In British and European terms, Manchester has always been a city that encourages tourists to unearth its treasures.
As a result, 2018 saw a 10% rise in visitors from overseas countries. In 2019, the local authority decided to increase their target to £1.2 billion in business tourism.
The city has been through highs and lows recently, yet it appears as if the future is set to be even brighter on the tourist front because Andy Burnham could easily watch records tumble with millions of more visitors flocking here for these very reasons.
Investment in Natural Beauty
Manchester isn’t the only entity to value natural beauty. Over the past year, millions of have visited national parks around the country. The Lake District is easily the most popular among guests, with an average of 24 million visitors per year. In 2020, the region hit £3 billion from business tourism for the first time.
However, the trend has been scaling upwards since 2016, with pretty much every national park experiencing a rise in guests year on year. For Manchester, this is excellent news due to the city’s brilliant location next to some of the biggest natural hot spots in England.
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The Lake District is less than 90 minutes away, for example, while the Yorkshire Dales is only next door. Of course, the Peak District is even closer as it’s in neighbouring Derbyshire.
Thanks to its proximity to these increasingly popular beauty spots, the city will surely experience a wave of tourism made up of people who base themselves in Manchester.
Consolidating Its Facilities
Anyone who has spent time in Manchester will know that the city has excellent facilities.
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Only recently, the Mayor of Greater Manchester announced his plans to reassert control over the city’s buses by 2024. The tram service, which is one of the few left in the north and the whole of the UK, is regularly on time and beloved by locals and guests.
Then, there are the improving nightlife and hospitality scenes, both of which pull in hundreds of millions a year and give back to the economy. Yet, what makes the future exciting is the impact of technology on services that people used to travel for specifically, such as overseas gambling facilities. The likes of Las Vegas and Macau are renowned as global stars as millions of people flock to the cities for incredible gambling experiences.
Previously, Manchester would have found it hard to compete, but the internet means the city can appeal to a wide range of people by offering the same experience virtually. By showing people how they can find the best American online casino without going to the US or China, Manchester is bound to strike a perfect balance between providing betting services without the hassle. For example, Brits from other parts of the Kingdom can cut the costs of a holiday by travelling to Manchester while still getting the full US casino vibe by logging in to their favourite provider online.
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Manchester is already a shining light of domestic and international tourism since it’s a famous destination with millions of visitors. However, its location and investment in its facilities may lead to an explosion of interest from around the UK and the globe.
Starting off life as a little coffee trike back in 2021, and now based inside a bright-yellow shipping container in Levenshulme‘s Cringle Park, Grounded MCR CIC is a social enterprise that does more than just make you a brew.
Set up with the idea of creating a welcoming space for the whole community to gather, with a key focus on sustainability, Grounded serves up specialty coffee, lots of other hot and cold drinks, and yummy homemade food – much of which is grown by hand, on and around the container.
This is Grounded MCR / Credit: The Manc Group
Coffee beans sourced from a local roaster that pays farmers properly, tasty bakes on offer from a handful of local makers – including bread from the incredible Stockport-based charity, Pure Innovations – and dozens of free community events organised throughout the year are just a few of the reasons why Grounded goes above and beyond your typical cafe.
Sustainability – and affordability, especially amid the ongoing cost of living crisis – are two huge driving factors for Grounded, especially through their partnership with FareShare Greater Manchester and utilising the ‘Too Good To Go’ scheme.
By delivering and using surplus food that would’ve otherwise gone to waste, Grounded is able to keep their prices low whilst still creating some delicious scran.
The Levenshulme community cafe crafting coffee for a great cause / Credit: The Manc Group
Their ‘FareShare Fridays’ are hosted each week, where that morning’s delivery is dedicated to one specific dish and served up for just £1.
To top it all off, Grounded also works with vulnerable adults in honing their barista and hospitality skills, and is also in partnership with ‘Women in Probation’ too to ensure their impact goes further than just what comes in a cup or on a plate.
”We’ve worked hard to create a space that feels safe and welcoming for all,” Grounded declares in a statement on it’s website – and we think they’ve succeeded.
Sustainable clothing brand Lucy & Yak to host first-ever PreLoved Weekender in Manchester
Emily Sergeant
Popular sustainable brand Lucy & Yak is set to host its first ever pre-loved clothing event this bank holiday weekend.
Lucy & Yak is turning its stores into dedicated PreLoved hubs for an entire weekend – celebrating second-hand shopping with communities across the UK.
Since 2023, Lucy & Yak – which is an independent, people-focused brand with all items made using organic, natural, recycled, or deadstock fabrics – has kept more than 42,000 items, also known affectionately as ‘Yaks’, in circulation through its PreLoved scheme, where customers bring in and return their old pieces, and once processed, will then receive a money-off voucher to put towards their next purchase.
Damaged pieces are repaired or upcycled by the Re:Yak Studio team in Yorkshire, before being sold on in-store to find their new homes.
While Lucy & Yak stores carry a dedicated PreLoved rail year-round, this late May bank holiday weekend from Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May, the whole Manchester store experience will be transformed – with a much larger, expanded PreLoved section.
There’ll be everything from old gems to one-off pieces available to get your hands on – all still wearable, all still loveable.
As well as here in Manchester city centre, the PreLoved Weekender will also be taking place at Lucy & Yak stores in Brighton, Bristol, Cambridge, Canterbury, Chester, Edinburgh, Exeter, London, Norwich, Nottingham, Sheffield, and Portsmouth, so no matter where you are in the country this bank holiday, you don’t have to miss out.
What’s more is that fashion lovers in Manchester will also get to take part in a series of upcycling workshops in store on Bank Holiday Monday, with more events planned in the coming weeks.
The brand says its stores are ‘more than just shops’ – they’re spaces for the community to connect, and where Lucy & Yak’s values come to life in person.
Lucy & Yak’s first-ever PreLoved Weekender is coming to Manchester this bank holiday / Credit: Supplied
“We’re so excited to bring the PreLoved Weekender to our stores this May,” commented Lydia Coley, who is the Managing Director at Lucy & Yak.
“Lucy & Yak has always been built around community, creativity, and doing things a little differently, and PreLoved brings all of that together. We’re incredibly proud of keeping over 42,000 Yaks in circulation. Every second-hand Yak has a story, and this weekend is about helping those pieces find their next home in a fun way.”
The PreLoved Weekender will be taking place at Lucy & Yak’s Manchester store in the Northern Quarter this Saturday 23 – Monday 25 May, and you can find out more here.
The Manc -
20th January 2021 
