Music tourism generated almost £4 bn in 2015
UK Music is calling on policy-makers to create ‘optimum conditions’ for young
people to enter the music industries, as a new report reveals the employment and
income generated by music tourists.
More than 10 million music tourists visited festivals, concerts and small venues
across the UK in 2015, generating almost £4 bn for the UK economy, according to
a new report into the live music industry.
Wish You Were Here, UK Music’s latest study into the economic impact of live
music and music tourism in the UK, has also revealed that overseas tourists
spent an average of £852 whilst in the UK, helping to sustain an estimated
39,034 full time jobs.
The report is built on ‘vast quantities’ of raw ticketing data collected from
festivals, concerts and grassroots venues where live music was the primary
attraction.
The research measures direct and indirect spending – which includes
accommodation and travel – across England’s regions and in Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland. It defines music tourists as people who either live overseas
or travelled at least three times their average commute to reach the event.
Across the regions
The report finds the highest total direct and indirect spend was in London –
almost £1bn. The East (£316m) and North West of England (£375m) generated a
higher total spend than Scotland.
Wales recorded the highest proportion of music tourists (45%) among its
audiences for live music events, but London welcomed the largest overall number
of music tourists (3.2m) and reported the most full time jobs sustained by music
tourism (7,500).
Launching the report, Andy Heath, Chairman of UK Music commented on the need for
policy-makers to recognise the value of the music sector. He said: “The future
of British music is dependent on emerging talent, both in performance and
business. Securing our future depends on the creation of optimum conditions to
support young people to become musicians, songwriters, creative technicians and
one of the 39,034 jobs in this report.
“This report must focus policy makers on creating the right conditions for the
future of an industry that astounds, entertains and attracts the world.”
John Whittingdale MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media & Sport said: “This
is a fantastic achievement and a great testament to both our live music industry
and the musical talent it supports. This is no surprise given British artists
account for just over one in seven albums purchased by fans around the globe.”
- Artsprofessional
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