Lincoln recovered over half of pre-pandemic visitor economy

Lincoln’s post-COVID recovery meant a 53% boost to the city’s visitor economy, following the difficulty faced in the sector during the pandemic.

According to new figures released by Global Tourism Solutions on behalf of City of Lincoln Council, one million more people visited Lincoln following the lifting of COVID restrictions in 2021.

This resulted in a total visitor spend of £159.5 million – which is £60 million more than the rolling lockdowns of 2020, where spend dropped to £100 million from £216 million in 2019 pre-COVID.

Visitor numbers soared from 2.03 million in 2020 to 2.95 million in 2021, helped by events such as the Lincoln Imp Trail around the city, and the return of the Lincoln Christmas Market.

The 2021 Lincoln Christmas Market attracted more than 276,000 visitors. | Photo: City of Lincoln Council/Curtiss Creative/ESTV

This new economic report reflects on the recovery work delivered for the city by the likes of Visit Lincoln, Lincoln BIG and City of Lincoln Council.

Cllr Neil Murray, Portfolio Holder for Inclusive Economic Growth at City of Lincoln Council, said: “To see a 58.2% increase in the local economy through visitor and tourism expenditure following the Covid pandemic is an achievement.

“What we found in the year following the pandemic was a substantial increase in domestic tourism, in which those local to the area took advantage of what was on their doorstep and were able to re-discover all Lincoln has to offer.

“We are incredibly proud to be Lincoln and hope to see these figures increase further in future years.”

Government predictions were for the visitor economy to take up to four years to return to pre-pandemic levels, but Lincoln recovered more than 50% of its losses from COVID-19 in 2021 alone.

Charlotte Goy is the chief executive at Destination Lincolnshire, which manages Visit Lincoln. | Photo: Destination Lincolnshire

Charlotte Goy, Chief Executive at Destination Lincolnshire, which manages Visit Lincoln, said: “These statistics are worth their weight in gold when it comes to showing the value of Lincoln’s visitor economy and they show that everyone’s effort in rebuilding the sector is working.

“There is of course still more work to be done in order for us as a destination and a community to grow beyond pre-pandemic levels of recovery and growth, but I think with the right marketing and investment – like we’re seeing through the Town Deals – the city and county can do it.

“We are under no illusion that it will be an uphill journey, the current ‘cost of living crisis’ alone is already proving to be a difficult hurdle for businesses to overcome. But now more than ever, it is vital that we work together and cross-sectors to encourage people to stay longer and spend more with our local businesses.”