Visit Sheffield: Steel City set to maximise tourism potential as VisitEngland award special destination status

Sheffield is set to boom as a tourist destination with the help of VisitEngland, after South Yorkshire was awarded Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) status.

LVEP status means Sheffield, as the lead local authority, can access expert advice, dedicated toolkits and training from VisitEngland - which aims to boost tourism across the region.

The South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: "Here in South Yorkshire we couldn’t be more proud of our world class music, landscapes, festivals and sport.

We’re the birthplace of football and the home of snooker, we powered the Industrial Revolution and have England’s oldest national park. We celebrate art, music and literature like nowhere else.

"Now we have a new opportunity to share our beauty, our history, our culture, and our talent with the rest of our world."

In January, Sheffield was named one of the top 20 city break destinations in Europe by TimeOut magazine - the publication that also named Kelham Island as one of the world's coolest neighbourhoods.

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Sheffield attracted 17.92million leisure and business tourism visits. This supported 15,076 full-time equivalent jobs in the city.

Sheffield City Councillor Minesh Parekh, Labour's lead for Economic Development, Culture and Skills, said: "Sheffield is a wonderful place, to live in and work in, and also as a destination for visitors. There's a reason why we’re regularly ranked among the top places to take a city break in Europe."

On top of earning LVEP status, Coun Parekh also mentioned the three brand-new hotels opening in the city before the end of 2023 - including the council-owned Radisson Blu. He added: "Great work is happening to showcase Sheffield on an international level and keep our city moving onwards and upwards."