Tourism worth more than £400m to town's economy

Once reliant on business travellers for their income, Reading's hotels and restaurants are proving a growing draw for tourists wanting to explore what the town has to offer, research suggests.

Reading's Economy and Destination Agency (REDA) shows that the number of international tourists choosing to stay in the town has risen by just over 40% in the past three years.

Its position alongside the River Thames and attractions including the Abbey Ruins and Britain's copy of the Bayeux Tapestry are possible reasons for the increase.

The agency's latest report found the tourist economy is now worth £405m and nearly 10,000 people work in jobs directly related to tourism in the town.

It is the second report commissioned by REDA, three years after the first.

That showed Reading's popularity with overseas businesses travellers had fallen due to the Covid pandemic and the consequent rise in video conferences and meetings being held remotely.

The latest report shows the town's tourism economy has pivoted away from a reliance on those travellers, with the proportion of business visitors falling from 52% of all overall visits in 2023 to 34% earlier this year.

At the same time the percentage of people staying overnight to experience what the area has to offer has risen from just 7% of all overall visits to 29%.

Alex Brannen, from REDA, said: "[The agency] has been actively promoting leisure visits to Reading in the last few year through travel shows, press trips, through the Great West Way tourist route and of course making the best use of our wonderful unsung assets such as the Abbey Ruins, Britain's Bayeux Tapestry and the River Thames."

Another major factor, which appeals to both international and domestic tourists, is that you can get on a train at Reading and be in London in under half an hour, he added.

Fran Downton, the chief executive of Tourism South East, thinks Reading also benefits from having a number of hotels that are much cheaper than those in the capital.

"People can stay in one of Reading's many excellent hotels, knowing they can easily catch a train to London to see all the sights the capital has to offer before heading back to Reading, enjoying a meal while they're at it," she said.

REDA said, despite the rise in international traveller numbers, the town's visitor economy continues to be dominated by the domestic market. It found 4.6 million people visit the town for just the day.

Casting its eyes further afield to take in Berkshire as a whole, REDA's latest report shows that Windsor and Maidenhead is still out in front when it comes to income generated by tourism with Reading sitting in second place.