MASTERPLAN

OASIS, CITY AND CO-OP LIVE CAN HELP EN MANCHESTER OVERTAKE EDINBURGH AS SECOND MOST VISITED, SAY LEADERS

- ALISTAIR HOUGHTON

LEADERS want Greater Manchester to become £15bn tourist destination - overtaking Edinburgh as Britain's most visited place outside London... and Oasis and Manchester City could help them do it.

Blues bosses, Manchester Airport and chief behind the massive Trafford City development joined tourism minister Sir Chris Bryant at the Midland Hotel to launch the city's new tourism strategy this week.

Greater Manchester is the third most visited destination in the UK, behind London and Edinburgh. In 2023 the area welcomed 1.7m international visitors.

The visitor economy was esti mated to be worth £9.5bn to Greater Manchester by 2019. It's estimated that by the end of the year, the figure will be around £10bn.