'Record numbers' of visitors to West Midlands in 2022
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games was a major draw last summer.
'Record numbers' of people visited the West Midlands in 2022, beating the previous record set before the pandemic.
New figures show a 38% increase on tourist numbers in 2021, and a 5% rise compared to 2019 data.
Spending by visitors to the West Midlands in 2022 also rose to £14.1 billion, up by £4 billion (39%) from 2021.
Tourists spent most on retail (41%), food and drink (21%) and recreational (15%) offer, when visiting the region.
Neil Rami, Chief Executive of the West Midlands Growth Company, said:
“The West Midlands was the place to be in 2022, reflected by record visitor numbers to our region’s tourism and hospitality settings, accommodation venues and public spaces.
“The past 12 months have reinforced the value of attracting and hosting major international sporting events and festivals. Not only do they significantly boost the West Midlands’ visitor economy, but they also leave a positive, lasting impression with tourists.
A record 1.5 million people bought tickets for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, making it the most popular Commonwealth Games ever to be hosted in the UK.
More than five million people came to Birmingham city centre during the Games.
Hotel occupancy in Birmingham averaged 90% during the 12-day Commonwealth Games period.
Other major events enticing crowds to the West Midlands in 2022 included the Birmingham 2022 Festival (March – September); the British Art Show 9 in Wolverhampton (January – April); Coventry UK City of Culture (until May); the Sandwell & Birmingham Mela (August); and the Rugby League World Cup in Coventry (October).
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, added:
“After what no one could dispute has been a challenging time for the world’s tourism industry, it’s great news to see that our region has defied national predictions to bounce back more rapidly than expected.
“The relative strength and resilience of our tourism sector is why I remain hopeful that we can get more local people into tourism related jobs in the months and years ahead – something I know is a priority for our regional Tourism & Hospitality Advisory Board.”