Tourism image improves for Birmingham
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Birmingham’s reputation as a tourism destination has grown by 32% in the last five years, a new study has found.
According to the survey by the Regional Observatory of 8,000 domestic and international guests, 77% of people plan to visit the city for a day trip, overnight or as part of a tour with most (67%) drawn for its shopping facilities.
Tourism is worth GBP4.9 billion to the city’s economy and numbers increased 10% to 33.5 million in 2011.
Around two fifths of its respondents had seen advertising from Marketing Birmingham, which recently launched a campaign incentivising groups and coach travel companies to the city. It now aims to continue developing international markets with a focus on shopping, the city centre, food and drink and events/festivals.
“Today’s findings demonstrate that Birmingham’s appeal to international tourists is increasing and that our marketing campaigns are building the city’s reputation and attracting visitors in growing markets,” said Neil Rami, chief executive of Marketing Birmingham.
“In the current climate, there is no room for complacency. More needs to be done to attract international tourists to the city and we have a targeted strategy to increase visitor numbers from key markets such as the USA, China and Europe,” he added.
