Liverpool is still basking in the warm, fuzzy glow of perhaps the most successful Eurovision Song Contest of all time.
The city may be getting back to normal after the towering highs of the past week - but the powerfully positive vibes that engulfed Liverpool for the past week will continue to swirl for some time to come.
Liverpool was brilliant for Eurovision and Eurovision was brilliant for Liverpool. This is a city that has turned its face to the continent at key times in its history. Walk around the city centre and you will see evidence everywhere of the impact that European Union funding has had on Liverpool.
READ MORE: Jet2 coming to Liverpool John Lennon Airport with 20 destinations on offer
In 2008, the city celebrated its seismic, transformational year as European Capital of Culture, marking a proper departure with the dark days of the 1980s and early 90s and setting Liverpool's course towards becoming an international tourism destination.
That visitor economy has continued to blossom over subsequent years. In 2019 the sector was worth £4.9bn and more than 55,000 jobs.
So it was fitting that after the hugely difficult days of the pandemic and the lockdowns that did so much damage to these areas, Europe and the international community has once again provided Liverpool's next springboard.
As the economic impact of the song contest continues to be calculated, there are more signs today that confidence in Liverpool's world class visitor economy is growing back once again.
It was only a week ago that the stars of Eurovision were filtering through the arrival gates at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, greeted by huge crowds of excitable fans.
Today the airport brought another exciting moment for the city as it was announced that airline and package holiday giant Jet2 will begin flying from the city next year. From March 2024 the airline will offer flights to seven new exclusive destinations and 20 places in total from JLA.
A fleet of four aircraft will be based in Speke and will fly customers to a wide choice of destinations across mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Portugal, Madeira and Cyprus. The company’s first summer programme will have 565,000 seats on sale.
Jet2's arrival at Liverpool will also create more than 200 new jobs, with positions available across flight deck, cabin crew, engineering and ground operations.
It's a huge vote of confidence in the airport and in the city. Jet2 is the UK's leading package holiday provider and today marks the biggest announcement for JLA in 20 years.
It was back in 2002 that work on a £43m passenger terminal was completed, tripling the capacity of the existing site and was renamed after John Lennon, one of the city's most famous sons.
Today's news, which comes just days after the close of one of Liverpool's most successful ever events will bring renewed hope that the airport and the travel and tourism economy that is so important to this city is really getting back on track after some difficult years.
And once again Liverpool finds itself turning to face Europe as it strides purposefully forwards into the future.
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