Page 868 - Liverpool Philharmonic 22-23 Season Coverage Book

represented by the RMT will then walk out on Saturday, May 13, the day of the
contest.

More than 100,000 visitors are expected to flock to Liverpool in there days before
Eurovision, spending tens of millions of pounds. It is an event on a part with
LIverpool’s Capital of Culture year in 2008 and the visit of the Giants.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, leaders at Liverpool BID Company, Liverpool’s
theatres and major hotels said Eurovision was a shot in the arm for the city region
visitor economy that has still not recovered fully from COVID.

It said: “The investment in Eurovision is designed to keep Liverpool’s economy
strong – to support our hospitality and leisure industries, all of which are facing one
of their toughest years.

“Major events support all industries and sectors, not just one. We’ve worked
incredibly hard to try to get the city’s economy back to where it was before the
pandemic hit.

“Liverpool’s visitor economy across the Liverpool city region is valued at £3.58bn,
with Liverpool city at £2.5bn, LCR’s overall number of visitors is 42.15m.

“That’s 38,000 jobs in tourism, still not back at 2019 levels where it was 55,703. It’s
one of our biggest industries and biggest employers.