Visitor economy

The outside of Lowry, lit up at night

Salford’s visitor economy is growing, with a 31% increase in hotels, B&Bs, bars, cafes and restaurants in the last five years. It is also home to the region’s most visited attraction, Lowry, which has a million visitors every year, and RHS Garden Bridgewater, which is Greater Manchester’s most visited paid attraction.

The unique waterfront destinations of Salford Quays and MediaCity are key to the growth of the visitor economy, and the economic impact of this sector in Salford was £1bn in 2023, with visitor numbers up 10% to 8 million.

Large annual events such as the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival and We Invented the Weekend are always popular. The city has a considerable sporting reputation with the Salford Community Stadium being home to rugby league team Salford RLFC and rugby union side Sale Sharks, whilst Swinton Lions rugby league club and Salford City FC also represent the city.

Read more about the sector and some of the businesses based here.

Salford sector profile - Visitor economy (PDF)