Lincolnshire’s visitor economy was valued annually at £2.39 Billion and supported at least 30,000 jobs across the county in 2019. Since the pandemic started in 2019, the previously consistent and valued visitors have been less able to travel to the county, but with things returned to normal, the county is hoping to kick off a busy summer with the Discover Lincolnshire weekend. The initiative, aimed at boosting tourism in Lincolnshire before the summer season, has run since 2014. Becky Newmarch, who works at VisitLincoln said: “The Discover Weekend is our aim to kick of the season and encourage people to see what Lincoln has to offer that they might not have seen before. We want people to experience all the wealth of history and attractions that Lincoln has to offer on a budget. Attractions like the open bus tour, which would usually be £10 are free for the weekend.”
Lincolnshire Visitor Fact file
– 8th annual Discover Lincolnshire weekend starts on March 26th
£22 million spent on Lincoln Castle restoration
– Lincoln visitor economy valued at £2.39 Billion pre-Covid and supported 30,000 jobs
– Lincoln ‘s visitor centre won the 2020 Travellers Choice award
Since 2014, the weekend has served as the marker for the start of Lincolnshire’s visitor season and alongside the Covid revival plan, there has been significant investment into Lincoln’s major tourism sites. There has been a £22 million investment into the Lincoln Castle, including a purpose-built Magna Carta vault and important work on the medieval walls where visitors can embark on guided tours. These tours will be free on March 26th and 27th as Lincoln aims to bring both new and regular visitors up steep hill to visit the newly refurbished castle. The recent investments have helped double the number of visitors to the castle and confirm Lincoln as one of the UK’s most popular places for short breaks. Interest is high already around the Castle, as Ridley Scott’s new movie has been filming the Lincoln Cathedral and the hype build up by the filming will be continuing as a week after the film crews finish, the Discover Lincolnshire weekend kicks off. Many local businesses are offering discounts and special events, available only over the Discover Lincolnshire weekend. The Stokes Training Academy on Union Road are hosting two different discounted barista courses. Helen Surrall, an employee at the café (Pictured left), said “It’s something we are not sure people know about, so we wanted to promote it during the promotion. We had hosted them before the lockdowns, and now we want to give people an understanding of coffee.” Stokes are not the only business getting involved with bars, shops and restaurants all joining the push to show off the best Lincoln has to offer.
To find out more about the opportunities on Discover Lincolnshire Weekend follow this link:
Discover Lincolnshire Weekend | Visit Lincoln