How to improve Leeds as a Tourist destination

[oyster]

Leeds just isn't currently a tourist city, end of. The city centre has very little to offer in the way of tourists attractions and I'm sick of hearing otherwise. Leeds is essentially business, shopping, eating and drinking. That's how it markets itself and that's exactly how it is.

[Aaronj09]

Originally Posted by oyster

Leeds just isn't currently a tourist city, end of. The city centre has very little to offer in the way of tourists attractions and I'm sick of hearing otherwise. Leeds is essentially business, shopping, eating and drinking. That's how it markets itself and that's exactly how it is.

Sorry, but that's a a load of rubbish and I think you know that.

Leeds isn't a tourist city right now because Marketing Leeds only promote Leeds as being a destination for shopping, eating and drinking. Why should people go to Bristol over Leeds? Why does Bristol rank so highly and not Leeds? What does Bristol have that we don't? Leeds City Art Gallery and Leeds City Museum should have more visitors, like the art galleries in Birmingham and Manchester and Bristol.

There is no reason why Leeds cannot be a tourist city. For the love of god, places like Brighton receive a similar number of international visitors to Leeds and there is absolutely nothing there whatsoever except a pier and a gay scene.

Leeds won't be a tourist city like Liverpool or Manchester, they both have things known all over the world that Leeds doesn't have, but that applies to Brum and Bristol too. Leeds just needs to promote itself more to get more people. As mentioned, a Damian Hirst Gallery would be amazing, look at how popular The Hepworth is in Wakefield and how many visitors it has attracted in the first year. The National Media Museum in Bradford is a good example too. These two cities not long ago were named the two most unpopular cities for international visitors!

[Lad 2011]

Originally Posted by Aaronj09

Sorry, but that's a a load of rubbish and I think you know that.

Leeds isn't a tourist city right now because Marketing Leeds only promote Leeds as being a destination for shopping, eating and drinking. Why should people go to Bristol over Leeds? Why does Bristol rank so highly and not Leeds? What does Bristol have that we don't? Leeds City Art Gallery and Leeds City Museum should have more visitors, like the art galleries in Birmingham and Manchester and Bristol.

There is no reason why Leeds cannot be a tourist city. For the love of god, places like Brighton receive a similar number of international visitors to Leeds and there is absolutely nothing there whatsoever except a pier and a gay scene.

Leeds won't be a tourist city like Liverpool or Manchester, they both have things known all over the world that Leeds doesn't have, but that applies to Brum and Bristol too. Leeds just needs to promote itself more to get more people. As mentioned, a Damian Hirst Gallery would be amazing, look at how popular The Hepworth is in Wakefield and how many visitors it has attracted in the first year. The National Media Museum in Bradford is a good example too. These two cities not long ago were named the two most unpopular cities for international visitors!

Totally agree.

As for Bristol it does seem to be a very overrated city imho, most people tend to make Bristol out to be really great place but when i visited the city back in 09 i thought it was pretty shit tbf and i was very disapointed in what i saw.... if Bristol can pull off so many touris then Leeds definitely can.

[Leeds No.1]

Originally Posted by Super Leads

I've always said leeds could do with some observation tower that instantly says your looking at Leeds. Similar to what they have in Sydney, Berlin and the spinnaker tower in Portsmouth. Just don't know where they would get the money for that...be it private or public.

We don't need to spend millions building a new tower. While it might be nice, all it needs is for a landlord to open the top floor of a building. I don't know what the situation is now, but there were a few years that the top penthouse at BWP was unoccupied. I'd have made it into an attraction.

The Parkinson Building is another one.

Originally Posted by Super Leads

I also think Leeds needs to be more family friendly. We need thinks that will occupy people for a whole day or weekend with there kids. I'd love to see a city zoo or an aquarium.I know we have roundhay park but think its too far out And not somewhere u'd spend a whole day. Plus because we have no ngt the suburbs seem more inaccessible.

A cheaper way to do this would be to grow Tropical World. Perhaps moving the animals at Temple Newsam and Pudsey Park to new enclosures in parkland adjacent to Tropical World would be a strong start to creating a zoo using resources and assets we already have. Yes, there would be some loss of parkland- but Roundhay Park is huge; it'd be negligible. I suppose improved car parking would need to be provided too.

