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Leicester hotel manager urges authorities to capitalise on tourism

The manager of a Leicester hotel is calling on city authorities to build on the 562-year legacy of King Richard III and identify new opportunities for tourism and business.

The Campanile Hotel Leicester, on St Matthew’s Way, Bedford Street North, is calling for the council to maximise opportunities for tourism after it enjoyed full occupancy levels during the week-long reburial service.

More than 70,000 visitors from all over the world visited the city to witness the reburial of the 562-year-old king whose remains were discovered in a council car park back in 2012.

All 93 bedrooms were booked out at Campanile Hotel Leicester, which is located just a stone’s throw away from Leicester Cathedral, with a number of guests arriving in medieval-themed costumes and travelling from as far afield as America, Australia and South Africa.

General manager at the hotel Steve Powell says now is the time for the city to capiltalise on this surge in international interest with fantastic opportunities to boost the local hospitality and tourism sector.

“There has been a great buzz in the city which started on the Sunday, as the coffin was revealed for public viewing, and continued right through to the Friday,” he said.

“It has been great to see how the locals have embraced the event with one taxi driver even dropping off our guests while wearing an inflatable crown.

“We saw an immediate influx of international visitors with a steep increase in bookings as people flocked to witness this surreal moment in history.

“We achieved 90 per cent occupancy throughout the week and were fully booked on both Tuesday, March 24 and Wednesday, March 25 as guests prepared for the re-burial at Leicester Cathedral.

“The city is in a unique position where it has achieved publicity across the international stage and we need to make sure that we continue to drive visitors to the area and bolster the local economy.

“Many of our guests commented on how much they enjoyed their visit to Leicester and in particular the vibrant shopping areas. We have already seen tourism rise considerably since the discovery of King Richard’s remains back in 2012 and hope to see that this continues.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .