The Eurovision Song Contest could bring as much as £40million in visitor spending to Liverpool, according to a new economic forecast.
With the city in the final stages of preparation ahead of the contest starting in May and more than 100,000 visitors expected to enjoy the week-long celebrations, NatWest is predicting that Eurovision fans will spend at least £40million over the course of the celebrations.
Using Visit Britain domestic and overseas visitor spending data against information on visitor numbers and composition from the 2022 competition in Italy, NatWest estimates that overseas visitors are likely to spend in the region of £28m, while visitors from the UK will spend around £12m in the city on hotels, accommodation and entertainment.
Malcolm Buchanan, chair of the North Regional Board at NatWest, said: “While the contest is coming to Liverpool because of awful global events, it is certain the city will put on a fantastic show that does the UK proud as custodians of Eurovision on behalf of Ukraine.
We know that visitor economies across the North suffered greatly during the pandemic, so it is fantastic that the city will benefit from the increase in visitors and spending that an event like this brings. Hopefully as well as acting as a short-term boost for business, the song contest will also be a catalyst for further long-term growth in the city’s economy.”
Janice Mears, head of business growth at Growth Platform – Liverpool City Region Growth Company said: “The Eurovision Song Contest is such an exciting opportunity for the Liverpool City Region. Not only will people across the globe be watching this iconic event, but we also expect 100,000 extra visitors staying and enjoying our fantastic region, which of course means a huge boost in visitor spending.
However, that isn’t the only benefit. Having such an iconic event here has enabled us to highlight to potential job seekers the significant role that hospitality plays in making sure visitors have an exceptional time here. That is why we have, with partners, been running a number of recruitment fairs across the region to fill current vacancies and to illustrate the exciting career opportunities available in the hospitality sector.”
Ukrainian entry Kalush Orchestra took first place at the 2022 competition in Turin, meaning this year’s show would ordinarily have been held in Ukraine. However, it was decided the show could not be safely held in the country after the Russian invasion. With the UK’s Sam Ryder coming second in the 2022 contest, the UK became the host country and Liverpool was later announced as the host city.
For more information please contact Emily Potts at NatWest press office: Emily.potts@natwest.com.
Notes to editors:
- The £40million visitor spending calculation is based on 100,000 visitors over the course of the song contest
- International visitors are predicted to make up 40% or the total number of visitors, with domestic visitors accounting for the rest (based on the breakdown of Turin audiences in 2022)
- Spending per visitor is calculated using Visit Britain spending data on day, overnight and international visitors to the North West of England.
- Relevant Visit Britain data can be found:
