By Jamie Waller, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottinghamshire’s tourism industry is predicted to finally return to pre-pandemic levels next year.
Job numbers in the sector fell from 23,000 to 18,000 between 2019 and 2021 as a result of lockdowns.
The latest available figures from 2022 show there were around 20,500 people employed locally in the sector, including venues, accommodation and hospitality.
The industry is worth around £2bn for the local economy, according to an economic tourism data model known as STEAM.
Visitor numbers to Nottinghamshire have already recovered, with around 33 million people visiting the county in 2022.
Nottinghamshire County Council has been striving to attract more visitors through promoting the area’s history, culture and sport under a tourism plan which was published 12 months ago.
A council meeting next week (May 22) will be told the plan is on track to get job numbers back to pre-pandemic levels by next year.
The tourism plan includes taking advantage of the global recognition of Robin Hood and Sherwood Forest.
It also hopes to use sports events to longer stays for fans and influencers to promote the county on social media.
In March, the council announced an 18-month partnership with Visit Nottinghamshire to create a co-ordinated approach to tourism.
Councillor Keith Girling (Con), the cabinet member for economic development and asset management, said at the time: “Nottingham shouldn’t be competing with the rest of the county – we should be inviting people to explore it all.
“Our job is to bring people in and keep them here for a week.
“Overnight trips bring significantly more into the economy – people might spend £30 if they’re here for the day, but £330 if they spend a night or two.
“We have to show that Nottinghamshire is more than just Robin Hood. There’s rich history here, like Newark Castle where King John died and Southwell where the last battle of the Civil War was fought.
“There’s easily enough for a daytrip. We should be asking visitors ‘Why not stay for the week and see even more?’”
The Place Committee will discuss the visitor economy plan on Wednesday, May 22.
