7.2m tourists flock to Salford

Neal Keeling

September 05, 2009

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A HIT Salford Quays

NEVER mind the French Riviera - tourists are flocking to Costa Del Salford.

It may not have the sun or the cuisine of Europe's holiday hotspots and has the Irwell instead of the Med but the number of visitors is at an all time high.

Attractions

The Lowry arts centre and heritage gems like Ordsall Hall and Salford Lads Club are among its attractions, alongside the Imperial War Museum North and Manchester United's ground in nearby Trafford.

Plans for a beach in the Greengate area next to the Irwell may have been shelved but the city still has pulling power. Last year 7.2m visitors from across the globe came to the city - about 504,000 more people than in 2007.

Results for 2008 show a seven per cent rise in visitor figures with 5,863 full time tourism-related jobs, a one per cent increase on last year. The report, which calculates the economic impact of tourism, shows that £420m was spent in Salford by tourists even at the start of the economic downturn.

Salford's largest ticketed event, BBC Proms in the Park, was a key highlight in 2008, attracting thousands of visitors. It is hoped that this year's concert, to be held at Buile Hill Park on Saturday September 12, will repeat the success.

Popularity

The Lowry also maintained its huge popularity last year, drawing in more than 800,000 visitors. It houses 350 works by L S Lowry - the biggest collection in the world and stages top-draw theatre, concerts and ballet.

The city's tourism bosses are also optimistic for the future with the multi-million pound restoration of Ordsall Hall and the relocation of the BBC to MediaCityUK at Salford Quays in 2011 certain to raise the city's national and international profile further.

Council leader John Merry, said: "I'm delighted that we're attracting a growing number of visitors to the city.

"It's reassurance that the continuing hard work we're doing with our partners is helping to transform Salford into a world class tourist destination.

"The fast-approaching arrival of MediaCityUK has helped to put the city more firmly on the map and people from across the world are now taking note of Salford for the right reasons. I remain confident that the city is well placed to keep drawing in visitors in the years to come."

Coun Barry Warner said: "Salford has many hidden tourism gems that have been big players in helping to attract people to the city.

"Ordsall Hall is one of these gems and its multi-million pound restoration will help ensure the continued growth of our tourism sector.

"Salford is full of history and is a great example of how a city can use its heritage to help build an exciting and vibrant future."

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MPs gravy train, UK (05/09/2009 at 10:51)

Given that Salford does well because of Manchester, and Manchester's appeal is enhanced because of the attractions for visitors in Salford, is it time these two cities merged into one. The cost savings alone would be phenominal. And the benefits could be passed back to tax payers either in investment/redevelopment or lower tax.

Rasputin II, >Forward Manchester> (05/09/2009 at 11:15)

Let's not forget our green and pleasant countryside on our doorstep. Anyway, good news, let's build on it.

Gankaku69, Manchester and Proud of it (05/09/2009 at 11:22)

Can they invest in the weather - Actually good to see a story that is not knocking Salford and Manchester, friends are always amazed at the wealth of hidden gems I show them.

Hot Dog, Stateside (05/09/2009 at 11:51)

MCC killed off the main attraction that manchester had (Belle Vue) This would have been a massive pull now Typical bad ideas by a bad council.no thought about the future.MCC should think out of the box instead of the brick wall they keep building and knocking down every five years.Lets have a rethink in East Manchester and build another Belle Vue entertainment park.Manchester hasnt any amusement/theme park anymore.

salford attack (05/09/2009 at 12:02)

MPs gravy train, UK.. merged into 1?
ahaha get to bed

FrostySnowman (05/09/2009 at 12:24)

Hotdog

They did replace it - isn't the COMS in East Manchester?

Blip, Manchester (05/09/2009 at 12:41)

Old Trafford full of tourists? Never!

Peter Donald, salford (05/09/2009 at 13:24)

Council leader John Merry, said: "I'm delighted that we're attracting a growing number of visitors to the city.

"It's reassurance that the continuing hard work we're doing with our partners is helping to transform Salford into a world class tourist destination.

What a laugh! Never mind the tourists or the Mon-Fri Salford Docks lot (Quays to outsiders) what about us who live here? It wouldnt hurt if John was seen to work a bit harder with the partners who own the shambolic Salford Shopping City & Market to get it done up to a standard befitting a City as large as Salford. Its an absolute disgrace and has been for years...Whats wrong with slapping a CPO on it? Im sure he could find a loophole in the town and country planning act/slum clearance acts as he did in other parts of the City when they wanted rid of something. I would be ashamed to take a tourist to it.

Mostly Censored (05/09/2009 at 13:44)

Could it be for the architecture that rivals cities like Prague and Rome, or the endless sunshine, the cuisine, the cafe society, the bohemian look of the local males, or that violent crime is almost non existent, the beautiful cultured women or that everyone speaks at least three languages or the fact that a salford rat is a salford rat.

