It has been revealed that The Giants Spectacular which came back to Liverpool this summer generated £46m for the city’s economy.
The Giants Spectacular has been dubbed as one of the most successful events to ever happen in the city and an independent report out today showed that the spectacular showcase increased the number of visitors coming into the city by one million.
Visitors flocked from all over the world to see the show which commemorated World War One, in a three-day special which saw the grandmother, little girl, and Xolo the dog take over Liverpool city centre.
It was estimated that 300,000 people came from outside the region to see the show, of which 160,000 had never been to Liverpool before. People travelled from as far as Hong Kong, Australia and France, as well as Wales, Yorkshire and Lincolnshire to see ‘Memories of August 1914’.
Wendy Simon, Cabinet Member for Culture and Tourism, told JMU Journalism: “The success of the event was not just economic, it really benefited the all-round well-being of the city and added social value as lots of groups right through the community took part.
“Events like this give people something to look forward to and it was a free event so everyone could attend. It also brought people of all generations together and told them about the First World War.”
Councillor Simon added: “It’s the big events like this that brings money in and helps to keep people in business all year round.”
The giants were first seen in the city back in 2012, when the ‘Sea Odyssey’ event attracted 500,000 visitors and generated £12m for the local economy. The Mayor of Liverpool, Joe Anderson, said that this year’s show “surpassed expectations”.
Merseyrail saw an extra 500,000 passengers travelling on the network on that weekend and National Rail saw 330,000 passing through their stations, which caused large queues at Lime Street Station.
The influx meant that this had a positive effect on businesses all over the city.
Chris Bliss, Liverpool One Estate Director, said: “Liverpool One was at the heart of the Giant Spectacular and we welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors during the event. Sales across Liverpool One increased by almost 50% compared to the giants’ last visit in 2012.”