The number of visitors to the city has increased, reports the Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID) and Nottingham is also outperforming other towns and cities in the region as well as the UK as a whole.
According to recent figures from Springboard the number of people coming to the city centre in February was up 7.3% compared to figures recorded for February 2012.
Nottingham has performed better than elsewhere with the comparative figures for other cities in the region as well as UK towns and cities being lower. Nottingham’s increase was 5.8% higher than the average increase seen in other destinations in the East Midlands, which was just 1.5%.
Nottingham has also increased its rolling 12 month annual figures by 0.2% against a backdrop of falling figures for the UK and other towns and cities.
“Clearly it is very good news that the number of people coming to Nottingham is increasing, particularly when you learn that other cities aren’t performing quite as well,” said Neil Fincham, a director of the Nottingham Business Improvement District and manager of the Exchange. “Nottingham is a great city for shopping and leisure activities with major chains represented here as well as lots of independents and specialists. We are also delivering a range of initiatives and marketing campaigns to enhance people’s experience whilst they are here and to improve the environment from a point of view of cleanliness, safety and access. It is all these factors that help to make the city an attractive place to visit and to encourage people to spend time here.”
Councillor Nick McDonald, City Council Portfolio Holder for Jobs, Skills and Business, said: “Nottingham has a unique blend of entertainment, shopping and leisure facilities to offer and the footfall figures show it remains a top tier city centre to visit. It’s also worth noting that we have the second highest number of independent retailers outside of London. Of course it is important that we continue to build that offer. Through the encouragement of creative businesses in the Creative Quarter, the work on the new tram lines and the refurbishment of the railway station, we are making our city centre an increasingly attractive and vibrant place to visit.”
Amongst the Nottingham BID’s forthcoming activities is a major fashion event – 48 Hours of Fashion – which is taking place in a large marquee in the Old Market Square on 26 and 27 April and which will showcase what the city’s great fashion retailers have to offer. This will be a free event with fashion choreographed performances taking place throughout the day and master classes from popular city centre businesses.
Caption for photograph: Director of the Nottingham BID and manager of The Exchange, Neil Fincham.
