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about Lincolnshire's visitor economy growth
Invest in Lincolnshire's Visitor Economy: Key Benefits and Opportunities
Lincolnshire is a thriving UK tourism destination with a vibrant visitor economy. The region’s offer aligns strongly with key current UK tourism trends, presenting high-value investment opportunities for businesses across the sector.
The Lincolnshire Visitor Economy Investment Opportunity
For investing Visitor Economy businesses, Lincolnshire offers:
Market Growth
Identified growth potential in the Lincolnshire and UK visitor economies.
Transport Connectivity
Easily accessible from major population centres
Challenger Destination
A powerful visitor proposition aligned closely with key growth segments.
Cost Advantages
Significant cost advantages versus key competitor locations.
Visitor Economy Strategy
A comprehensive plan to develop Lincolnshire as a leading tourism destination.
Investor Opportunities
Profitable investment opportunities in areas including hotels, pubs, holiday rentals, major attractions, restaurants and cafes.
Dedicated Support
Dedicated support for investing businesses
Lincolnshire’s Visitor Economy Growth
Recent growth in Lincolnshire’s visitor economy has reflected the attractiveness of the region’s offer.
The rising popularity of domestic tourism among UK residents presents investment and growth opportunities for businesses across the sector.
- Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Lincolnshire’s visitor economy saw a sustained period of growth - increasing in value by a third between 2012 and 2017.
- Between 2018 and 2019, significant increases were recorded in visitor days, overall visitor numbers, visitor expenditure, and the sector’s overall economic impact.
- By 2021, Lincolnshire’s visitor economy was recovering from the pandemic. UK domestic tourism is projected to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, presenting an opportunity for the sector in Lincolnshire to revert to the robust growth of the pre-pandemic period.
Visitor Days
50million2019
Visitor Numbers
35million2019
Economic Impact
£730million2019
Great Britain’s Growing Domestic Tourism Market
In the immediate pre-pandemic period, Great Britain’s (GB) domestic tourism sector saw growth across categories including overnight trips, holidays, VFR (visiting friends and relatives), and business.
- Between 2018 and 2019, notable increases were recorded in GB overnight trips and expenditure; GB holiday trips; VFR trips, bednights and expenditure; and GB business trips expenditure.
- Although the coronavirus pandemic impacted Great Britain’s tourism sector significantly, these positive prior trends, combined with the pandemic’s positive effect on the ‘staycation’ market, provide a solid basis for post-pandemic growth.
Lincolnshire - A Rising Challenger Destination
Lincolnshire is a rising challenger destination in Great Britain’s visitor economy. The area’s powerful visitor proposition aligns closely with key growth segments, creating profitable opportunities for companies across the sector.
- While having a successful visitor economy and an attractive destination offer, Lincolnshire currently achieves lower visitor spend than key competitor English regions with historically stronger tourism profiles.
- However, Lincolnshire’s powerful ‘City, Coast and Countryside’ visitor proposition aligns closely with key growth visitor segments and holiday types.
- Lincolnshire’s visitor proposition is further enhanced by significant cost advantages versus key competitor locations. According to 2022 research, Lincolnshire is the UK’s second most affordable visitor destination.
Lincolnshire’s Visitor Economy Growth Drivers
Multiple factors are driving Lincolnshire’s visitor economy growth, including large-scale investments, government funding, a diverse events programme, and the area’s thriving education and industrial sectors.
- Recent years have seen multi-million pound investments in Lincolnshire’s visitor economy, with more than £50 million spent on four leading attractions alone.
- Key infrastructure investments, including the England Coast Path in Lincolnshire, are projected to boost visitor numbers and benefit businesses across the sector.
- Lincolnshire has recently secured substantial new Government funding, for business investment, sustainable transport, heritage, urban regeneration and digital infrastructure.
- Lincolnshire benefits from a diverse, year-round events programme, catering to a broad range of visitor demographics.
- The fast-growing University of Lincoln, and booming regional industries are further benefiting Lincolnshire’s visitor economy.
Lincolnshire’s Visitor Economy Strategy - Supporting Sector Growth
Lincolnshire’s regional, local government and tourism sector organisations are working as an integrated team to grow visitor numbers and create a profitable, low-risk environment for investing businesses.
- A Comprehensive Tourism Action Plan: with a vision to develop Lincolnshire as a nationally and internationally important tourism destination.
- Strategic Themes: to exemplify sustainable tourism; extend the tourism season; enhance the visitor offer; improve business productivity; and improve local infrastructure.
- Delivery Tools: including a comprehensive sector skills programme; a coordinated, networked marketing offer; an area-wide customer insight programme; maximised partnership working; and improved support for local businesses.
- Focused Market Positioning: aligning the area’s distinctive strengths with high-growth visitor segments and holiday types, and projected key trends.
Opportunities for Investors in Lincolnshire's Visitor Economy
For investing visitor economy businesses, Lincolnshire presents profitable growth opportunities across a range of areas including hotels, pubs, other accommodation, attractions, and services.
- Hotels: Based on growing demand for a more diverse hotel offer, and research showing a strong, post-pandemic bounce back in hotel occupancy rates and revenue per room.
- Pubs: Based on identified demand in areas including new-build, refurbished and upgraded pubs, accommodation, and gastropubs, across a range of price points.
- Short-term Holiday Rentals: Recent Airbnb research identifies Lincolnshire as part of a high-growth region, and presents a clear case for investment in Lincoln.
- Sites for Major Visitor Attractions: Large, accessible, cost-competitive sites and Lincolnshire’s growing tourism sector present opportunities for major investments.
- Restaurants and Cafes: Strategic investments in destinations, infrastructure and visitor attractions are creating investment opportunities in Lincolnshire’s hospitality sector.
Lincolnshire’s Location & Transport Connectivity
Lincolnshire benefits from a central England location (north-south) and excellent transport links, making it easily accessible from England’s major population centres.
- By road: Lincolnshire can be reached within 2 1⁄2 hours from the major population centres of the Midlands and North of England, and within 2 3⁄4 hours from London.
- By rail: Lincolnshire is easily accessible from the UK’s major population centres. Lincoln can be reached within 2 hours from London, and within 2 ¼ hours from Manchester.
- By air: Lincolnshire is accessible within 2 hours from airports including East Midlands, Birmingham and Leeds-Bradford. Within Lincolnshire, Humberside Airport’s Amsterdam Schiphol hub-feeder service enables access from hundreds of global destinations.
Support for Your Visitor Economy Sector Business Investment
Working together, Invest Lincolnshire and our partner organisations, including local authorities, education providers and businesses, provide dedicated support to ensure a ‘soft landing’ for companies locating and investing in Lincolnshire.
Get the Data on Lincolnshire as a Visitor Economy Business Location
Lincolnshire’s Visitor Economy sector Business Location Guide provides essential information and data for companies researching and evaluation Lincolnshire as a potential investment location, including:
