on spectacular events year-round.
- Enhancing the visitor offer and experience – Greater Manchester is home to an abundance of world-class experiences that inspire passion and fascination within our visitors. As the city-region continues to grow, our visitor economy will continue to enhance its offer by developing innovative new products and experiences; adapting along the way to reflect changing audiences, emerging trends, and sustainable practices.
- Providing greater connectivity – connection enables our visitor economy, assisting visitors on their journey to Greater Manchester – from research to arrival – as well as shaping their overall experience on the ground. Improvements will ensure that our visitor economy can be effortlessly explored and enjoyed by all.
Commenting on the strategy, Sir Chris Bryant said: “Greater Manchester has so much to offer visitors from the UK and abroad. Whether you’re a gig-goer, food lover or sports fan, there is something for everyone. The region’s huge potential to attract tourists means it has a key part to play in helping us achieve our goal of welcoming 50 million international visitors a year to the UK by 2030.
“That is why it is so great to see the launch of Greater Manchester’s new visitor economy strategy, which will drive growth, support good jobs, and spread opportunity throughout the region while delivering a first-class visitor experience.”
The strategy is supported by Cllr Bev Craig, who added: “It feels like here in Greater Manchester we are facing a very special moment. We have been celebrated across the world for all the fantastic things that our city-region is doing, and I want to stress the importance of the role that the visitor economy plays in helping to build and maintain Greater Manchester’s reputation as a world-class destination.
“Our visitor economy is not just something that makes us immensely proud and that brings people together; it also contributes significantly to our economy, generating almost £9 billion of additional value and keeping over 100,000 people in work, but it can, and will, do more.”
The strategy has been developed by Marketing Manchester – the city region’s official VisitEngland Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) – following a detailed consultation with stakeholders and business leaders across Greater Manchester.
Victoria Braddock, Managing Director at Marketing Manchester, said: “This new strategy for the visitor economy is a great example of how to bring a sector together to create a detailed plan, with clear objectives for the next five years. It will guide how we collectively grow the visitor economy in a way that is sustainable and responsible, but that is also ambitious.
“With a lot of hard work and investment, over the last decade especially, we’ve got fantastic foundations to build on within the visitor economy. Now, with a new strategy in place, as the region’s LVEP, it is Marketing Manchester’s job to encourage anyone working within the sector to get behind it, create initiatives and campaigns that support its delivery, and ultimately keep the sector on track, informed and accountable.”
The strategy is digital-first and is now live at tourism.marketingmanchester.com. It will be regularly updated to track against delivery plans, provide updated insights and research, and to adapt to broader changes that might impact the visitor economy on the road to 2030.
