County tourism tops £1bn for first time

Owners of The Cotford Hotel and L'amuse Bouche restaurant Chris and Barbara Morgan said enthusiasm was high in Malvern

Worcestershire's tourism economy has surpassed the £1bn mark for the first time, with a record £1.05bn generated last year.

The county saw a 12% increase in overnight stays, with 1.3m, while there was a national slump of 10%, Worcestershire County Council said.

Visitors are staying longer, spending more and discovering new reasons to visit — from theatre breaks to independent shopping stops.

Local businesses said the boom was transforming Worcestershire into a destination in its own right.

Chris Morgan, 69, owner and head chef at The Cotford Hotel and L'amuse Bouche restaurant in Malvern, said the surge in visitors was bringing more diverse crowds to his tables, and people were "clocking on to the fact that Worcestershire is a hidden gem".

He said: "We've been here since 2007, and we were busy from the word go, but it was a completely different clientele. People would come for a day trip to the [Malvern] Hills.

"We're now seeing people coming for two nights, but there are lots of them. People obviously want short breaks."

Nigel Morris owns a homeware store in Malvern

At Rhubarb, a homeware store in the heart of Malvern, owner Nigel Morris, 60, believes location is everything.

He said: "They seem to come from all over. People are using us as a halfway meeting point between the north and south.

"Or they're travelling from the north to, say, Devon or Cornwall, and they use [Worcestershire] as a halfway stop-off."

Just 200m away, his wife, Sara Morris, runs the Rhubarb gift shop.

The 59-year-old, from Malvern, said: "We always ask people why they're here. Often they'll be visiting the hills, the theatre.

"But the surge in the last year, it's very, very noticeable."

Malvern resident Sara Morris runs a gift shop

On the high street, visitors from across the country echoed the sentiment.

One solo traveller from Hampshire said she came on a "short break away for one" after her friend had to cancel their theatre plans.

And a visitor from Manchester laughed: "We're trying to figure out how we're going to get up those hills. That's going to get the legs working."