Being 'far out' is a non-argument. The answer is to join the dots, not move them all to the City. Firstly it will never happen- there'll always be attractions outside the City, and more importantly it removes any justification for developing a decent public transport system in this city.

[LeedsLad]

Definately need more in the way of a National Museum/Gallery - perhaps located on the land near to Clarence Dock...

An enlarged Tropical World, or aquarium would be good. I often see long queues out the door to Tropical World. Not much in the way of aquariums for miles around (perhaps the Deep at Hull being closest)?

Other possible attractions might include a large zoo, theme park, viewing tower etc etc

Other options would be to make more of what we have - ie better promotion of the market. Markets are big attractions in most other countries, yet we have a wonderful huge market that barely gets a mention.

The arena might bring in a few tourists keen to see a band play, as would the return of European football.

Wonder if anyone has ever sold a Yorkshire "package" holiday to Europeans? Few days in York, train tickets to Leeds, Day in Leeds, train tickets to the Dales and then back with suggested itineraries along the way... This is available in many many other countries, yet nothing of the sort seems available here...

[Leeds No.1]

I'm sure you can buy interrail tickets for Great Britain (maybe the whole UK? or UK & Ireland), but I don't think I've ever heard of Yorkshire packages. Would be a good initiative.

[Philo]

Throw in metro dayriders, so can easily get out to salts mill and film museum (bradford), dean clough and eureka (halifax), hepworth and ysp (wakefield), as well as Leeds buses. All under 30mins away, and easy to go on half day trip. Just about as easy to get to bradford by public transport from centre of Leeds, as out to Roundhay.

[Leeds No.1]

Yep it is.

Oyster has helped this concept in London where Visitor Oyster Cards are available.

Perhaps Yorcard, or whatever the name of the smartcard we end up with, could enable visitor transport to be greatly improved. Linking up our attractions like this would be a great foundation for any tourist package.

[Super Leads]

Leeds no1 I never said move all the attractions to the city centre from the suburbs. just think we need more family attractions which are accesible to visitors into Leeds ...which would be near the city centre. if your saying that being far out isn't a problem why do you then say we just need to join up the dots....that just implies it is a problem.

Agree observation tower isn't necessary but certainly think we could do with a stand out building which shouts out, thats Leeds instantly when you see a picture. what about an observation deck on west riding house if it's redeveloped.

[Super Leads]

Yeah Bristol doesn't have a lot more to do than Leeds really. I think it has made a lot better use of its Waterfront and also has the Clifton suspension bridge as something unique to tourists.I would also think that Bristol benefits from being next to Bath which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Uk.

[Leeds No.1]

Some attractions are too far out, but the solution isn't to move them, it's to make them more accessible.

Think about the amount of travelling visitors are expected to do in most tourist cities- it's huge. They just have efficient transport so it's not a problem.

[Super Leads]

Not once it my post did I mention moving attractions to somewhere else....that was infact you who mentioned it. I mentioned adding attractions. My point about tropical world was that it wasn't accessible which is exactly what you've just said despite saying previously being far out is a non argument.

[blackdog]

Originally Posted by Philo

Throw in metro dayriders, so can easily get out to salts mill and film museum (bradford), dean clough and eureka (halifax), hepworth and ysp (wakefield), as well as Leeds buses. All under 30mins away, and easy to go on half day trip. Just about as easy to get to bradford by public transport from centre of Leeds, as out to Roundhay.

Getting to these from Leeds via public transport is not neccessarily easy. Two buses and maybe 90 minutes each way if you're lucky!

Thanksfully road transport is pretty good round the Leeds region but it does put the onus on visitors to actually go out and find things rather than guiding them.

[SalsaShark]

Originally Posted by blackdog

Getting to these from Leeds via public transport is not neccessarily easy. Two buses and maybe 90 minutes each way if you're lucky!

I thought the Hepworth was very close to Wakefield Kirkgate station, which is just 15-20 mins on the train from Leeds...

[rabbits field]

Originally Posted by Super Leads

Yeah Bristol doesn't have a lot more to do than Leeds really. I think it has made a lot better use of its Waterfront and also has the Clifton suspension bridge as something unique to tourists.I would also think that Bristol benefits from being next to Bath which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Uk.

Do you really believe that? I've lived in both cities and can easily see why Bristol beats Leeds on the tourism front.

Yes it has made very good use of its waterfront - including using it to host a full summer of events such as food and music festivals. When these are on there is a huge buzz in the city centre.

