Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram has hailed the area’s pubs, restaurants and music venues as “vital”, while welcoming government plans to slash red rape for the hospitality sector.
Tourism is worth more than £6bn a year to the city region economy, with 73,000 people employed in the visitor economy, in nearly 6,000 businesses.
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.”
