• Plans to slash red tape and boost hospitality sector
• 73,000 people employed by 5,900 Liverpool City Region visitor economy businesses
• Tourism worth £6bn to Liverpool City Region economy

Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram has welcomed Government plans to slash red tape for the hospitality sector in a boost for the city region’s vital visitor economy.

Tourism is worth over £6bn a year to the city region economy, with 73,000 people employed in the visitor economy, in nearly 6,000 businesses.

Diners gather at outdoor tables outside restaurants on Bold Street

Plans include a landmark pilot that could see more alfresco dining and later opening hours in London, as the Mayor of London is granted new “call in” powers to review blocked licensing applications in nightlife hotspots.

If the pilot is successful, these powers are expected to be rolled out to all regional mayors.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said

“Our pubs, bars, restaurants and music venues are more than just places for a night out; they’re vital to our economy, supporting thousands of jobs and helping to bring life and investment into our town and city centres.

“In the Liverpool City Region, our visitor economy is now worth more than £6bn with hospitality alone supporting 53,000 jobs and nearly 1 in 10 of our businesses – but it’s still feeling the aftershocks of the pandemic. Cutting red tape and giving local leaders more of a say in supporting our nighttime economy is a really welcome move.

“We know that businesses are facing an uncertain time at the moment but hospitality is a sector with real potential to drive growth. It’s good to see the government recognising that fact, and drawing on the Liverpool City Region’s experience and expertise in this space to help drive national change. With central government working in close partnership with mayors, we can unlock that potential, building a stronger, more dynamic visitor economy that delivers jobs, investment and opportunity in communities right across the country.”

Liverpool City Region Associate Director – Culture, Claire McColgan CBE, has joined some of the biggest names in the hospitality and entertainment sector to work with government to rapidly explore and evaluate better licensing options for businesses right across the UK.

Claire was the architect of the groundbreaking “Liverpool Without Walls” programme, introduced to protect the hospitality sector during COVID, which made it easier for bars and restaurants to offer outdoor options, enabling them to keep trading.

And Claire was instrumental in supporting other parts of the country, including London, to implement their versions of the scheme.

Speaking about today’s announcement, Claire McColgan CBE, Liverpool City Region Associate Director – Culture, said:

“Liverpool is a great example of sectors working together with purple flag status and a city centre BID working hand in hand with the council. Our COVID response with the transformative £6m economic impact of “Without Walls”  was simple and cost effective with a great legacy, and demonstrated how we do things differently. Being a part of this group will enable me to explore what would work for us in the Liverpool City Region.

“We know that resources are really tight for local authorities so I look forward to working with our business and cultural partners to look at solutions that drive business whilst also supporting councils with their growth objectives.”