Ashford sees tourism visitor numbers and economic impact bounce back
Posted on 13 December 2024The borough’s tourism industry has shown a significant rebound post-pandemic according to the latest figures published by the Cambridge Economic Impact Model.
Ashford’s tourism industry has shown strong signs of recovery, as visitor numbers near pre-pandemic levels, with 4.5 million people choosing to visit Ashford in 2023. The tourism industry has also generated £304 million in revenue, reaching 98% of 2019 levels and marking a 53% rise versus 2021. With such impressive recovery figures, the district’s tourism sector is once again proving its vital role within the local economy.
Other highlights in numbers include: ·Tourism supports 5,722 jobs across Ashford, representing 9% of total employment. ·124,500 overseas trips made in 2023, exceeding pre-pandemic levels by 7%. ·4.1 million day trips, a 32% increase compared to 2021. ·Day trip spending of £152 million, a 53% increase compared to 2021.
Plus, a number of businesses have recently helped to raise the profile of the borough from a visitor perspective including Boy Hall winning numerous awards, and most recently Gusbourne being the only Vineyard in the UK to be featured in the World’s Best Vineyards Top 50 2024 - World’s Best Vineyards.
The figures were derived using the Cambridge Economic Impact Model undertaken by Destination Research on behalf of Visit Kent.
“Our borough has so much to offer, whether it is a shopping trip to grab designer brands at the Designer Outlet or something unique from our independent stores in the town centre, a bite to eat at an award winning restaurant.”
Cllr Heather Hayward, Portfolio holder for tourism, culture, policy and performance at Ashford |Borough Council
Cllr Hayward added: “We are delighted to see such positive results, showing we are seeing the numbers bounce back from a few years ago. We are committed to continuing to invest in this important sector and to fight for the return of Eurostar international rail services, which will help making travel from Europe easier.”
Recent projects delivered to support the borough’s tourism and hospitality businesses included: • The UKSPF funded ‘On the Map’ Ashford & Tenterden Visitor Economy Programme comprising - a business support programme (1:1 business support for five businesses, plus series of workshops for all businesses), a digital campaign, press and influencer trips, digital advertising boards at Gatwick in August, various competitions (attracting over 12,000 entries) and our new Cheers! digital wine trail and a wine conference event at Chart Hills.
• In addition, over 20 businesses to date have also received Rural England Prosperity Fund grants – businesses range from vineyards, pubs, glamping accommodation, shops, food producers to breweries and tourist attractions.
Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) Visit Kent commissioned the study which uses the industry-respected Cambridge Economic Impact Model to measure the volume and value of tourism within a destination, as well as the effect of visits and visitor expenditure on the local economy.