Tourist numbers increase for third year in a row

The number of tourists visiting North East Lincolnshire has increased for the third year in a row, a council meeting has heard.

In 2023, 8.7 million people visited the area, although the figure remains below the pre-Covid total of 10.3 million in 2019.

Tourism is worth an estimated £697m to the region.

The annual Armed Forces Weekend, in Cleethorpes, was the best attended event, with around 210,000 visitors.

Visitors to Cleethorpes promenade in July and August 2023 dropped 27% to a total of 387,000, compared with the year before.

But these months had “particularly poor periods of weather”, noted the North East Lincolnshire Council report.

There are 6,473 jobs linked to tourism, the highest number since 2019.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, councillors welcomed the mostly positive outlook.

“They’re the sort of thing we should maybe be publicising a little bit more,” councillor Trevor Crofts said, instead of “keyboard warriors” being allowed to give a different impression of the area.

The report also highlighted the Meridian Showground, a council-run Cleethorpes venue.

It held held 19 events in 2023, up from 15 the year before and was hired out for 87 days last year.

This included seven new events, such as a dog agility competition, and Fireworks Fantasia.

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