10th May 2012
It has long been the opinion of many Londoners that everything happens in their city and there is little reason to visit Up North, well is this truly the case? Can you have world class restaurants and hotels in northern cities or does the Ritz Manchester not have quite the same ring to it? Well new figures released by VisitBritain show that the likes of Manchester and Liverpool are giving the capital a run for its money, especially in terms of foreign visitors. The number of tourists visiting these northern cities jumped by 15 per cent during 2011, which shows that people are beginning to realise that there is more to Britain than just London. Patricia Yates, strategy and communications director for VisitBritain, said: "These results confirm international visitors who might come here because of the global appeal of London are starting to appreciate our vibrant cities outside the capital, and the very different offerings of Edinburgh, Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester." Liverpool is thought to be benefitting from the legacy of its European Capital of Culture status in 2008 and the redevelopment of the city centre in the form of Liverpool One. There are now a number of Michelin starred chefs setting up shop in the city, not to mention Marco Pierre White – the first British chef to be awarded three stars. So if it's good enough for him, then surely it should be good enough for the rest of us. What are the benefits of setting up quality dining experiences outside of the capital or creating bespoke accommodation options? Well competition for a start. London is somewhat saturated with fine eateries and for an outsider or even a native it can be daunting to decide which one to choose. Opening up north of the Watford Gap shows that restaurants are forward thinking and keen to bring their wares to a largely untapped market. Raw ingredients and building costs are likely to be cheaper outside of London making the enterprise less of a financial gamble. Go on, northerners deserve fine food too!
