On Saturday 1 April 2023, the Manchester Accommodation Business Improvement District (BID) will begin operations as the first initiative of its kind in the UK, aiming to deliver better visitor experiences and drive more staying visitors to the city.
Led by Manchester’s hotel and serviced apartment providers, the pioneering initiative will enable Manchester to compete better in a global market and increase overnight visits at a time when there is an unprecedented level of new supply set to join the Manchester and Salford accommodation market, with an additional 5,850 confirmed new bedrooms incoming across the city-region within the coming years.
To fund its activities, the Manchester Accommodation BID will utilise the City Visitor Charge – a supplementary £1 Charge per room/unit per night for guests, added to the final accommodation bill. The Charge will be collected from 73 hotels and serviced apartments that fall within the Manchester ABID Zone and will apply to all bookings from 1 April 2023.
The Manchester Accommodation BID funds will be used to: amplify marketing campaigns that drive overnight stays; help secure large-scale events, conferences, and festivals in low-season months; improve guest welcome and street cleanliness; and provide opportunities to futureproof the city’s growing accommodation sector and wider visitor economy.
The Manchester Accommodation BID is a direct response to the challenges currently facing the accommodation sector in Manchester, which include the recovery from the pandemic and the impact of Brexit on the hospitality industry. The new initiative will help create a more robust and sustainable accommodation sector in Manchester, maximise opportunities to increase occupancy, and ensure the city remains a top tourist destination.
Following a vote in favour of the new initiative in autumn 2022, the Manchester Accommodation BID Board has been formed to supervise and guide workstreams, and to meet accommodation operators’ expectations. The Board has a majority of five hotel and serviced apartment representatives, covering the following accommodation categories:
- Large Hotels (more than 150 bedrooms) represented by Kumar Mishra, General Manager at The Edwardian Manchester
- Small Hotels (less than 150 bedrooms) represented by Matt Townley, Regional Operations Director at Dakota Hotels
- Budget Hotels represented by Annie Brown, General Manager of Hampton by Hilton Manchester Northern Quarter
- Large Serviced Apartment Operator (more than 75 units) represented by Sophie Atalay, Hotel Manager at StayCity Group
- Small Serviced Apartment Operator (less than 75 units) represented by Spencer Aldred, General Manager at Cove – Minshull Street
Manchester Accommodation BID Board Chair, Annie Brown, who also represents Budget Hotels in her role as General Manager for Hampton by Hilton Manchester Northern Quarter, said: “This is a historic moment – the accommodation sector in and around Manchester is growing rapidly, with almost 6,000 new bedrooms incoming over the next few years, and the goal of the Manchester Accommodation BID is simple – we need to increase overnight stays in line with that growth so that hotels and serviced apartments in the city can continue to thrive.
“The Manchester Accommodation BID will create a more sustainable and thriving sector, helping to bring visitors from around the world to experience the best of what Manchester and Salford have to offer.
“I’m grateful to all of the accommodation providers who have supported the initiative and I’m looking forward to working together as a sector to achieve our shared objective of increasing occupancy.”
Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, Joanne Roney OBE, added: “This innovative initiative will enhance the experience of visitors to Manchester by creating new events and activities for them to enjoy. It is anticipated to generate around £3 million of funds a year which will be invested directly into these activities, supporting Manchester’s accommodation sector to protect and create jobs and benefiting the city’s economy as a whole.”
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About the Manchester Accommodation BID
The Manchester Accommodation BID is a ground-breaking new initiative led by the city’s hotel and serviced apartment providers to help create new events and additional activities that will attract more people to visit and stay in Manchester and Salford.
At its core, the Manchester Accommodation BID will deliver better visitor experiences and additional activity to drive more staying visitors. It will allow Manchester to better compete in a global market and grow overnight visits at a time when an unprecedented level of supply is set to join the Manchester and Salford accommodation market, with an additional 5,850 confirmed new bedrooms incoming across the city-region in the coming years.
Manchester Accommodation BID activities will be funded by the City Visitor Charge; a supplementary £1 Charge per room/unit per night for guests, added to the final accommodation bill. The Charge will be collected from all paid accommodation establishments that fall into the Manchester ABID Zone and will be applicable to all bookings from 1 April 2023.
Funds will be used to: amplify marketing campaigns that drive overnight stays; help secure large-scale events, conferences, and festivals in low-season months; improve guest welcome and street cleanliness; and provide opportunities to futureproof the city’s growing accommodation sector and wider visitor economy.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Manchester Accommodation BID Communications Team
Email: press@manchesterabid.com | Tel: 07789988741