Leicester Shire Promotions' successes drive growth of local tourism industry

New figures released by Leicester Shire Promotions in its 2010/11 Annual Report reveal that the company's strategic marketing campaigns and tourism development initiatives have driven the success of the tourism industry in Leicester and Leicestershire.

Leicester Shire Promotions' 2010/11 Annual Report shows that 85 per cent of the company's Key Performance Indicators were equalled or exceeded during the financial year. During the financial year, the company's strategic marketing campaigns and tourism development have achieved many key successes for the tourism industry in Leicester and Leicestershire including:
• Visitor economy in Leicester and Leicestershire reached £1.321 billion in 2010 - continues a steady growth of 10.22 per cent over the last five years
• Successful event bidding, with key partners, has secured an estimated £4.55 million worth of conference bookings for the destination over the next three years
• Ticket sales for hugely popular Stay Play Explore family fun campaign up 30 per cent to 2,986, with bednights up up 416 per cent to 10,262
• Around 21,000 direct and indirect bednights booked, generating £1.38 million of business for local tourism industry, as a result of marketing campaigns
• Destination press coverage, directly influenced by the activity of Leicester Shire Promotions, reached a potential national and international audience of over 167 million

Martin Peters, Chief Executive of Leicester Shire Promotions added: "As most industries are, the tourism industry is directly affected by the financial squeeze but these figures show that there is still potential for steady growth. As a publicly-funded body, we've also been impacted by financial restraints and so these achievements are particularly commendable. They show that we've raised our game to hit or exceed a large number of our strategic targets."

These results follow the recent announcement that the visitor economy in Leicester and Leicestershire has continued to grow and reached £1.321 billion in 2010. In 2009, the economic impact of tourism was £1.309 billion and according to the latest STEAM research, commissioned by East Midlands Tourism - the tourism arm of East Midlands Development Agency, this contribution has increased by around one per cent since the previous year. This continues a steady growth of 10.22 per cent over the last five years from over £1.186 billion in 2006.

The new figures are available in Leicester Shire Promotions' 2010/11 Annual Report, copies of which can be downloaded from www.goleicestershire.com/AnnualReport2011