Visit the West Midlands

The West Midlands Growth Company helps the region make its mark on the national and international stage. To aid the delivery of the West Midlands Regional Tourism Strategy, we are working to increase the number of both UK and international visitors staying in the region.

As the region’s official Destination Management Agency (DMO), our key objectives are to raise awareness of the region’s destinations in international markets and to change perceptions in the domestic market segments. We form and nurture partnerships, with bodies such as the Midlands Engine and the national tourism board and with companies such as Merlin Entertainment and the East Side Rooms to unlock regional tourism growth.

We champion our cities. Birmingham, Coventry, and Wolverhampton, the Black Country and the larger West Midlands have proven to have much to offer those looking for both people looking for a staycation city break and those visiting the UK from abroad. In 2021, the West Midlands attracted more than 100 million visitors.

This was a sharp rise of 72% in visitors compared to 2020 when the coronavirus halted a significant amount of tourism activity. This return to form is down to the efforts of those working in the tourism industry. The West Midlands Combined Authority has the highest number of employees of any Local Authority in Leisure & Tourism (370,000), and Birmingham has more businesses than any other core city involved in the tourism trade (88,000).

The West Midlands is rising in the global perception and has not yet reached its peak. The region still has much more to offer and we’re here to facilitate that growth.

A leading business destination

The West Midlands is not only attractive to tourists. Birmingham was ranked the most popular destination outside London for meetings, conferences, and events by the British Meetings & Events Industry Service in 2020.

Throughout the city, there is a host of top-class facilities and accommodation on offer, including the renowned National Exhibition Centre (NEC), Resorts World and the Ricoh Arena. We are top of the list to host conferences, conventions, and company getaways.

The West Midlands is a key economy within the UK, rivalling small countries in scale, with a GVA of £117 billion. The region attracts small and large companies from across the globe, creating the perfect environment for tourist-focused businesses to thrive. At the West Midlands Growth Company, we actively work to attract investments, businesses, and visitors to the region.

As part of our strategy to meet tourism goals, the West Midlands Growth Company maintains a strong digital presence via VisitBirmingham.com and MeetBirmingham.com.

VisitBirmingham.com facilitates the leisure tourism industry, giving tourists a platform to discover attractions, events, and accommodations throughout the city.

Not only does it raise awareness of these points of interest (generating business for partnered companies and other listed businesses), but the site allows people to comprehensively plan a trip to the city. From travelling here to where to stay to what to do, everything can be organised on-platform.

2.5 million users visited the website 3 million times between them over the last two financial years (an increase of 118% compared to the prior period), showing that the site is helping people flock to our tourist destinations.

VisitBirmingham.com maximises its offering by sharing information with Visit sites from partnered local authorities. The site, alongside other destination sites, pulls from a pooled resource of events and experiences that tourists can book.

Partners can add this information through the Culture & Tourism Connected platform. It provides site partners with improved visibility among target audiences, offering a higher level of cross-promotion opportunities.

Like VisitBirmingham.com, MeetBirmingham.com facilitates visitors, but specifically targets those travelling for business or organising corporate events. The site allows people to discover venues, make enquiries and book meeting rooms – whether that is a small conference room or an auditorium that seats thousands.

MeetBirmingham.com also sees thousands of visitors a month, with over 89,000 visitors in the last two financial years (a rise of 88%). The site brings business into our cities, highlighting the fantastic venues we have. It lets organisers filter venues based on their specific criteria, generating high-quality enquiries for the venues that most suit their needs.

VisitBirmingham.com

The official website for things to do, attractions, events and accommodation in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

MeetBirmingham.com

Plan your next event or conference in Birmingham and the West Midlands using the Birmingham Convention Bureau.

In April 2023, Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country joined the Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) programme from VisitEngland.

In 2023, VisitEngland announced that Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country would be joining the Local Visitor Economy Partnership programme.

LVEPs can access expert advice, dedicated toolkits and training programmes – further helping the West Midlands develop its distribution, accessibility and sustainability – as well as aid bidding on Government funding streams.

The Tourism & Hospitality Advisory Board was established in March 2023 and is facilitated by the West Midlands Growth Company. It brings together representatives from across the tourism industry to align the industry, give a high-profile voice for tourism and hospitality in the region, consult on proposals and otherwise champion the local tourism sector.

Find out more about the Tourism and Hospitality Advisory Board