Cheshire’s visitor economy valued at £3.9bn as post-Covid recovery takes effect

Tourism and council leaders today hailed Cheshire’s “world class visitor economy” after figures showed it is now valued at £3.9bn with the region clocking up more than 56 million recorded visits in a single year.

And analysis by Marketing Cheshire from the latest STEAM economic impact report also reveals that the total number of people enjoying overnight stays in the region has now SURPASSED pre-covid levels.

Greeting the data with cautious optimism, tourism officials and the region’s local authorities today pledged to continue collectively working with businesses and bodies such as Visit England to promote a destination blessed with world-class tourism attractions.

These are as diverse as the Roman history and world’s oldest racecourse in Chester,  Gulliver’s World theme park in Warrington, the wonderful Chester Zoo, an UNESCO World Heritage site at Jodrell Bank’s Discovery Centre, the beautiful Tatton Park, and muddled mazes of BeWILDerwood set in 70 acres of enchanted woodland next to the historic Cholmondeley Castle. Other gems range from Chester Racecourse and The Ice Cream Farm to Delamere Forest and Macclesfield’s Treacle Market.

The STEAM figures show that in 2023 the region’s visitor economy was worth £3.9bn.

And the region’s brilliant attractions, hospitality offering and breathtaking scenery saw more than 56m visitor days recorded across Cheshire and Warrington in 2023– classed as the number of times people visited the region in a year. This is a 2.4% rise on the previous year.

The number of people choosing to stay for one night or more in Cheshire and Warrington continues to increase.

In 2023 a total 3.75m people enjoyed an overnight stay in the region – a 4.1% annual rise and eclipsing the pre-pandemic 2019 figure of 3.69m.

Overnight stays as well as overall visits also rose in all three local authority areas.

In Cheshire East, visitor days rose from 14.55m in 2022 to 14.99m in 2023 with its visitor economy valued at more than £1bn.

In Cheshire West and Chester, visitor days rose from 30.93m in 2022 to 31.44m in 2023 and its visitor economy is now worth £2.26bn.

And in Warrington, visitor days increased from 9.33m in 2022 to 9.663m in 2023 with its visitor economy valued at £639.41m.

Employment in the visitor economy continues to grow – the region as a whole saw an 8.6% rise in jobs and employed 38,006 people in this sector in 2023 – 6,170 in Warrington, 10,022 in Cheshire East and 21,814 in Cheshire West and Chester.

Trevor Brocklebank, Chair of Marketing Cheshire said: “Comprising fantastic tourist attractions, superb accommodation providers, wonderful retail and exquisite areas of natural beauty, millions of people are flocking to our region to enjoy Cheshire and Warrington’s world class visitor economy which the latest data shows is valued at just short of £4bn. It is testament to a collective approach between tourism and council partners with businesses to make the region a unique place to work, live and visit.

“While we must not get complacent in testing economic times it is also extremely encouraging to see overnight stays eclipsing pre-pandemic figures.”

Reaction from across the region

Councillor Michael Gorman, deputy leader of Cheshire East Council and chair of its economy and growth committee, said: “This is excellent news and further proof of what a resilient economy we have here in Cheshire East. Whatever the metric you look at, the recent figures show that we are heading in the right direction.

“Whether it’s by jobs, the number of visitor days spent in the borough, days spent in accommodation or simply the number of people coming to spend time in Cheshire East, collectively for the value of Cheshire East Council’s visitor economy to have exceeded £1bn for the first time is a terrific achievement.”

Councillor Nathan Pardoe, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Regeneration and Digital Transformation said: “Cheshire West has achieved a key ambition to increase the number of people who have overnight stays in the Borough. People staying longer enjoy more of what we have on offer, benefitting the local economy and supply chains. Visitors create employment opportunities and help to create places where people want to live and work as well as visit.

“In 2023, we welcomed over 29 million visitors to our Borough. They were able to experience the new Chester Market, extensive restoration work on the Chester Rows, parades, and the open-air theatre in Grosvenor Park - as well as fantastic events in our Mid Cheshire towns.”

Warrington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for communities, culture and leisure, Cllr Tony Higgins, said: “The continued growth of our visitor economy is great news for Cheshire and Warrington and bodes well for the future. It’s down to our diverse range of attractions, stunning countryside, historic landmarks and vibrant cultural experiences, supported by local businesses, communities, and tourism partners.

“We will continue working together to promote our region as a world-class destination, offering visitors unforgettable experiences which make them want to return time and again.”

Eleanor Underhill, Chair of Destination Cheshire, which represents the visitor economy across the wider county, said: "I'm delighted to see this evidence that visitor numbers to our beautiful county are increasing, and are now exceeding pre-Covid levels.  It's been a tough recovery: but these numbers show that we're getting the message out there, that Cheshire is a great place to visit, whether for days out or for longer stays." 

Colin Potts, Chair of Destination Chester said: “While it is encouraging to see that the numbers of people staying in the city’s hotels in 2023 exceeded pre-pandemic figures, the total number of visitors to Chester city centre remains below 2019 levels. This is due mainly to cost of living pressures and changes in shopping habits. It is important that we continue to improve our visitor offer to provide the footfall and spend our businesses need and create the appetite for new investment.”