Becky Frall, Head of Visitor Attraction at the West Midlands Growth Company – which aims to attract visitors, events and jobs to the region - said:

“The latest round of financial support from the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund has provided a critical lifeline to the social and economic life of our region.

“The impact of interventions like this on regional economies cannot be underestimated. It has safeguarded jobs across a number of our most important cultural institutions – and for the first time since the onset of the pandemic, these venues now have the means to plan for some level of safe reopening.

“From the Birmingham Hippodrome and Birmingham Museums Trust, to the Black Country Living Museum and Warwick Arts Centre - the recipients of this funding anchor our region’s sense of place and inspire people from all walks of life and from all around the world, through expression, creativity and hope. These venues support a visitor economy that is worth £12.6 billion and position the West Midlands on the global stage as a destination of choice to visitors and businesses alike. 

“I’d like to thank government for supporting the West Midlands’ tourism sector at a critical point in time; this is a much welcome boost for the arts and culture and hospitality sectors in particular. Through continued support from Government and through collaboration, it is important to now focus on the longer-term safeguarding of the visitor economy in its entirety”.