Guildford has been recognised as a successful tourism area in a recent report by Tourism South East
The report reveals that tourism has increased in terms of both visitors and their spending – bucking the national trend of falling visitor numbers.
Cllr Geoff Davis, Lead Councillor for Economic Development, welcomed the report’s findings and said: “Tourism is vital to the local economy, for both income and employment, providing over 6,000 jobs in the area. We are delighted that recent events such as National Armed Forces Day , the Olympic Torch Relay, Tour of Britain, Olympic Cycle Road Race, and Prudential Ride London have increased tourist interest in Guildford.
“With a fantastic array of attractions, shopping, heritage and events, Guildford is a destination with an exciting tourism offering. We have seen a significant increase in visitors from China, and Chinese tour operators are interested in our borough due to our proximity to London.”
The recent study, commissioned by Guildford Borough Council, showed that there were an estimated 341,000 trips to Guildford in 2014 where visitors stayed overnight. Of these 71% were domestic visitors and 29% from overseas – an increase of 1.7% in domestic and a 4.2% increase in overseas visitors. Figures for the South East of England over the same time period showed a drop of 9%. In 2014, there were over 4 million day trips to Guildford with visitor spending increased by 3.9% to a total of over £330million. Nationally tourism day trips fell by 2%.
Tourism supports 4,465 jobs in Guildford – and when once part time and seasonal jobs are included, the total number of jobs related to tourism is 6,099, or 8.1% of jobs in Guildford.
The Tourist Information Centre is open Monday to Saturday – 9.30am to 5pm and admission is free. Visitors can also take the opportunity to explore Guildford House Art Gallery, the craft shop and the Gallery Café during their visit.
For information on places to go, places to stay and places to eat, and for tickets to local events, visit:-
Tel: 01483 444333
Web:- www.guildford.gov.uk/visitguildford
Email:- tic@guildford.gov.uk
