Visit Herts’ latest Economic Impact Model for 2021 published today shows promising signs of early recovery for Hertfordshire’s tourism industry, with the value of Hertfordshire’s visitor economy increasing to more than £1.5 billion, a 39% growth from 2020.

The research also reveals that 19.6 million combined day and overnight trips were undertaken in the county in 2021, compared to 14 million in 2020.

The number of tourism jobs across the county also increased by 12% on 2020 data to 33,889 jobs, accounting for 6% of total employment in Hertfordshire, despite the Government furlough scheme ending in September 2021.

These latest figures provide the first look at the rebuild and recovery of Hertfordshire’s tourism and hospitality sector during 2021. Using the industry-respected Cambridge Economic Impact Model, the study measured the volume and value of tourism within the county in 2021, and the effect of visits and visitor expenditure on the local economy throughout this tumultuous period.

England entered its third national lockdown on 6th January 2021 and began the 4 Step roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions, which only formally ended in July 2021. The Government then also announced the ‘Plan B’ measures in December 2021 following the rise of the Omicron variant.

The results also magnify the extent of the damage that the COVID-19 pandemic caused to Hertfordshire’s tourism and hospitality sector. Hertfordshire’s visitor economy value in 2021 remained 35% lower than 2019, and international overnight stays were down 18% on 2020.

However, these latest findings also show that the county’s visitor economy performed above the national average across several areas, and Hertfordshire’s visitor economy benefitted from exceptionally high levels of domestic overnight tourism spending. When compared to the national growth projection of 64%, Hertfordshire’s domestic overnight tourism spend increased by an incredible 83% on 2020, generating £260.3 million in 2021.

Visit Herts Chief Executive, Deirdre Wells OBE, said: “After the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is fantastic to see vast improvement across all areas of Hertfordshire’s visitor economy in 2021.

"Through the uncertain and chaotic times, Hertfordshire’s tourism, leisure, and hospitality sector showed itself to be a resilient sector filled with hardworking people and businesses – and an industry extremely valued by local residents, who showed unwavering support in 2021.

“It is particularly gratifying to see the strong levels of overnight stays across the county show that due to our excellent accommodation strength and echoes the findings our recent Herts study, which highlights that the main decision influencer when choosing Hertfordshire was there being things to see and do all year round.

"This indicates that visitors are starting to recognise that Hertfordshire is a flourishing destination that can offer them the ideal short break. As expected, Herts has thrived as UK staycations have become more prominent, and we will continue to capitalise on this opportunity – in fact, new research from Visit England shows that 68% of UK adults plan on taking an overnight domestic trip at some point in the next 12 months.

"We’re particularly excited by the success of our Herts, Camera, Action! Screen Tourism campaign in 2022 – we know this is a huge area of interest for our international audience and we are excited about building on this exciting USP as international travel continues to return across the coming years.”

The findings show the success of Visit Herts’ 2021 campaigns, such as Summer in Herts, a consumer confidence campaign with the aim to inspire visitors to choose Hertfordshire for a safe and welcoming break in late summer and autumn 2021.

Similarly, campaigns like The Bigger Weekend were developed for Hertfordshire residents only, to offer a ballot for free tickets to some of Herts’ biggest attractions during September 2021 to introduce our residents to new attractions and show gratitude for their ongoing support.

Neil Hayes, Chief Executive, Hertfordshire LEP, commented: “The Economic Impact Study shows positive signs for the recovery of Hertfordshire’s tourism and hospitality industry, and confirms that the sector is resilient, having weathered the significant challenges posed by EU Exit and COVID-19.

“However business tourism, which was once a burgeoning unique selling proposition for the county, continues to fall, making up only 3% of overnight trips in 2021, compared to 19% pre-pandemic.

"Looking ahead, there is an opportunity to reshape our business events tourism offer for domestic and international visitors, being mindful of new ways of working post-pandemic and capitalising on the resurgence of team building activities and away days. Ongoing support is also needed to help our businesses face the cost-of-living crisis head on, and Hertfordshire LEP and Visit Herts will continue to lobby Government for assistance for this sector.”

Deirdre continued: “We have an exciting year ahead as we build on the legacy of the Community Renewal Funded project and cement Hertfordshire’s place as one of the UK’s top screen tourism destinations.

"It is also clear that the impact of the Cost-of-Living Crisis will continue to impact our industry and the repercussions of the pandemic world-wide will continue for years to come. Only with continued collaborations county-wide, and Government support, we will be able to show that Hertfordshire is a strong, adaptable, and attractive destination for visitors in 2023.”

Read more and access district-specific reports: Hertfordshire Tourism Economic Impact Study 2021 

For more information and inspiration, visit www.visitherts.co.uk

Visit Herts is the county's destination management service, supported by Hertfordshire LEP and Hertfordshire County Council and delivered by Go To Places.