More people visiting Gloucester as city changes take shape
Gloucester is attracting more visitors than ever, with footfall in the city centre seeing a significant boost in early 2025- outpacing other towns and cities across the South West.
Data collected on behalf of Gloucester City Council shows over 127,000 more people visited the city between January and May this year, compared to the same period in 2024. This marks the highest percentage increase in footfall of any urban centre in the region.
The rise comes as regeneration efforts continue to reshape the city, with major developments like The Forum taking centre stage. The multi-million-pound scheme welcomed its first tenant, internet service provider 'Fasthosts', earlier this year.
Once completed, The Forum will feature a boutique hotel with a rooftop cocktail bar, restaurant, and conference space, alongside 135,000 square feet of office space and a new multi-storey car park.
Food and hospitality are also flourishing. The Gloucester Food Dock, backed by the city council, has added several new independent venues over the past year and now hosts a dozen unique food businesses.
Meanwhile, the University of Gloucestershire is preparing to open its new city centre campus this autumn. The site will become home to the university’s Education, Psychology, and Social Work departments, adding a fresh academic and cultural dynamic to the city core.
Tourism continues to play a key role in Gloucester’s economy. Visitors spent an estimated £246 million in the city in 2023, contributing to an overall economic impact of £310 million. Gloucester currently ranks second in Gloucestershire for day visitors and third for overnight stays- a position expected to improve with the upcoming opening of Hotel Indigo at The Forum.
Councillor Jeremy Hilton, Leader of Gloucester City Council, said:
“This is great news for Gloucester. There is a huge amount of work taking place to transform the city and it is an exciting time to be living and working here. The Forum development is making excellent progress and along with the new University City Centre Campus, we expect this to be a further boost to visitor numbers. And there are many other projects taking shape, particularly the Greyfriars project, which will create a vibrant new garden quarter with space for community activities, a new market and food hall, as well as a park and gardens.”
As key projects move ahead, the city’s growing appeal as both a tourist destination and thriving place to live and work seems firmly on track.