Tourism contributes over £6 billion to East Midlands economy

10th August 2010, 11:45am

New figures show the value of the East Midlands visitor economy has increased by £68 million during 2009, a 1.3% increase on the previous year and is now worth £6 billion.

The sector has generated 1,847 new jobs in the last 12 months.

The research which was commissioned by East Midlands Tourism, East Midlands Development Agency's tourism arm, also shows the estimated number of tourist visits to the region, including both day and overnight visits, rose by 320,000 to 141.7 million in 2009.

Ruth Hyde, tourism director at the East Midlands Development Agency said: "These headline figures are incredibly encouraging. In what has been a challenging 12 months, it is great news that the sector is now worth more that £6 billion to the regional economy.

"The research shows that there has been a shift away from overseas holidays towards staying in the UK, with people taking the opportunity to rediscover and enjoy what's on their own doorstep. The growth that we are seeing in tourism is a testament to the hard work of everyone involved in the sector and the ongoing focus on providing a high quality offer for visitors."

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