Plans to increase overnight visitors to Peterborough will inject millions of pounds into city economy
Action is to be taken to increase the number of overnight visitors to Peterborough in a move expected to bring in millions of pounds for the city’s economy.
New plans are being developed to increase the annual 6.4 million domestic tourist trips to the city and covert more into overnight stays in Peterborough.
Officials say that growing the number of overnight visitors could help add millions of a pounds to the city’s economy.
A number of measures to power the city’s tourism economy are to be considered by councillors on Peterborough City Council’s ruling cabinet on October 1.
They include establishing the Peterborough Tourist Board as a legal entity and the creation of destination management plan and continuing its partnership with the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP.).
Councillors will also be asked to support the Visit Cambridgeshire brand, which has a ‘Wonder Further’ marketing message, to boost visitor economy growth, as well as continuing to use the Discover Peterborough branding and website.
In a document submitted to the cabinet, council officers state: “Our city benefits from fewer overnight trips from Cambridge and less money spent by tourists.
"If this can be changed, it would mean millions of extra pounds flooding into our local economy.”
Figures in the report show that four years ago the visitor economy directly accounted for 19,410 jobs in Peterborough, which is 16.4 per cent of the city’s total workforce.
There are 26 million domestic tourist trips annually to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough with 26 per cent of those (6.4 million) to Peterborough itself, which is more than the number of visitors to Cambridge.
Councillor Kevin Tighe, the council’s cabinet advisor for growth and regeneration, said: "Our city's visitor economy is important because it converts the city's heritage, culture, events, hospitality and retail offer into economic value, local jobs and civic pride.
"Done well, it means increased footfall in our city centre and spend in local businesses, including hotels, restaurants, shops, cultural venues, transport providers, supply chains and independent traders.
"We need to firmly stamp in visitor's minds that our city is a destination in its own right and we are already well underway in doing that.
"These future plans will move our success a stage further by linking up formally with Cambridgeshire and working in partnership rather than isolation.