In a recent survey released by national tourist board VisitEngland, Hull has made the top 20 for most visited English cities for business trips. Hull & East Yorkshire Conferences, Visit Hull & East Yorkshire's dedicated business tourism team are delighted with the 9% increase on business visits which has resulted in the top 20 position.
The Hull and East Yorkshire Conferences team has been working closely on a range of initiatives with both public and private sectors to raise the profile of the area as a key destination on both the national and international stage.
Earlier this year the team along with VisitEngland and the De Vere Village Urban Resort Hull, hosted an exclusive Business Tourism event at the Hockney Exhibition in the Ludwig Museum in Cologne and recently partnered VisitEngland at IMEX Frankfurt; one of the biggest annual exhibitions for the conference industry.
Simon Gidman, Head of Business and Events at VisitEngland, commented: “With a host of superb events venues and as one of England’s primary centres of excellence in the fields of healthcare and renewable energies, Hull is well placed to attract business visitors. The new top 20 position in the Great Britain Tourism Survey most visited business cities for 2012 reflects this.”
Simon continued: “I am pleased to be working with the team at Visit Hull and East Yorkshire to attract more prestigious business events to the region and I’m delighted that they are taking advantage of the opportunities provided by VisitEngland’s Regional Growth Fund to boost their international profile as well.”
Councillor Steven Bayes, Hill City Council Portfolio Holder for Visitor Destination, adds: “This top 20 position is fantastic. Conferences and business visits are a key contributor to our local economy, and we have recently welcomed delegates from over 40 countries to a variety of conferences held in our area and we are keen to attract more.
“We have a real sense of success at the moment from Hull City’s Premier League status, to Hull being shortlisted for the 2017 City of Culture and this is another great result to add to these recent achievements.”