AJ Bell Tour of Britain boosts Nottinghamshire economy by £4.34 million
The return of the Tour of Britain to Nottinghamshire in September boosted the local economy by more than £4 million and attracted nearly a quarter-of-a-million spectators.
An economic impact assessment commissioned by event organisers reveals that the world-famous cycle race generated £4.34m for Nottinghamshire’s economy – with an impressive 225,000 fans lining the 116-mile route.
The race returned to Nottinghamshire for the first time in four years when the fifth stage from West Bridgford to Mansfield took place on Thursday 8 September.
However, the stage proved to be the final leg of the tour when the three remaining stages were cancelled following the announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II later that day.
The report shows that in Nottinghamshire:
- 69% of spectators came from outside of the county to watch the race.
- 60% of fans said they would visit again.
- Almost a quarter of visitors stayed overnight.
- 86% of visitors described the race as ‘very enjoyable’.
- More than three-quarters of people came with their families.
- 50% of people revealed that the race inspired them to cycle more.
Figures also reveal that the average daily spend for day visitors per group was more than £48, while overnight visitors spent more than £135.
The news comes after event organisers had praised fans for creating a ‘truly unforgettable’ atmosphere along the route and hailing them as the ‘best of this year’s race’.
Councillor Ben Bradley MP, leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said the event had proved to be a huge success.
He said: “These figures once again highlight how Nottinghamshire can successfully host an international event of this magnitude as well as being a tourist destination which people want to visit and return to in future.
“We all know that Nottinghamshire is a fantastic place to live, work and visit, but it is always nice to hear this view confirmed by people from outside the county who have perhaps never visited here before.
“The findings really are the icing on the cake after what was truly a stage to remember — especially for the fans who travelled here in their thousands to watch the race pass through our county.
“Hopefully the AJ Bell Tour of Britain will make a return here for a fourth time in the future, not only because of the financial benefits it brings, but so we can once again showcase everything our wonderful towns and villages have to offer to a wider audience.”
Councillor David Lloyd, leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “Residents in our rural towns and villages in Southwell and Edwinstowe enjoyed a fantastic day of fast paced cycling as the country’s best cyclists took to the streets of their communities.
“Not only did the Tour help boost business in those areas, but for our communities, it was much more about the social impact with the next generation of budding cycling enthusiasts being inspired by the UK’s greatest cyclists racing in their hometown.
“The Tour of Britain was part of many cycling activities we saw in the district during the summer, the Newark Town Cycle race created a great atmosphere in our town centre and we also installed Brompton Bike hubs across Newark with more coming soon.
“This is all taking forward what we said we’d be doing following on from surveys where our residents told us they wanted us to encourage more cycling in the district.
“We hope that the exciting summer of cycling events persuaded more residents to swap out four wheels for two.”
The county also enjoyed success in the Tour’s land art competition with Keyworth winning the national award an eye-catching hedgehog highway-themed design - captured from the air by ITV4’s cameras as the event passed through the village.
