Manchester has launched an initiative allowing visitors to book a trip at participating hotels and get an extra night for free.
The ‘Have a Night on Us’ campaign is led by Marketing Manchester in partnership with the Manchester Hoteliers Association and aims to boost tourism to the city following a downturn due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The offer allows visitors to book two nights at participating hotels and stay a third night for free, encouraging tourists to extend their stay and explore the city’s attractions and experiences. It is hoped that this will “increase overall spend within the tourism economy”.
Tourism was worth £9 billion to Greater Manchester’s economy in 2019, and Marketing Manchester estimates that at least 70 per cent of that value has been lost since the onset of the pandemic. There has been a £6 billion loss to the economy, in addition to the loss of thousands of jobs across the tourism, hospitality, leisure and culture sectors.
There are nine hotels currently taking part in the offer, which include the Stock Exchange Hotel, The Ainscow Hotel, The Lowry Hotel, The Edwardian Manchester, Kimpton Clocktower Hotel (pictured), Holiday Inn Manchester City Centre, Hotel Brooklyn, Roomzzz Corn Exchange and Roomzzz Manchester City Centre. Additional hotels will join the campaign “over the coming weeks and months”.
Sheona Southern, Managing Director of Marketing Manchester, said:
“Our ‘Have a Night on Us’ campaign looks to address the current shortfall in hotel bookings by working with accommodation partners to offer attractive deals that we hope visitors will take up in order to enjoy an extended summer break in Greater Manchester this summer.
“Greater Manchester hotels have suffered terrible financial losses since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many out of action for over 10 months due to last year’s tier system and national lockdowns. We are now more optimistic about recovery and there is a great deal to look forward to as Greater Manchester returns with a packed calendar of new openings and developments within the tourism economy. It is however, going to take time for confidence to return and there is still a significant question mark over the future of large sporting and music events, on which our hotel sector thrives, as well as the return of international visitors.”
While international travel is set to resume on May 17, there are only 12 destinations on the government’s ‘green’ list, leading many to opt for a UK staycation this summer.
Adrian Ellis, Chair of the Manchester Hoteliers Association, added:
“This new campaign will play an important role in helping Greater Manchester’s hotel sector recover from the devastating effects of Covid-19, and will help to drive much-needed bookings to the region’s accommodation providers.
“Our hotels have made significant investments in making sure they are Covid-compliant, alongside meeting VisitEngland ‘We’re Good to Go’ accreditations. The unique ‘Have a Night on Us’ offer is great value for money for visitors, who can be confident knowing they are both safe and supporting the tourism and hospitality industry at a time when it needs support the most.”
Meanwhile, a collection of properties in London has teamed up to offer discounted stays and “value-added packages” to encourage bookings in the capital this summer, and IHG Hotels and Resorts has launched a promotion allowing guests at over 75 UK properties to check out at any time on the day of departure.
