Driving culture and the visitor economy
Liverpool is a city renowned for its vibrant culture and diverse history.
The University collaborates with the city’s cultural sector, offering students valuable opportunities through partnerships, access to key venues, and contributions to the visitor economy.
Student experiences magnified by Liverpool’s cultural strengths
Liverpool's status as a modern cultural capital is evidenced by its 54 million annual visitors, drawn to its World Heritage skyline and famous landmarks such as the Royal Albert Dock, the Liver Building, and the Beatles' legacy. The city's football culture is a major part of its identity and sporting passion permeates the city's social fabric. The city hosts mega-events and is committed to cultural events which was highlighted when it hosted Eurovision 2023 on behalf of Ukraine.
The student population at the University reaps significant benefits from the city’s rich cultural landscape, which extends beyond mere consumption of cultural offerings to include experiential learning and collaborative projects. The University has key collaborations with Liverpool City Region’s (LCR) creative and cultural sector through collaborations with cultural partners such as National Museums Liverpool, Tate, Everyman and Playhouse, Liverpool Philharmonic and FACT.
University of Liverpool as a cultural venue
The University plays a distinctive role within the culture sector, attracting visitors to the city for both leisure and business:
Conferences and events
The University hosts a range of conferences and events at its distinctive venues, such as the Victoria Gallery & Museum and the Guild of Students. These events attract visitors who contribute to the local economy. In 2022/23, over 21,800 people attended public conferences and 5,200 people attended public lectures. The University also contributes to the city’s broader appeal as a host city for national and international events, helping to attract a range of academic and professional conferences and exhibitions. The Club Liverpool initiative – in partnership with neighbouring universities, Marketing Liverpool, Knowledge Quarter Liverpool and ACC Liverpool – puts academic ambassadors at the heart of a collaborative approach to securing events that benefit the region’s economy while further strengthening its reputation for research and innovation.
Visits to museums and events
Liverpool also has a remarkable collection of museums and galleries, with more outside London than any other UK city. The University’s museums, galleries, and art play a crucial role in the cultural and social fabric of the Liverpool City Region.
The city centre campus hosts three open public destinations; Victoria Gallery & Museum, the Garstang Museum of Archaeology, and the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre, which houses a 400-seat Tung Auditorium that can host live events and had 24,000 people attend events last year. In 2022/23, the University welcomed 56,400 visits to exhibitions and 4,600 attendees to performance arts events on campus. The Ness Botanical Gardens site on the Wirral attracted over 70,800 visits.
By fostering trusted and sustainable relationships with the surrounding community, the University supports the wellbeing and sense of belonging of students, visitors and neighbours.
An important part of the visitor economy
The University also contributes to the regional tourism sector by attracting visitors, including friends and family of students and staff, as well as attendees of conferences and events held on its premises.
Visiting friends and relatives
The University enhances the local tourism economy by attracting visitors, including friends and family of students and staff. Visitors spend on local tourism, retail and hospitality, thus boosting local businesses and employment. On average students welcome approximately three visits by friends and family per year, with 22% of students surveyed welcoming family and friends visits six times over the course of the academic year.
The activities undertaken by visitors to students, such as sightseeing, dining out, and shopping, provide a boost to the local economy. As illustrated in the graph below in Figure 4.4, sightseeing is the most common activity, demonstrating how these visits support local tourism, retail, and hospitality sectors.
Figure 4.4
The concentration of students in the LCR area presents opportunities for increased visitor activity. Data from primary research shows visit patterns that, on average, each domestic student receives 2.8 visitors, while each overseas student receives one visitor over the course of an academic year. The length of stay for both domestic and overseas visitors is typically one night. This results in an average tourism spend of £11.8 million from domestic visitors and £4.2 million from overseas visitors.
The visitor economy is also bolstered by returning graduates who visit the city for a range of reasons, such as nostalgia, social, or specific events.
Wider staff contributions
Staff volunteering
The University of Liverpool promotes staff involvement in sustainability through various initiatives such as volunteering and professional development opportunities, with an active programme of volunteering available. Staff are encouraged to engage in activities connected to:
- Crisis and poverty
- Culture
- Education and learning
- Fundraising
- Health, wellbeing and social care
- People and communities.
The University is supportive, offering resources, events, and training to help staff contribute to its long-term sustainability strategy.
Using available data on volunteering at the University it is estimated that the University staff volunteering provides over 18,000 hours of volunteering in 2022/23 to local community groups, schools, charities and other organisations.
Spillovers from the University's highly educated workforce
The University Campus is part of the LCRs Knowledge Quarter. The employment of the University contributes to a cluster of highly qualified individuals. This contributes to enrichment in society, fostering a vibrant, well connected community. University staff also contribute significantly to the social and cultural life of their communities by serving on the boards of charities, companies, and community groups. Their expertise and leadership help shape organisational strategies, promote innovation, and address local challenges, fostering stronger community ties and enriching cultural development.