Birmingham expects surge of tourism following success of Commonwealth Games
Birmingham is expecting a surge of tourists over the summer as the city’s reputation receives a boost from the Commonwealth Games, business leaders said as the 11-day sports event comes to a close.
The event has been heralded as a roaring success for the Midlands city, with more than 1.5m tickets sold – making it on track to be one of the most successful Commonwealth Games in history.
“I can categorically say this will be the busiest August that Birmingham has ever enjoyed,” said Neil Rami, chief executive of the West Midlands Growth Company. “You just have to see the throngs of people in the streets. We were forecasting about 85% hotel occupancy, but talking to some hotel managers it’s nearer 95% so we’re pretty much full.”
Leaders are determined to use the momentum from the games to put the city forward for other major events, and on Monday the sports minister Nigel Huddlestone suggested it could even be a future Olympic host city.
“One of the elements of legacy is thinking about how we can use the facilities and the experience to bid for other major international sporting events, and I don’t think it’s an unrealistic ambition to say the Olympics could be one of them,” he said. “This was Birmingham’s opportunity to shine and they’ve absolutely embraced it. We had high expectations and it’s more than met that.”
The event’s closing ceremony on Monday night was a celebration of West Midlands musical talent, with UB40, Beverley Knight, Jorja Smith, Dexys and the Selecter all performing, followed by a sequence from the upcoming Peaky Blinders theatre show with music by Laura Mvula.
The opening ceremony, starring education activist Malala Yousafzai and Duran Duran, featured a 10-metre-high mechanical bull which is now on display
Read more on theguardian.com
