Programme to boost visitor economy in Greater Manchester expands into Stockport, Oldham, and Tameside

Following a successful eight-month pilot period in Bolton, Bury and Rochdale, the Greater Manchester Visitor Economy Accelerator Programme will be expanding its support to deliver sessions to local businesses in Stockport, Oldham and Tameside from September.

Aimed at fostering growth and collaboration within the tourism and hospitality sectors across Greater Manchester, attendees will benefit from business support, industry insights and networking opportunities through dedicated sessions delivered by industry experts on relevant topics including emerging trends in the Visitor Economy, digital marketing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Alongside the new sessions, the existing programme will continue in Bolton, Bury and Rochdale with semi-regular meetings. Throughout the initial eight-month period, the programme has delivered 16 sessions attracting 239 attendees from a total of 86 tourism and hospitality organisations.

Victoria Braddock, Managing Director at Marketing Manchester, said: “We are thrilled to expand the Greater Manchester Visitor Economy Accelerator Programme into Stockport, Oldham and Tameside, after the success of the pilot sessions in Bolton, Rochdale and Bury. It has been exciting to see the engagement from business owners, managers and key stakeholders with the programme, and the positive feedback on the value of these regular sessions. The expert-led workshops and networking opportunities will also bring local businesses together and foster a system of collaboration, which will in turn strengthen the visitor economy of Greater Manchester.”

The next sessions of the Greater Manchester Visitor Economy Accelerator Programme will take place starting in September 2025, funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

Tourism and hospitality businesses within Stockport, Oldham and Tameside can sign-up to the sessions in their respective borough below.