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Wirral's visitor economy has grown to an estimated £547.5m, according to new tourism research figures.
As reported by Business Live, the borough saw a 2% rise in its tourism industry during 2025, mirroring growth across the Liverpool City Region as a whole, where the visitor economy reached a record £6.834bn.
The figures come from the independent STEAM (Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor) tourism research.
Councillor Jenny Johnson, chair of Wirral Council's tourism, communities, culture, and leisure committee, said: "Wirral has so much to offer, from our coastline and countryside to our heritage, arts, events and attractions. These figures are fantastic news for Wirral and the wider Liverpool City Region, demonstrating the ongoing and growing appeal of our area as a visitor destination."
However, Councillor Jerry Williams, the council's heritage champion and vice chair of the committee, believes more work is needed to ensure local sites benefit from visitor spending.
He said: "It's all very well saying the figures look good for Wirral, but the big problem that we have is having the trickle-down factor so that our heritage sites benefit from the visitors."
Councillor Williams explained there is still work to do to attract more people visiting Liverpool to spend time on the Wirral. He suggested Birkenhead Park's UNESCO World Heritage Site status could be a "key factor" in boosting the borough's tourism appeal. Birkenhead Park is already a big attraction for the Wirral with its links to inspiring Central Park, so securing the status may bring more visitors.
There is also the fact that Birkenhead is a shortlisted town in the first-ever UK Town of Culture competition, which will be announced next year and the title given for 2028. £60,000 will be given to each shortlisted town to develop their bid.
Craig Pennington, the co-founder of Future Yard, is leading the bid, which he has split into four phases.
A winner for the Town of Culture is expected to be announced early next year.
