VisitBritain’s latest forecast shows India is set to become a £1.5 billion inbound visitor market for the UK by 2030, an increase of 71% from 2026, creating a significant opportunity for Northern destinations and tourism businesses to attract more visitors, encourage longer stays and increase spending across the North.
That opportunity was presented at the first-ever joint North of England Mayoral trade mission to India, where Northern Mayors, VisitBritain and tourism partners promoted the North’s collective visitor offer to 150 leading Indian travel buyers and media at events in New Delhi and Mumbai.
The Great North and VisitBritain activity falls under The GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland Campaign which aims to enhance the UK’s global reputation and drives economic growth by encouraging international audiences to visit, study, trade and invest in the UK.
By coming together around a shared proposition, the North’s cities, destinations and visitor attractions can offer international visitors an experience greater than the sum of its parts, combining globally recognised sport, music and culture with heritage, countryside, screen tourism and premium experiences.
Looking at this year, VisitBritain forecasts 597,000 visits from India to the UK, with visitors estimated to spend £865 million during their trips. By making it easier for the international travel trade to build multi-destination Northern itineraries, partners aim to encourage more of those visitors to explore the North, stay longer and spend across more destinations.
The relationships established during the mission will continue in November when Indian travel buyers and media travel to the North for Spotlight Manchester: Gateway to Northern England and North Wales, providing a further opportunity to turn interest into bookable itineraries and longer-term trade partnerships.
Kim McGuinness, North East Mayor and Chair of The Great North, said, “We want Indian visitors to enjoy everything Britain has to offer, but to travel further, stay longer and experience more. From our great cities and spectacular landscapes to Premier League football, international cricket, castles, culture and coastline, the North has an incredible amount to offer.
The North East is a place I’m incredibly proud to call home, and our greatest strength is the warmth and hospitality of our people. We’ve experienced that same wonderful welcome in India, and I want us to return it to many more Indian visitors.
By bringing our regions together through The Great North, we’re putting the North of England on the international stage. Now we want to work with the Indian travel trade to turn that opportunity into unforgettable journeys, more visitors and bookings, and lasting economic benefits for our communities.”
Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said: “The Liverpool City Region has so much to offer Indian visitors. We’re the UK’s cultural capital, home to The Beatles, two Premier League football clubs and an internationally renowned music, arts and cultural scene.
As the UK’s third most visited region by international visitors, our visitor economy generates almost £7 billion a year and supports more than 58,000 local jobs. And beyond the world-class attractions, there’s nowhere quite like Liverpool when it comes to the warmth of our welcome.
India’s growing tourism market presents a fantastic opportunity for the entire North, and through The Great North, we want to showcase the very best our regions have to offer, encouraging visitors to explore more, stay longer and experience the distinctive character of the North.
Our message is simple: come and discover a city region with the ambition, infrastructure and connectivity to make every visit memorable.”
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said, “From Bronte Country to bustling nightlife, Hepworth to Hockney, West Yorkshire has so much culture at its heart. Across Yorkshire, tourism, including screen tourism, is worth a whopping £9 billion every year. As the partnership of the Great North, we can showcase our spectacular sights, vibrant culture, and encourage more people to explore our regions.”
Patricia Yates, CEO, VisitBritain, said, “We are proud to be working alongside Mayors, destinations and industry leaders from across the North of England to support the tourism programme for the inaugural North of England Mayoral Delegation to India, one of our fastest-growing markets.
Drawing on our in-market expertise and relationships in India, we are telling the story of the North of England’s outstanding tourism offer, from its vibrant cities, rich heritage and spectacular scenery to world-class sporting grounds and visitor experiences. Working directly with the travel trade in India gets our products sold and broadens itineraries, so visitors explore further, stay longer and spend more.
Strong and growing air connectivity between India and the regional gateway of Manchester is making it easier than ever for visitors to discover more. With India forecast to become a £1.5 billion visitor market for the UK by 2030, our destination showcase event is a timely and valuable opportunity to drive growth and visitor spending across the region and beyond.”
Francine Bult, Senior Marketing Executive at Cumbria Tourism, said, “This collaborative Indian trade mission is another fantastic opportunity to showcase our destination to a fast-growing global visitor market. Working together across the North, it’s vital to forge direct one-to-one relationships and ensure tour operators have the right information at the right time to plan their schedules for 2027 and beyond. Key markets like India are vital to sustaining a thriving visitor economy, and we will continue working hard with our Northern partners to put relationships with inbound operators and product development at the forefront of our international marketing activity.”
Angela Hodson, Commercial Director at Lancashire Cricket, said, “India is an incredibly important market for Lancashire Cricket and Manchester, and we are proud of the strong connections we have built with cricket in India over many years.
With India set to return to Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground for major international fixtures in both 2028 and 2029, we have a fantastic opportunity to welcome even more visitors from India to the City. We also have Manchester Super Giants playing in The Hundred at our venue as part of our joint venture with RPSG Group – who also own IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants.
From matchday hospitality and events to our on-site Hilton Garden Inn hotel at Emirates Old Trafford Cricket Ground, there is a real opportunity to showcase Manchester and the North as a destination in its own right. Working collectively through The Great North gives us an opportunity to build on that appeal, create experiences for Indian visitors and encourage them to stay longer and return in the future.”
Turning international interest into visits
As part of the North of England Mayoral trade mission, destinations and tourism businesses took part in the England’s Great North Destination Showcase 2026 in Delhi and Mumbai.
Representatives from Marketing Manchester, Cumbria Tourism, Marketing Liverpool, West Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership and Experience NorthEast England joined businesses and attractions from across the region to build relationships with Indian travel buyers and media, with a focus on developing bookable products and expanding Northern itineraries.
The activity will continue in November through Spotlight Manchester: Gateway to Northern England and North Wales, hosted by VisitBritain and Marketing Manchester. The event will bring Indian travel buyers and media to the region to experience its visitor offer first-hand and build relationships with destinations and tourism businesses.
By turning the connections established in India into bookable itineraries and longer-term trade partnerships, the programme aims to create a lasting legacy from the mission and support the North in securing a greater share of international tourism growth.
The tourism programme forms part of The Great North’s wider ambition to harness the collective scale and strengths of the North of England to compete internationally and generate new opportunities for trade, investment and tourism.
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