Shakespeare ‘halo effect’ saw huge tourism boost Visitors flocked to wider region during 400th anniversary year
LAST year’s landmark 400th anniversary celebrations of Shakespeare’s death saw visitor records tumble in the Bard’s hometown – and helped boost shoppers in Birmingham as well.
A series of events drew huge numbers to the famous playwright’s home-town of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire in 2016.
But tourism bosses said the boost also had a major impact on nearby tourist attractions, including Warwick and Kenilworth Castles, Compton Verney manor, the British Motor Museum, and saw more people heading to Birmingham’s premium shopping destinations.
It is thought that the Shakespeare effect is worth £600 million to the local economy, brings in 10 million visitors, and supports 11,000 jobs, from hotel managers to coffee baristas.
Despite the focus falling on events last April, which saw a memorable turn on stage by the Prince of Wales, tourists continued to pour in all year.
According to tourism body Shake- speare’s England, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) welcomed the highest number of visitors since reopening its riverside theatre in Stratford.
More than 620,000 people, excluding show-bookings, toured the theatre to hear more about the works of the man who penned Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust also saw an increase on 2015’s healthy visitor numbers, with 825,000 people dropping in across its five attractions.
Hotels reported more bookings and the town’s already strong footfall also increased with access to the visitor’s centre alone up to 392,000 people.
The Mercure Shakespeare Hotel sold 700 more bedrooms than the previous year, with 1,000 more guests staying overnight.
Helen Peters, Shakespeare’s England chief executive, said: “2016 has been excellent. The RSC had its highest number of visitors since reopening in 2010.
“It was up 12 per cent, and doesn’t include people seeing productions.”
The reopening of Shakespeare’s New Place in August, on the site of his final home, drew in nearly 50,000 visitors, while his old schoolroom also opened to the public this year.
The birthplace trust said that about two million primary school children also took part in the annual Shakespeare celebration week.
Mrs Peters said the fact the New Place had pulled in so many people was a key indicator of just how many tourists have been coming in, because it only opened right at the end of the high season.
She said: “There was so much noise around April and anniversary and the celebrations, the thought was ‘would it just fall off a cliff ’, but it hasn’t. In November – which would normally be a relatively quiet month – the Mercure hotel has had a record month.
“They call it a halo effect.” that the