Perth 2021: Hull shows benefit of winning City of Culture title.

A new study of City of Culture celebrations in Hull has laid bare what Perth stands to gain from a successful 2021 campaign.

The Humberside town beat Dundee in the battle to become the UK’s second City of Culture.

It launched its year-long programme of events and exhibitions with a massive street party in January.

In the final part of The Courier’s weeklong series exploring Perth’s fight for the 2021 title, we look at the exhaustive study carried out by Hull University, examining the economic and social impact from the first few months of the city’s tenure in the spotlight.

It shows that nine out of 10 residents attended or experienced at least one cultural event in the first quarter of the year, more than double the number engaging in such activities before the bid.

Events during the Made in Hull season received more than 1.4 million visits, with the season being the first of four three-month long phases, made up of more than 450 events and activities.

The opening ceremony alone brought in 342,000 people, while an installation by artist Nayan Kulkarni attracted more than 420,000 between January and March.

The university study goes on to show there were half a million visits to the city’s museums and galleries in the first four months of the year, with some venues boasting year-on-year increases in visitors of more than 500%.

The findings highlight hotel occupancy being up by 13.8% over the first three months. More than half of city centre businesses have also reported a good impact on sales, footfall and the diversity of consumers.

Meanwhile, some 37% of businesses said they saw a surge in turnover, while nearly a third saw an increase in profits compared to last year.

A poll found seven out of 10 Hull residents said the City of Culture was having a positive effect on their lives, largely because of opportunities made available to volunteer and participate at events across the city.

Martin Green, the director of Hull 2017, said: “It almost goes without saying that this year has been quite a ride already.

“There’s been an incredible response to the cultural programme and we are thrilled that nine in 10 people living in the city have tried at least one cultural activity.”

He added: “Let’s not forget, this is just a snapshot. There is plenty more to come and we hope people will continue to try things out.”

Picture: PA. An art installation entitled We Are Hull by artist Zolst Balogh is projected on to Queen Victoria Square in Hull during the official opening of Hull UK City of Culture 2017. A new study shows visitor numbers are up thanks to a succession of special...