Research has revealed The Grand Tour programme of cultural events and exhibitions in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire contributed more than £32m to the local economy in 2015 and 2016.

The research, undertaken by NGI Solutions on behalf of The Grand Tour consortium venues, used robust methodology and the STEAM visitor value figures for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to create an accurate picture of the significant contribution of The Grand Tour to the region's visitor economy.

The Grand Tour took place over two seasons in 2015 and 2016, and was funded by Arts Council England's Cultural Destinations programme, with support from VisitEngland and D2N2 LEP.

Led by Nottingham Contemporary, the seasons took place across four of the UK's most distinguished cultural institutions: Chatsworth, Derby Museums, The Harley Gallery and Nottingham Contemporary. They joined forces to create a cultural journey for today's Grand Tourist. The venues worked with local tourism organisations Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire and Visit Nottinghamshire to deliver a wide variety of exhibitions, attracting new visitors to the region.

The second season of The Grand Tour took place from March to June 2016, and featured Turner Prize-winning artist Simon Starling, along with Sir Peter Blake and influential performance artist Rose English, who showed their work alongside masterpieces from the venues' own collections – offering an exciting mix of contemporary works and old masters.

The Grand Tour was complemented by a rich fringe programme of activity, with events and exhibitions at venues including The School of Artisan Food, Nottingham Playhouse, Royal Crown Derby, Renishaw Hall and New Art Exchange.

Season 1 of The Grand Tour resulted in expenditure of £7,584,066, with 461,818 visitors taking part in the programme.

Season 2 enjoyed higher visitor numbers of 1.2million, thanks to the increased awareness of the collaboration. The resulting expenditure was £24.46m, giving a total overall impact of both seasons of £32,225,036.

The evaluation, undertaken by NGI Solutions, used surveys in person at venues and online to gather feedback, understand visitor profiles and the overall economic impact of the project.

Research showed that visitors to The Grand Tour were very positive in their recommendations, with more than 8 out of 10 visitors in both seasons saying they were either likely or very likely to recommend a visit. This was also clear in Season 2, with many people saying they'd visited due to recommendations following Season 1.

Two-thirds of visitors to Season 2 said they would return to visit another season, which bodes well for the consortium, which has just received an additional £150K from Arts Council England's Cultural Destinations fund, to present a new programme of cultural events and exhibitions across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire venues in 2018.

Research shows the cultural programme appealed not just to UK visitors, but also international tourists, with 8% of respondents coming from outside of the UK from countries including USA, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director, Arts Council England said: “The research results for The Grand Tour reflect the very positive feedback already received for the first two seasons and clearly shows the huge impact which happens when the arts, culture and tourism sectors join forces.

“It's great to see the economic impact of the project locally, The Grand Tour brought together partners from across the region to offer visitors a brilliant mix of the East Midland's rich heritage alongside new contemporary art. I'm delighted that The Grand Tour will be back in 2018 and I look forward to enjoying the new experiences for cultural tourists.”

Brendan Moffett, Chief Executive, Marketing Nottingham & Nottinghamshire, said: “The first two seasons of The Grand Tour clearly had an enormous impact on the local visitor economy, which is terrific news for the region as it helps to deliver local jobs and support local businesses. 

“We are now looking forward to building on this success by working with our partners to attract cultural tourists to the region for the third season of The Grand Tour in 2018.”

Sam Thorne, Director, Nottingham Contemporary said: “This clearly demonstrates the value of cultural tourism to our region. It also reflects the amazing work of all the organisations involved in producing such a dynamic and compelling programme. Culture is so important for the visitor economy in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. We're looking forward to a third season of The Grand Tour in spring/summer 2018.”

http://www.thegrandtour.uk.com/

Media contacts:

For further press information, please contact:

Linda Parker                       Email:    linda.parker@visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk

PR Manager                       Tel:         0115 962 8304

Notes to editors:

1. Arts Council England champions, develops and invests in artistic and cultural experiences that enrich people's lives. We support a range of activities across the arts, museums and libraries – from theatre to digital art, reading to dance, music to literature, and crafts to collections. Great art and culture inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves and the world around us. In short, it makes life better. Between 2015 and 2018, we plan to invest £1.1 billion of public money from government and an estimated £700 million from the National Lottery to help create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country. artscouncil.org.uk
2. Cultural Destinations is an initiative that was developed by the Arts Council England as a result of a three-year partnership with VisitEngland, the national tourist board. The aim of the programme is to enable arts and culture organisations working in partnership with Destination Organisations and other tourism partners, to increase their reach, engagement and resilience.
3. NGI Solutions is a full-service research, marketing and communications agency providing successful solutions to help meet business objectives. NGI Solutions research team specialise in providing business intelligence through research and data.
4. About Marketing Nottingham & Nottinghamshire:                                                                                                                                                                        Marketing Nottingham & Nottinghamshire is the official Place Marketing Organisation (PMO) for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. The promotional agency is responsible for growing the local economy through encouraging inward investment, attracting business and leisure visitors, student retention and aligning with the local business community. It is funded by a combination of private monies through membership and grants, and by local authorities including Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. Marketing Nottingham & Nottinghamshire is made-up of three core divisions: Visit Nottinghamshire, Invest in Nottingham and Nottingham Means Business.
5. About Visit Nottinghamshire:
   Visit Nottinghamshire is the division of Marketing Nottingham & Nottinghamshire responsible for driving leisure and business visitors to the city and county. It also manages the city's award-winning Tourism Centre. Visit Nottinghamshire works with 500 private sector partners and local authorities including Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council, to grow the visitor economy for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Nottinghamshire is a leading tourism destination with a world-class reputation for its legends, local traditions, culture, sport and heritage.  Tourism in Nottinghamshire is estimated to be worth £1.68bn to the local economy.
6. About Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire:                                                                                                                                                                                 Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire's mission is to develop and grow a successful and sustainable tourism economy, working closely with a wide range of partners to make the Peak District and Derbyshire the destination of choice – regionally, nationally and globally.