Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Adviser has praised the city’s positivity and determination in the build up to Christmas, as night time tourism soars.
On the week that multi-billion pound fashion brand, Chanel, takes over the city’s Northern Quarter for its prestigious Métiers d’Art Show, Sacha Lord, appointed by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham in 2018, has credited the city’s cultural attractions for driving inbound nighttime tourism in record numbers.
These have included Manchester’s Palace Theatre, which has reported outstanding visitor numbers following the launch of one of the world’s leading musicals, ‘Hamilton’ in November.
Manchester was chosen specifically by the globally-renowned theatrical producer, Sir Cameron Mackintosh, for Hamilton’s opener, with the Palace becoming the first theatre to host the UK tour. The critically-acclaimed Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning production will run for 110 performances through to the end of February and has received five-star reviews across the board for its Manchester showing, with limited tickets still available in January and February.
Robin Hawkes, Theatre Director of the Manchester Palace Theatre and Opera House, said, “We have now sold over 190,000 tickets for the musical’s run in Manchester, 80,000 of which were sold within the first couple of days of announcing the tour making Hamilton one of our most successful show sales ever.”
Meanwhile the Royal Exchange Theatre, celebrated in The Stage Newspaper for our accessible ticket prices, has reported ticket sales doubling for their latest production of Romeo & Juliet. For December, the theatre will welcome over 14,500 visitors for the current production of Noël Coward’s iconic Brief Encounter, leading to additional matinee performances being added to the schedule for January.
Meanwhile, Manchester’s famous Christmas Markets – now operating across Piccadilly Gardens and King Street, have also created an upsurge in domestic evening tourism for the city, with hotels citing full occupancies and limited negativity to the much discussed ‘tourist tax’ introduced earlier this year in city centre venues.
Mark Clinton, General Manager at the Whitworth Locke Hotel, said. “We are seeing strong occupancy since the opening of the Christmas Markets, with the hotel fully booked on some nights. We’ve also seen no resistance to the city visitor charge since its introduction which was a huge concern for some hoteliers, and are seeing good representation of the funds collected so far throughout the city with great engagement by the ABID management team.”
Confirming the upsurge in the hospitality sector in the lead up to Christmas, Freight Island, the entertainment destination near Piccadilly Station, has reported over 120,000 guests to its Winter Island attraction, with over 70,000 guests taking part in the first year of its ‘Twilight Trail’ light show in Mayfield Park. Its Grotto experience has also welcomed over 5,000 children (and young-at-heart adults) wishing to meet Santa himself.
Commenting on the surges seen across the city, Sacha Lord, Night Time Economy Adviser, said,
“Manchester has always led the way when it comes to creating a vibrant and unique offering for tourists. I am very pleased to see sales soaring not only in hospitality, but across our cultural destinations such as the Palace Theatre and the Royal Exchange. These figures are testament to the leadership in place at the venues who continually showcase creativity, forward-thinking initiatives and globally respected deals.
“The groundwork laid by the Mayor’s Office and businesses across the city-region in making Manchester a number one destination for international visitors coming to the UK is important to recognise, something which has been further demonstrated today with the awarding of the English National Opera.
“2024 looks set to be an even bigger year for the city-region. The investment coming into the city is beyond all forecasts, combined with the openings of Co Op Live, the continued groundbreaking productions on show at Aviva Studios, and new hospitality openings such as Fenix, Skof, Malmaison Deansgate and Mollies, will all create new opportunities for visitors and vital work for employees in the sector.”
Speaking further on the impact Chanel will have on the city, Lord said,
“We are expecting a huge impact on the city as the Chanel show takes place on Thursday with all of the city’s top hotels fully booked for the event. We also know trade in most of the fine dining restaurants in the city will also be extremely strong. The recognition of Manchester’s unique culture and history will be globally showcased over the coming days and I have no doubt that this show will raise the status of Manchester for years to come.”
