Neighbour’s reputation has been shot to pieces by coronavirus, says Bill
City mayor offers to give county councillor a tour
I wouldn’t have thought Leicester is now a place people want to visit Coun David Bill, pictured
THE reputation of Leicester has been “shot to pieces” by Covid-19, and will take time to recover, according to a county councillor.
Councillor David Bill, who represents Hinckley at County Hall, challenged tourism bosses about how they plan to bring people back into the city and county, citing the long-term damage done to the area as a result of the local lockdown.
The comments of the Liberal Democrat member, who is also deputy leader of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, prompted city mayor Sir Peter Soulsby to extend an invitation to the city to see “all the exciting developments under way despite coronavirus and the extended lockdown”. Speaking after a presentation from Leicester and Leicestershire’s place marketing team, whose remit is to provide strategic tourism and marketing services for the city and county, Coun Bill said: “The message that the government was continually giving out was that Leicester had to shut down. This news went across the country and beyond, the news we were hearing was people saying ‘well at least we’re not as bad as Leicester’ and I honestly don’t know how we recover.”
He went on to say: “I don’t see how a report with a glossy photograph of the National Forest with a Leicester emblem in the corner will convince people to come.
“Because, to be honest, I wouldn’t have thought that Leicester is now a place that people want to visit, either from this country or abroad.
“I’m sorry for being negative but the reputation of Leicester has taken such a hammering, do we have the answers to overcome that problem?”
When the Times put Coun Bill’s comments to the city mayor, he hit back by saying: “I know that David is a councillor in Hinckley so suspect he’s not kept up to date with what has been happening in Leicester.
“There’s a real buzz about the city and there’s been a tremendous amount of investment in the place even with the extended lockdown.”
Sir Peter said that the Waterside development and work happening in and around the former Great Central station building were examples of a bright future for the city where some form of local lockdown has been in place while other areas of the country have seen restrictions relaxed.
He added: “I’d be delighted for Councillor Bill to come to Leicester and I’d happily take him on a tour of all of the exciting things happening in the city, none of which have been set back by the extended lockdown.”
Responding to Coun Bill’s remarks in the meeting of Leicestershire County Council’s scrutiny commission, Mark Oakley, director of inward investment and place marketing for the city and county, said: “It is a very challenging time, we, as everywhere is, are experiencing less visitors and less investors at this time.
“The good news is that we have a plan of what we’re looking to do to drive that up.”
Tourism bosses said that they have supported businesses throughout the pandemic and helped them apply for grants and loans and find and filter government advice.
They also highlighted a number of national initiatives they have encouraged local businesses to sign up to such as Know Before
You Go a n d Good To Go, to help v is itors learn what’s on offer locally. The report being discussed by councillors revealed that in 2019, over 35.3 million visitors helped boost the economy by £1.9 billion and supported around 23,000 jobs in Leicester and Leicestershire, and also addressed challenges facing the sector as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
It said: “Tourism and hospitality is an important economic sector for Leicester and Leicestershire. Covid-19 has severely impacted the tourism sector globally.
“As at July 29, Visit Britain forecasted domestic tourism spending in 2020 to be 49 per cent down compared to 2019, with inbound tourism to the UK declining by 59 per cent and changing.
“Tourism numbers are forecast to gradually rise throughout the remainder of 2020, although they are still very likely to be well below normal levels by the end of the year.”