Tour de Yorkshire brings cash boost to Brighouse

Back in April thousands of people gathered on the streets of Brighouse as the Tour de Yorkshire raced through.
Tour de Yorkshire about to pass through Brighouse.Tour de Yorkshire about to pass through Brighouse.
Tour de Yorkshire about to pass through Brighouse.

It has now been reported that the annual cycling event boosted the economy by almost £64 million.

The three day race saw a record 2.2 million spectators line the route and independent research from Leeds Beckett University showed that visitors spent eight per cent more than last year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

To make the most of the opportunity, the Brighouse Business Initiative, who organise the major events in the town, attracted spectators to Brighouse with one of their annual markets.

Anne Colley, Chair of Brighouse Business Initiative, said: “We had a lot going on in the town. It coincided with our Spring Market and we noticed a lot more people came in especially on the day of the tour. We put a large screen up in Bethel Street car park and watched the race on there as it came through. The response as it came through Brighouse from the commentators was great.”

The study showed that 86 percent of spectators were from Yorkshire while the rest were from elsewhere in the UK and abroad.

During stage three of the event, Brighouse showed it had lots to offer to the 9.7 million global TV viewers across 180 countries.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Steven Lord, who runs Harrison Lord Gallery in Brighouse, said: “When the race came through it was jam packed, the TV commentary said they’d never seen crowds like it. It was an impressive turnout and it keeps Brighouse in people’s minds so they would return and do their shopping here. We would certainly welcome the tour back, we’re very switched on in Brighouse and we’re up for any event, definitely.”

Sir Gary Verity, Chief Executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said: “This is marvellous news for Yorkshire and the public support this year was truly overwhelming.”

Related topics: