Sefton Council Unveils 10-year Blueprint to Boost Tourism

Sefton Council has launched a new ten yearVisitor Economy Strategy, giving the Borough’s incredible Tourism sector an ambitious blueprint as one of the UK’s leading coastal destinations.

The strategy’s main goal is to grow Sefton’s visitor economy by 30% before 2030 by significantly strengthening Sefton’s growing national profile, as well as driving economic growth across its numerous towns and communities.

Stunning

Sefton’s stunning coastline, internationally renowned golf offer and flagship visitor events like the Grand National, Air Show and Fireworks Championship mean the Tourism sector is already worth a jaw dropping £683 million a year to the economy in Sefton and the Liverpool City Region.

More than 4,400 people are employed in Tourism related jobs and both figures continue to grow steadily. However Sefton Council’s new Visitor Economy Strategy aims to provide a key catalyst for those numbers to be supercharged even further.

The strategy highlights three destination areas that together form a compelling and increasingly competitive visitor offer:

Southport – A Reimagined Coastal Resort

A classic seaside town undergoing major transformation, Southport will be shaped by new investment, cultural vibrancy and world-class events. These include the opening of the brand new Marine Lake Events Centre, the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and existing flagship events such as the Southport Air Show, Southport Flower Show and the British Musical Fireworks Championship.

Sefton’s Natural Coast – 22 Miles of Protected Landscape

Running from Southport to Crosby, the Sefton Coast is one of the UK’s most ecologically significant coastal environments. It provides not only the amazing Anthony Gormley's Iron Men but also nature-based recreation, rare wildlife experiences and wellbeing tourism for tens of thousands of visitors all year round. It also boasts outstanding biodiversity and internationally protected habitats as well as opportunities to diversify areas into sustainable, low-impact visitor experiences.

Bootle – An Emerging Creative & Cultural Hub

Bootle’s accelerating regeneration is creating new potential for creativity-led tourism, with continued investment at the Canalside development, the ongoing huge successes of Salt & Tar as a cultural and events destination and major renewal of the town centre, bringing new spaces, businesses and visitor infrastructure.

While lauding a wealth of reasons to be positive about Sefton’s Visitor Economy future, the strategy also addresses and acknowledges nationwide challenges and other factors that will be considered including post-pandemic economic recovery, seasonal peaks and ageing infrastructure.

Cllr Marion Atkinson, Leader of Sefton Council, said:“This is not just an opportunity to shout about our amazing Tourism offer but also set out ambitious, expertise driven plans to unlock even more from our Borough.

"I am very much excited by the transformative opportunities the strategy sets out, including a growing national demand for wellness, nature, heritage and cultural experiences.

“We have a brilliant 90‑minute catchment area of 4.5 million households who either already love our Borough or are set to fall in love with it through our improvement work, providing huge potential for increased footfall in the coming years.

“The strategy sets out how targeted investment, stronger destination management and enhanced digital capability will significantly boost year‑round demand on Tourism in Sefton.

“By 2035 we want to see a 30% increase in direct visitor spend, 25% growth in overnight stays, national recognition for our coast as a world-class nature destination and £150 million of new investment in visitor infrastructure and businesses.”

“Tourism is one of Sefton’s greatest economic assets and a vital driving force for wider regeneration.

“With this strategy we are sure that Sefton’s visitor economy can become one of our most powerful tools for future prosperity.”

You can read the strategy in full viawww.sefton.gov.uk/visitorstrategy