Chris Brown, director of Marketing Liverpool, backed up the claim in a report by CBRE that the stadium would attract 1.4m extra visitors to the city every year. Tony McDonough reports
Everton FC’s “mind-blowing” plans for a £500m stadium on Liverpool’s waterfront will boost the city’s region’s appeal as a tourist destination even further, a city tourism chief says.
As the second stage consultation on the People’s Project closed at the weekend, Chris Brown, director of Marketing Liverpool, backed up the claim in a report by CBRE that the stadium at Liverpool Waters would attract 1.4m extra visitors to the city every year.
Liverpool’s tourism economy is booming with 38m people visiting the city in 2018 a 7.4% increase on 2017, and Mr Brown is convinced the new arena at Bramley Moore Dock, due to be ready for the 2023-24 football season, would significantly add to that figure.
Significant project
“This is a significant project for the city, with a stamp of distinctiveness that will help Everton stand out and to my mind enhance the riverside cityscape as well,”he said.
“It’s a design and a concept that I’ve never seen anywhere else with any other stadium development and it will be a big draw beyond football and great credit is due to all those involved – it’s mind blowing.
“Liverpool is already a hugely popular tourist destination and there is no doubt that the new stadium combined with the way the club hopes to reimagine Goodison Park will boost our reputation further.
“Increasingly now visitors want to come not only to experience the match, but also to experience stadium environments, to experience the locations and the atmosphere, and I’ve no doubt that a waterfront location and its close proximity to the city centre will prove very compelling to visitors and to the great offer we already have.”
Legacy schemes
The second stage consultation into the People’s Project, which also includes legacy schemes for the area around Everton’s current Goodison Park stadium in Walton, plans ends on Sunday, August 25.
The People’s Project roadshow has also been touring the city region to show giving visitors details on the plans and gathering the views of football and non-football fans alike. City region residents have also been able to enjoy a VR experience of the proposed stadium design.
Mr Brown added: “For the city it’s really important to stay competitive in a global marketplace so this will improve our visitor economy, the investment economy and the economy of the city.
“And yet, it’s more than that – in terms of the next stages of development for the city, it’s huge, especially in growing the city centre while being a catalyst for regeneration in north Liverpool and I think it’s going to be brilliant for the city.”
For those who were unable to attend the roadshow, all the consultation materials can be viewed online by clicking here. As well as the new stadium and the Goodison Park legacy, full details can be found on all other elements of the project including heritage, transport, sustainability and environment and economic and social impacts.