Pippa, Manchester (05/09/2009 at 15:16)

And the definition of 'tourist' used here is ?

Professor Bob (06/09/2009 at 16:41)

There's those two words again "world class". Salford already is world class,just go anywhere in the world and say you come from Salford and just watch the looks you get. The rest of the world think people who come from Salford are deadegs,workshy dishonest.I was on holiday in Europe recently in in two Countries I passed through there was warning signs about leaving your motor vehicle unattended when visiting Salford or Manchester..

Dave Sherwood, Irlam (06/09/2009 at 17:06)

I would very much like to know how the counted 7.2 million visitors,How did the know visitors from residents?.Mind you knowing Salford it could be 7200 and somebodys finger stuck on the zero key.

Billy the Fish! (06/09/2009 at 19:12)

We may laugh.............

I have worked in a lot of countries and quite a few friends have visited the region as my guests.

One was my former boss, a CEO now of a huge blue chip company. He has an apartment on Russian Hill in San Francisco and is indeed a wealthy man. When he was here he couldn't get enough Holt's down his neck, loved the stuff! He also stuffed about 3 Hollands Pies daily.

In addition he was impressed with Old Trafford, The Lowry and both Manchester and Salford in general.

Not bad, an ex 'Berkley' grad millionaire CEO being impressed with Greater Manchester. He even commented how nice the people were! He loved being able to go out in a pair of jeans as well.

Saying that, we did miss Ordsall off the tour!

gladys rowbotham, Manchester (06/09/2009 at 20:50)

20,000 a day - seems about right (!)

Ron, Gorton (07/09/2009 at 10:21)

Just goes to show you can't trust your satnav.

As for the councillor, John Merry, wasn't he the bloke telling us that there was too much congestion? That being the case we should discourage visitors if the add to the clogging up of roads and buses etc.

Mr Manchester (07/09/2009 at 12:46)

'The rest of the world think people who come from Salford are deadegs,workshy dishonest.I was on holiday in Europe recently in in two Countries I passed through there was warning signs about leaving your motor vehicle unattended when visiting Salford or Manchester..'

That's right, Professor Bob. European countries would compose, create and distribute signs about a city in northern Europe, wouldn't they. Numbskull.

You lay 'em, I'll sell 'em.

Lower Broughton Soul, "In 76, oh yes it's true......" (07/09/2009 at 13:17)

@Professor Bob'.....surely thats rhyming slang right...???

Brett Sinclair (07/09/2009 at 15:13)

The way these figures are calculated appears to be a standard calculation done by all areas to calculate visitors to their area from other areas. Mr Sherwood can look at the website to find out how they were calculated, if he genuinely wants to know. That's what I did. What a surprise that because the figures are positive we have the same old, boring stereotypical views published on here. Because of the Freedom of Information Act I believe Salford Council would have published the figures on their website if the visitor numbers had dropped. What is the problem here? I chose to move to Salford to live. I have fantastic neighbours who help you out at the drop of a hat and whilst the city has some of the problems all big cities have people seem to be far too eager to criticise anything positive. As for merging the two cities I wonder what is the basis for believing any cost savings would be passed on to the tax payer. Please give me an account of how you calculate this?!I wonder if Leeds and Bradford could be merged too. Then maybe merge the football teams. That idea is about as necessary.

Knowall, stretford end (07/09/2009 at 15:49)

Bolton esimate that they had about 10m visiters, but there does not seem to be the same attractions as Salford, there is a Museum 340000 visiters and the Ironman triathlon but nothing else is stated in their report as having higher figures, but there is a lot of countryside which might account for the rest.
Salford will receive a large numbers of visiters if it keeps up the media and entertainment policy, hopefully these numbers will increase when Salford City Reds gets its new stadium.

keyjockey, Manchester (07/09/2009 at 22:59)

The numbers are completely bogus. The calculations are done by light sensors in the entrance door frames. These log each body passing through and so the count includes every member of staff entering - and re-entering after lunch - also included is every client visitor - from the guy bringing supplies of liquid soap for the washrooms to the guy touting for business, pitching a project, people visiting from other projects, etc etc ad infinitum. The total number of honest to goodness plain vanilla visitors who had no financial, business, professional or any other sort of stakeholding or did not have any other reason for being there - such as the bogus "kids play days" which are mainly populated by the kids of the people working there - who were there for no other reason than to see the goods on display was...precisely three.

Mr Manchester (08/09/2009 at 12:38)

Great to see, and with the National Football Museum relocating to Manchester these numbers can only increase accordingly.

PW, Manchester (08/09/2009 at 13:06)

Holts bitter? (Billy the Fish below). I'm always glad when I've had enough of that stuff. Mix it with 3 Hollands pies and you could suffer fatal heartburn.

david duck (09/09/2009 at 15:57)

Most of the 7.2 mill refers to the man utd fans travelling from down south for hmoe games. Does'nt it?

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