Culture programme drives rise in city’s hotel bookings

HULL’S IMPRESSIVE City of Culture arts programme boosted hotel bookings by almost 80 per cent over the summer, according to travel website Expedia.

The latest data reveals demand soared between July and September, driven by a packed calendar of festivals, events and activities. The spike in Hull compares to a national average 20 per cent increase over the same period.

The figures also show rising interest from international visitors, with growth in demand from the US, Denmark and the Netherlands. Anthony Yates, tourism manager for Visit Hull and East Yorkshire, said the city had seen “unprecedented accommodation bookings in the lead-up to and during 2017”.

He added: “As well as the extra visitor spend that overnight visits generate, hotels and restaurants are staffing up to meet the growth in demand which is great news for local employment and the creation of jobs.”

Hull is now in the final stages of its City of Culture year, but plans have been revealed to continue the arts programme for another 20 years. The figures come ahead of the opening this year of the city’s first four-star hotel, the £20m DoubleTree hotel by Hilton Hotel, which will boast the largest conference space in Hull and East Yorkshire.

City of Culture CEO Martin Green said the figures were an “incredible achievement” and he was sure visitors had been left “with a positive impression”.