Birmingham has been named the Best UK Destination for Tourists for the second year in a row. The award was presented to Visit Birmingham representatives in a ceremony held at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole yesterday by the leading publication for group travel organisers, Group Leisure magazine.
Coinciding with the first day of the prestigious Group Leisure and Travel Trade Show at the NEC, the ceremony saw active travel organisers from sports and social clubs, special interest societies and retired associations among others vote for Birmingham – a huge achievement, given that the city was up against strong, more established competitors such as London, York and Liverpool.
Managing Editor of Group Leisure, Rob Yandell, congratulated Birmingham for picking up the award for the second year running.
He said; “For Birmingham to win Best UK Destination represents a personal recommendation from group travel organisers, and what better way to celebrate such an achievement than for the group travel trade to come together on one evening to mark this success.”
Birmingham is certainly seeing its star rise, with upcoming commercial developments such as the New Street Station retail complex joining hands with infrastructure projects including HS2 to provide tourists with plenty to see and do whilst in the city.
It is hoped that these upcoming schemes will see tourism figures increase still further as visitors flock to attractions like the Stirling Prize shortlisted Library of Birmingham (pictured), which has seen 2.7 million people pass through its doors since it opened last year.
In total, Birmingham attracted 34 million visitors during 2013, contributing £5.34 billion to the local economy, supporting the jobs of around 64,000 workers.
The award will be used to strengthen Visit Birmingham’s latest marketing campaign, known as “15 in ‘15” to highlight the 15 major events taking place during the next calendar year. As well as the New Street Station refurbishment, these include the Rugby World Cup, the completion of £26 million worth of refurbishment works at the National Indoor Arena (NIA) and the Ashes Test cricket’s return to Edgbaston.
Marketing services director at Visit Birmingham, Emma Gray, spoke of the tourism body’s excitement at the events of the coming year.
She said; “Birmingham is thrilled to have been voted Best UK Destination.
“The city’s growing reputation resulted in our visitor numbers reaching a record high during 2013, and as we gear up for a spectacular 2015 with new developments and exciting events, we look forward to welcoming even more groups.”
Birmingham is certainly on the up in terms of tourism, with Birmingham Airport directors increasingly chasing new chartered routes to make the city even more competitive. The question is whether Visit Birmingham will be able to build upon this momentum for years to come.
