His Holiness The Dalai Lama visited Nottingham more than two months ago but the £1.2m direct economic impact of his stay will be felt for months to come.
Over 37,000 tickets were sold for the five day event in May which saw His Holiness deliver a programme of historic talks and teachings at Nottingham Arena.
In fact, this was the most extensive series of teachings ever given by His Holiness in the United Kingdom, attracting more than 12,000 visitors from all over the world.
Julie Warren, Sales and Marketing Director at Nottingham Arena said: “We were delighted when we were chosen to host this prestigious event which attracted thousands of visitors to our venue. This can only have a positive effect on the city’s economy.
“We went that extra mile to ensure visitors had a great experience at the Arena with everything from a bespoke website to speciality catering on site.
“I’m sure that people enjoyed staying in the city as much as they seemed to enjoy the event and we are confident many visitors will return to see more of what Nottingham has to offer.”
Research carried out at the event shows that around 20% of attendees were visiting the city for the first time with the majority staying in local hotels for three nights.
The total bed nights clocked up at 1792 with most people choosing to stay in the city centre. Some hotels reported as much as a 30% increase in occupancy compared to the same period last year.
With 86% of visitors to the event staying for between one night and a week there were plenty of opportunities to spend in the surrounding restaurants and cafes and on visiting local attractions.
Professor John Heeley, Chief Executive at Experience Nottinghamshire said: “ High profile events such as this are vital in developing Nottingham’s reputation as a capital for events and conferences. The positive impact on the city is clear to see. We’re looking forward to working with the Nottingham Arena and other operators to secure more events of this kind in Nottinghamshire.”
