Solihull’s visitor economy was worth a record £1.27 billion in 2023, up 14.8% from the previous year, according to a new report from the West Midlands Growth Company and independent tourism research body Global Tourism Solutions.
The report also revealed that Solihull attracted more than 6 million visitors in 2023, an increase of over 200,000 visitors from 2022’s 5.8 million. The boost in tourism across the borough additionally created more employment opportunities in the sector, as the number of full-time equivalent jobs supported by direct and indirect tourism activities rose by 9%, from 9,526 to 10,382.
This record growth for the borough’s visitor economy has been announced soon after the publication of the Council’s Destination Management Plan. The five-year strategy (2024 – 2029) sets out the Council’s plans to raise greater awareness of Solihull’s tourism offer, promote the borough as an attractive leisure and business tourism destination and deliver outstanding experiences for visitors and residents.
In order to achieve this, the Destination Management Plan outlines four key priorities:
- Improving how the borough is packaged
- Retaining local spend
- Improving the visitor experience
- Supporting businesses in the tourism sector
Solihull’s tourism and leisure offer is continuing to expand and thrive, as evidenced by the success of international esports tournament ESL One Birmingham 2024 at Resorts World Arena earlier this year. A video showcasing Solihull as a new home for the future of esports entertainment is available on the Council’s YouTube channel: Visit Solihull - Bringing esports to Solihull (youtube.com)
Councillor Wazma Qais, Cabinet Member for Communities and Leisure, said:
“It’s very encouraging to see Solihull’s visitor economy expanding as we share in the success that the tourism sector continues to enjoy across the entire West Midlands region. I’m delighted that both visitor numbers and employment numbers are increasing thanks to our fantastic leisure and business tourism offer.
“This success demonstrates how important and relevant our Destination Management Plan priorities are, and as we invest more in the tourism and leisure sector, I am confident that we will see Solihull’s visitor economy continue to grow to the benefit of businesses, visitors and residents.
“Exciting new events like ESL One Birmingham 2024 are helping to put Solihull on the map as a globally connected hive of tourism activity in the heart of the West Midlands. International esports tournaments like this represent a rapidly growing sector and one which is encouraging a younger demographic of visitor while also creating a real buzz”
The local and regional data supporting the WMGC report was compiled by independent tourism research body Global Tourism Solutions and the West Midlands Growth Company, the region’s lead for the West Midlands Destination Development Partnership (DDP).
To find out more about what’s on across Solihull, visit the Visit Solihull website: https://visitsolihull.co.uk/