Marketing Cheshire response to VisitEngland report on the importance of tourism to communities
The Social Value of Tourism Report features Chester Zoo
The tourism body for Cheshire and Warrington, Marketing Cheshire, has hailed new research released by VisitEngland today (Thursday 15th May), revealing the positive cultural and social impacts of tourism on communities across the UK.
The report – The Social Value of Tourism – which features a case study of Chester Zoo, found significantly higher levels of community pride, sense of wellbeing and social cohesion amongst residents living and working in areas frequented by both domestic and international visitors.
Responding to the findings, Cristian Marcucci, Managing Director of Marketing Cheshire, said:
“The Cheshire and Warrington visitor economy is worth £3.9billion a year, around 10% of the sub-region’s entire economy, and supports 38,000 jobs. Our attractions, destinations and hospitality businesses are also a massive part of our identity and appeal, not just as a place to visit, but a place to live and work too.
“This important research goes even further in showing the importance of tourism to residents by increasing community pride, wellbeing and how connected people feel to the places they live in.
“The report also demonstrates how our sector is a powerful tool for job creation and social mobility, offering routes into work for people from all backgrounds, especially in rural areas.”
The research features a case study on Chester Zoo, stating that it “demonstrates how visitor engagement can drive meaningful change for wildlife and the environment. Its sustainable practices and educational outreach make it a model for conservation-focused tourism that benefits both people and the planet.”
Jamie Christon is the CEO of Chester Zoo and also chairs the Marketing Cheshire Board. In the report, he adds: “We are both a conservation education charity and a visitor attraction. Primarily, our charitable objectives are to protect the natural world by preventing extinction but also to educate visitors and others interacting with the zoo. We don’t get any government funding or from councils - the majority of the money comes from admissions into the zoo. We depend on visitors for the zoo to survive.”
The VisitEngland press release and report are available here.