Tourism brought £1.85 billion boost to Sheffield’s Economy in 2024
Sheffield’s visitor economy reached new heights in 2024, generating a record-breaking £1.85 billion – a 10% increase on the previous year and a full recovery from the impact of the pandemic.
The city welcomed 17.4 million visitors, up 4.8% from 2023, with tourism now supporting 15,806 full-time equivalent jobs across the city.
The latest figures, compiled using the Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Model (STEAM), show that day visitors continue to make up the majority of Sheffield’s tourism, accounting for 15.4 million visits and contributing £1.4 billion to the local economy.
1.98 million overnight visitors stayed in the city, generating £445 million in economic impact and spending an average of 2.4 nights in local accommodation.
As Sheffield's official destination marketing organisation, Marketing Sheffield have welcomed the news. Emma France, Service Manager at Marketing Sheffield, said:
"Marketing Sheffield is committed to growing the value of our visitor economy through Sheffield activity and through our lead role on the South Yorkshire Visitor Economy Partnership.
"Growing major events, attracting conference delegates and targeting city breakers is at the heart of our Destination Management Plan.
"Our programme of hosting media, travel trade and influencers along with a programme of UK and International expos is targeted to grow overnight stays and the reputation of Sheffield and South Yorkshire as a place to visit."
Whilst the figures for local accommodation in Sheffield levelled out, non-serviced options such as self-catered accommodation and camping saw an impressive 34% increase in visitor numbers, highlighting the trend for alternative city stays.
Spending patterns confirm that shopping is the leading expenditure category, closely followed by food and drink, transport, and accommodation.
The tourism sector’s ripple effect also supports local supply chains, generating £606 million from indirect and induced spending, contributing to the overall £1.85 billion generated directly and indirectly through tourism and visitor expenditure.
Local tourism has now surged to an impressive 1.3% above pre-covid levels, showing that the city is in a stage where it is fully booming. The city welcomed 17.4 million visitors, up 4.8% from 2023, with tourism now supporting 15,806 full-time equivalent jobs across the city.
STEAM Tourism data report for Sheffield
STEAM Tourism data report for South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership
This year’s STEAM data for Sheffield was prepared by Global Tourism Solutions and made possible through the work of the South Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership (SYLVEP).
The SYLVEP is a collaboration between Sheffield City Council, Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, City of Doncaster Council, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and the South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority (SYMCA).
Its purpose is to work collectively on shared priorities and targets to foster the growth of the local visitor economy. It is part of the new national tourism framework and works closely with Visit England.
Sarah McLeod, Chair of the South Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership, said:
“The STEAM data is invaluable for us a partnership and for the wider visitor economy as it clearly highlights the vital role of this sector across South Yorkshire. By working collaboratively, we can drive sustainable growth, ensuring that – now more than ever – we encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more with our local businesses.”
The latest visitor figures have been released by South Yorkshire Local Visitor Economy Partnership showing significant growth across the region, with an estimated 36.3 million tourism visits made to South Yorkshire in 2024 bringing a £3.7 billion boost to the region’s visitor economy.
This included 32.3 million tourism visits made by day visitors, showing a 5% increase on the previous year, and a 10.5% increase since 2022. Visitors staying in the region were estimated to have spent 9.4m nights in local accommodation.
The data commissioned also revealed that visitor activity and spend supports more than 32,101 full time equivalent jobs locally, making it a key sector within the region.
Events and Festivals
The announcement comes amidst a busy event season for Sheffield and the wider region, with the city having hosted a number of high-profile events and festivals in recent months, and yet more to come in 2025.
In recent weeks, Sheffield has hosted Crossed Wires Festival, the UK’s largest celebration of podcasting with BBC Sounds as this year’s official Fringe Festival partner and international documentary festival, Docfest.
It's been a busy year for music festivals in the city, with a number of high profile festival events at Don Valley Bowl helping to keep Sheffield businesses busy, as the city gears up for perhaps its busiest music festival weekend with the Tramlines and The Fringe at Tramlines set to take place 25 - 27 July.
Later in the year, annual big events such as Rock N Roll Circus, Art in the Gardens, Sensoria Festival, Of the Shelf literary festival, No Bounds, Steel City Beer and Cider Festival, Illuminate the Gardens, Autumn Lights and Sheffield Christmas Markets, will all bring yet more people to the city.
2026 also promises to be an exciting year with the European Figure Skating Championships taking place in Sheffield in January, the prestigious St Leger Festival at Doncaster Racecourse featuring the St Leger Stakes celebrating 250 years in September and the Pride of Yorkshire Sculpture trail for Sheffield Children’s Hospital taking to the streets of the region from June to September also. 