For a casual tourist visiting for the day, everything is within easy reach. In the centre you have the Arnolfini gallery, SS Great Britain, science museum, aquarium (in0cluding IMAX), and the new M-Shed (huge city museum). If you take the bus up to Clifton there is the suspension bridge, Clifton Village, Clifton Downs, and Bristol Zoo all within a small area.

The city also plays up its pirate and graffiti (Banksy's the draw but there are far better graffiti pieces from others in areas such as Stokes Croft) aspects too.

Yes Bristol may lack some things that Leeds has but as far as tourism's concerned it leaves Leeds trailing far behind.

[oyster]

Originally Posted by rabbits field

Do you really believe that? I've lived in both cities and can easily see why Bristol beats Leeds on the tourism front.

Yes it has made very good use of its waterfront - including using it to host a full summer of events such as food and music festivals. When these are on there is a huge buzz in the city centre.

For a casual tourist visiting for the day, everything is within easy reach. In the centre you have the Arnolfini gallery, SS Great Britain, science museum, aquarium (in0cluding IMAX), and the new M-Shed (huge city museum). If you take the bus up to Clifton there is the suspension bridge, Clifton Village, Clifton Downs, and Bristol Zoo all within a small area.

The city also plays up its pirate and graffiti (Banksy's the draw but there are far better graffiti pieces from others in areas such as Stokes Croft) aspects too.

Yes Bristol may lack some things that Leeds has but as far as tourism's concerned it leaves Leeds trailing far behind.

I agree.

[di Livio]

Originally Posted by rabbits field

Yes Bristol may lack some things that Leeds has but as far as tourism's concerned it leaves Leeds trailing far behind.

I take your point but you don't need to limit your stay to just the centre of Leeds when visiting.

[Aaronj09]

Originally Posted by rabbits field

Do you really believe that? I've lived in both cities and can easily see why Bristol beats Leeds on the tourism front.

Yes it has made very good use of its waterfront - including using it to host a full summer of events such as food and music festivals. When these are on there is a huge buzz in the city centre.

For a casual tourist visiting for the day, everything is within easy reach. In the centre you have the Arnolfini gallery, SS Great Britain, science museum, aquarium (in0cluding IMAX), and the new M-Shed (huge city museum). If you take the bus up to Clifton there is the suspension bridge, Clifton Village, Clifton Downs, and Bristol Zoo all within a small area.

The city also plays up its pirate and graffiti (Banksy's the draw but there are far better graffiti pieces from others in areas such as Stokes Croft) aspects too.

Yes Bristol may lack some things that Leeds has but as far as tourism's concerned it leaves Leeds trailing far behind.

None of those things would even persuade me to visit Bristol. I still fail to see why it beats Leeds on the tourism front when it is not impressive in any way at all. People can easily use Leeds as a base when visiting the very impressive Yorkshire Dales, too. Leeds also has plenty of museums that should be receiving way more people.

[Leeds No.1]

Yeah but Leeds doesn't promote itself well. We're not playing up to our arts scene as much as we should so are losing visitors there- look how Bristol has milked Banksy.

Plus we don't have a zoo, which is a major attraction in any city. Bristol Zoo alone will attract millions of visitors a year.

[rabbits field]

Originally Posted by Aaronj09

None of those things would even persuade me to visit Bristol. I still fail to see why it beats Leeds on the tourism front when it is not impressive in any way at all. People can easily use Leeds as a base when visiting the very impressive Yorkshire Dales, too. Leeds also has plenty of museums that should be receiving way more people.

Yes I agree, they should be receiving more visitors. My girlfriend and I visited the Thackray Museum a couple of months ago and were genuinely surprised and impressed by it, particularly given the relatively low cost of entry. I never even knew the place existed until I heard about it a couple of years ago on this forum.

I've always found the argument about Leeds being a base for people visiting the Dales to be pretty weak. If that's the reason you're visiting then why not stay in Ilkley, Harrogate, Knaresborough, or Pately Bridge? Why promote the city on something that it's near, rather than on its own merits? Furthermore I see the city break type crowd and the people who want to go hiking or potholing to be for the most part mutually exclusive.

As for Bristol not being impressive, well I suppose that's subjective. I suspect most people would disagree with you though.

Di Livio:
True, but it helps to have a decent public transport system.