Visit West has revealed that the visitor economy in the west of England is now worth a record £2.46 billion and supports 46,000 jobs, according to the latest research figures. The Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) represents the tourism industry across Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, and North Somerset, with this research highlighting the region’s steady recovery since the pandemic and despite the cost of living crisis.
Inbound international visits have seen a particular rise, as visits to the region grew by 21% to 957,000, just 14% behind the pre-pandemic record high in 2019. Bristol is listed as the 7th most visited destination by inbound visitors. Bath came 11th (joint with Cardiff) as combined overnight visits to the region have increased by 2%, with an encouraging increase in spending of 7%. Whilst the number of international day visitors is currently not tracked, it is known to impact the sector significantly.
According to the research – which reports on the volume and value of the visitor economy in 2023 – domestic visits from UK tourists fell by 3% to 2.86 million. However, the number of domestic day visitors to the region increased by 5%. Domestic day visitors to the area spent 22% more than the previous year and 10% more than in 2019, despite the number of day visitors being 15% lower than that record year.
Visit West’s overarching strategy is to encourage people to stay longer in the region, maximising their stay and exploring what the West offers, with spending supporting high streets and small businesses in particular. The research highlights that the biggest beneficiaries of visitor spending are the retail sector (an estimated £409 million), food and drink businesses (£342 million) and accommodation (£200 million). For many businesses, this visitor spend is a critical to their income.
Kathryn Davis, Managing Director at Visit West said, “We are delighted that the industry continues to strengthen post Covid, and while we are nearly into 2025, we can see from our own data that 2024 in general looks to have built on the 2023 recovery. Operating conditions for businesses remain incredibly challenging and we will continue to lobby for those working in the visitor economy, and continue to develop strong routes to market through our work with the travel trade, meeting and event organisers and through our consumer channels Visit Bath and Visit Bristol.
“We are looking forward to a strong 2025 with demand from Jane Austen 250, Women’s Rugby World Cup and VisitBritain’s national campaign Starring Great Britain celebrating film and TV locations.”
Data for 2024 will be available in late 2025.
Click here to find out more about Visit West.
