Tourism in Cardiff is up according to preliminary figures which show the city experienced a record number of visitors during 2017.

The information was taken from the STEAM report which measures the economic impact of tourism. Highlights include:

-         The total economic impact of tourism for 2017 is £1.30 billion, 7% on 2016 and 6% on 2015.

-         During 2017, 21.30 million people visited the city last year, 5% more than the year before.

-         2.06 million of those visitors stayed overnight, a 2% increase from 2016

-         19.24 million people visited for the day, an increase of 5% from 2016

This success comes as some of the region's leading members in the tourism and hospitality trade prepare to meet at Cardiff Tourism Summit. The event aims to bring together innovative thinkers and achievers in order to interact, engage and promote Cardiff's future as a visitor and business destination.

Now seen as Wales' most important tourism and visitor destination in terms of reputation, profile and impact, particularly for business and major events, Cardiff has excelled in developing its profile, status and appeal to visitors. 

The Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas said: "The tourism sector in Cardiff is hugely important, supporting more than 14,000 jobs in the city and injecting £1.3 billion into our economy. Working together with partners from all across the city has been vital in achieving this.

"The Cardiff Tourism Summit is about celebrating the work of the tourism industry. Cardiff has proven itself as a first class visitor destination and these latest figures highlight this, however this is an increasingly competitive market so it is essential that we continue work together with industry members to align our resources and focus our energies. This collective effort will help us to create something new and exciting here in Cardiff and the Cardiff Tourism Summit gives us the perfect platform to do so."

Cabinet Member for Investment and Development Cllr Russel Goodway said: "Tourism has played a critical role in the city's economic success in past decades. We are committed to continuing this success by working with partners in the sector to invest in projects such as the new Indoor Arena to attract more visitors to our city."

The National Tourism Awards 2018 has recently crowned Cardiff winners of the Best Event for the UEFA Champions League Final 2017. The city showed that with vital infrastructure in place, it could put on a mesmerizing show for a global audience of over 1 billion.

In just a couple of months' time the Volvo Ocean Race will take place in Cardiff and for the first time in its history, the leading sailing series will stop here from27 May to 10 June 2018.  

Also returning after 10 years is the 2018 National Eisteddfod, Wales' largest cultural festival. The festival attracts around 150,000 visitors each year over the two week period and this year is the first year it will not have the traditional Maes and will be open for all across the city.

Plans for Cardiff to become the UK's first ‘Music City' are underway with hopes to elevate the city's status to the likes of Berlin and Barcelona in this sector.

Visit Cardiff is the official marketing, tourism and partnership organisation for the city promoting Cardiff as a destination to visit, meet and invest.

The Cardiff Tourism Summit takes place this Monday, 19^thMarch at Cardiff City Stadium. For more information got towww.visitcardiff/cardifftourismsummit2018

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