There’s a lot going on in Liverpool these days. The last ten years have brought a huge increase in visitors and has propelled Liverpool up to the fifth most visited region in the UK. Helping to fuel this drive in tourism is the combined pursuits of sport and leisure; namely the fantastic sporting heritage the city has alongside its attractive nightlife, which has been bolstered by the presence of no less than four casinos.
Prestige sporting heritage
Liverpool has always been a city which enjoys its sport. There are now a number of high profile sporting events to match this appetite. The obvious highlights are the city’s two football teams Liverpool and Everton. But aside from them, there are also two world-class sporting events that give Liverpool more than just kudos.
The Open Golf Championship now visits the Liverpool region twice on its rota with Royal Birkdale and Royal Liverpool. Both courses have established themselves as firm favourites with visiting overseas and British golfers alike. In 2014, The Open attracted over 203,000 spectators and as many again are likely to be attracted by the region’s other high profile golf courses.
Then there is The Grand National, held at Aintree every year, also attracting an annual free-spending crowd and, for those looking to cash in on their luck further, Liverpool’s city centre provides further opportunities from its leading bar culture and restaurants to its busy casinos.
Liverpool has a healthy appetite for its nightlife and casinos
The wealth of sports entertainment is supported by the four Liverpool casinos which offer further options for the casual visitor seeking a great night out. Liverpool has already locked-in its reputation as one of the best places for those hitting the town after hours. The newest casino venue, the Grosvenor Casino Leo, is perhaps the most distinctive. Located on the waterfront in a modern glass-housed building, it demonstrates the rise in popularity of casino gaming in the last ten years.
The rise in online casino live games has shown little sign of slowing down and this has been reflected in the growth of land-based casinos in Liverpool. With developments in live streaming technology and the introduction of high-speed internet connections, players no longer need to play traditional online casino games. Live streamed roulette, blackjack and slots allow players to play just like they were in a real casino. The reality is that many online casino players also look to experience the real thing as both online and land-based casinos benefit from those experiencing live gaming tables.
Casinos and sport boosting tourism
The two factors, a leading sporting destination alongside a thriving nightlife, mean the latest figures show that Liverpool’s popularity with tourists is still rising. In 2017, it became the fifth most visited region for foreign travellers. The last twelve months have seen a rise of over two million visitors to the Liverpool region.
The combined number of day and staying visitors meant over 64 million people in total were drawn to the sights and attractions of Liverpool, contributing well over £4.5 billion to the local economy. The tourism industry now employs 53,500 people and has been supported by increased flights from Liverpool John Lennon Airport which itself is nearing five million annual passengers.
Other factors contributing to the positive rise in Liverpool’s visitor numbers include the annual Mersey River Festival and its vibrant music; the effect Brexit is having cannot be underestimated either. With the lower value of the pound making Britain a lot cheaper to visit for overseas visitors as well as being a value alternative for UK nationals looking to stay home and holiday in the UK.
For any city to feature so highly on both overseas and British visitors’ lists, it needs to have a diverse range of attractions both within the city and surrounding it. Liverpool’s ideal nightlife of bars, casinos and restaurants and its successful sporting events, including football, horse racing and golf, continue to grow and meet visitor demand.