Lincolnshire Show brings in millions to local economy
22 August 2016, Press Releases
A new survey has revealed that an estimated £4 million plus is pumped into Lincolnshire’s economy every year thanks to the Lincolnshire Show.
Undertaken in conjunction with the University of Lincoln, the survey quizzed Show visitors on how much they spend on accommodation, travel, food and drink, shopping and other local attractions when attending the two day event in June.
It is expected that £4,372,500 is spent in the county during the Lincolnshire Show, which this year took place on 22 and 23 June. The survey consisted of face-to-face interviews, online submissions and was circulated via E-bulletins and social media. T asked visitors ‘How much would you estimate that you’ve spent locally on the following, in conjunction with visiting the Lincolnshire Show?’.
Jayne Southall, CEO of the Lincolnshire Showground, said: “This is the first year that we have adapted our annual survey to find out how much the Lincolnshire Show generates for the local economy and the impact it has on visitor spend each year.
“The Show is such an integral part of not only our busy calendar of events but also the county’s. We know that our exhibitors, farmers, and supporters all look forward to its return each year. These survey results give us a real insight into how much of an economic impact it has in Lincolnshire and further supports the importance and continuation of county shows across the country.”
Based on 1,176 respondents, the survey revealed that those visitors spent £4,617 on accommodation, £1,216 on visiting other local attractions, £12,547 on food and drink; with travel forming a large part of visitor spend at £15,750.
This equates to an average of a third of visitors booking accommodation to attend the Show, half spending on transport, a third went shopping whilst in the area, almost half spent on eating and drinking and a fifth of all survey attendees visited other local attractions.
Jayne added: “The results demonstrate that people are travelling from further distances to visit the Lincolnshire Show and it’s great to see that they’re spending time in the area and seeing all that we have to offer.”
“We are delighted to be helping Lincolnshire to thrive and it is thanks to all the hard work of our exhibitors, competitors, employees, volunteers, and organisers who make the Lincolnshire Show so great.”
The Lincolnshire Show attracts around 60,000 visitors each year across two days. More than 600 traders display some of the best in local produce and sell everything from handbags to hot tubs, mowers to muck spreaders, and combines to candles.
The Lincolnshire Show is organised by the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society, whose charitable objective is to educate about food, farming and a sustainable environment.
The Lincolnshire Show returns in 2017 on Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd June.
