New figures have revealed that the economic impact of the tourism sector in Leicester and Leicestershire is worth £2.558 billion, despite a challenging environment for these businesses. This figure relates to activity in 2024 and is up by 6.75% on the 2023 figure of £2.391 billion.
Over 32.04 million people visited the city and county in 2024, maintaining an increase of 2.4% on the previous year’s figure of 31.28 million, which was 2.4% up on 2022. Of these numbers, the county welcomed 21.71 million visitors whilst 10.33 million visited the city. The number of visitor days rose to 39.51 million, up 2.54% on the 2023 figure of 38.52 million – with 25.4 million visitor days in the county and 14.11 million in the city during 2024.
The new figures also show that the number of tourism-related jobs has risen, with more than 23,133 people employed in the visitor economy sector across the city and the county – an increase of 201 new jobs on 2023 figures.
The tourism figures for Leicester and Leicestershire are taken from the 2024 Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor (STEAM) survey. A full 12 months of data is needed before the figures can be compiled, so the data always relates to the previous year.
These positive tourism results have been welcomed by Leicester City Council and Leicestershire County Council that both support the Local Visitor Economy Partnership for Leicester and Leicestershire (known as Visit Leicester). Visit Leicester is the Visit England accredited team responsible for promotion tourism across the whole area.
“This is great news and shows that the county and city are on the up. Leicestershire has such a rich history, heritage and range of attractions, which is why 21 million people visited the county last year.
“This rich offering sees people spending money in our hotels, restaurants and local shops, helping our businesses to grow, creating jobs and boosting our local economy.
“Leicestershire is an excellent place to live, invest and visit and I’m pleased that more people are enjoying what we have to offer right on our doorstep.”
Person:Councillor Kevin Crook, Leicestershire County Council deputy Leader and cabinet member for tourism
Erika Hardy, Chair of the Local Visitor Economy Partnership Advisory Board for Leicester and Leicestershire, said: “We’re delighted to see this new data which demonstrates the growth in our local tourism and hospitality sector. It is a key part of our economy and there is a lot of momentum to showcase the many reasons to visit our City and County.”
Cllr Vi Dempster, Assistant City Mayor for Culture at Leicester City Council, said: “Tourism makes a huge contribution to our local economy, which is why it’s essential we continue to invest in our city centre, promote our heritage and support our tourism and hospitality sector.
“With the recent openings of the revamped Jewry Wall Museum and Leicester Cathedral’s new visitor and heritage centre I am confident that we will be welcoming many more visitors to the city over the coming year.”