The world-famous Tour of Britain cycle race boosted Nottinghamshire's economy by more than £4million and attracted nearly a quarter-of-a-million spectators. The prestigious tour, which was sponsored by AJ Bell, returned to the city in September after a four-year gap.
An economic impact assessment commissioned by event organisers has now revealed that the showpiece cycle race generated £4.34m in net visitor expenditure for Nottinghamshire’s economy – with an impressive 225,000 fans lining the 116-mile route. The race returned to Nottinghamshire for the first time in four years when the fifth stage from West Bridgford to Mansfield took place on September 8.
Sadly, the stage proved to be the final leg of this year’s tour as the three remaining stages were cancelled due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. However, the report shows that in Nottinghamshire 69 per cent of spectators came from outside of the county to watch the race.
Read more: Frustration as Nottingham City Hospital staff parking in streets becoming a 'nightmare'
Figures revealed that 60 per cent of fans said they would visit Robin Hood country again, and almost a quarter of visitors stayed overnight. As many as 86 per cent of visitors described the race as ‘very enjoyable’, and more than three-quarters of people came here with their families. The average daily spend for day visitors per group was more than £48, while overnight visitors spent more than £135, the reports shows.
Councillor Ben Bradley, leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “These figures once again highlight how Nottinghamshire can successfully host an international event of this magnitude as well as being a tourist destination which people want to visit and return to in future. We all know that Nottinghamshire is a fantastic place to live, work and visit, but it is always nice to hear this view confirmed by people from outside the county who have perhaps never visited here before.
"The findings really are the icing on the cake after what was truly a stage to remember – especially for the fans who travelled here in their thousands to watch the race pass through our county." Rushcliffe Borough Council’s cabinet portfolio holder for communities and climate change, Cllr Abby Brennan, added: “The fifth stage of the AJ Bell Tour of Britain was a huge success and we had the privilege of hosting the start of the race in West Bridgford, racing through many other villages and towns across Rushcliffe.
“The figures speak for themselves - the economic benefit to local businesses in West Bridgford and all of our communities was one of the key reasons we looked to secure the Tour of Britain with partners. The legacy of attracting international events like this is not just the economic benefit it also helps inspire more people to become physically active and to encourage the next generation of athletes in Rushcliffe to be the best they can at their chosen sport.”
Mansfield executive Mayor Andy Abrahams said: "This is a fantastic boost for the district. It showed Mansfield at its best and demonstrated our ability to host major international events such as this. We look forward to hosting more of these kinds of prestigious events in the future in this area as a way of regenerating our local economy and showing the wider world what we know already - that Mansfield is a great destination, and that we are ambitious and open for business."
Cllr David Lloyd, leader of Newark and Sherwood District Council, said: “Residents in our rural towns and villages in Southwell and Edwinstowe enjoyed a fantastic day of fast-paced cycling as the country’s best cyclists took to the streets of their communities. Not only did the tour help boost business in those areas, but for our communities, it was much more about the social impact with the next generation of budding cycling enthusiasts being inspired by the UK’s greatest cyclists racing in their hometown."
Cllr James Naish, leader of Bassetlaw District Council, added: “We were thrilled to once again be part of the Tour of Britain and contribute to what was an extremely successful and popular event across Nottinghamshire. Bassetlaw has directly felt the positive economic impact of the tour, and enjoyed the opportunity to showcase its towns and villages to both a global audience and visitors on our doorstep."
In addition to the Nottinghamshire stage being hailed by organisers for its atmosphere, the county also enjoyed success in the tour’s land art competition with Keyworth scooping the national award for its eye-catching hedgehog highway-themed design - captured from the air by ITV4’s cameras as the event passed through the village.
READ NEXT:
