Tourism delivers strong economic boost for Sunderland
Sunderland's visitor economy generated a record £657.5 million in 2025, as visitor spending continued to rise and the city strengthened its reputation as a destination for major events, culture and leisure.
New tourism data for last year confirms that visitor numbers and visitor spend are on the up, with the local food and drink sector making the biggest contribution, reflecting a strong year for Sunderland's hospitality sector.
The data for 2025 comes from STEAM (Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Model). It is released each year to capture the impact of tourism on towns and cities across the country.
These latest statistics show that:
- Sunderland saw around 7,365,000 day visitors (up 1.5% from 2024)
- Tourism generated £657.5 million for the local economy, a 6% increase on 2024
- Food and drink was the biggest contributor to direct economic impact (38.3%).
The new data comes as Sunderland continues to implement its 10-year Tourism Strategy, launched in 2025. The strategy brings together businesses, attractions, cultural organisations and public sector partners through the Sunderland Tourism Alliance.
It sets out a shared ambition to grow the visitor economy, increase overnight stays, attract new audiences and ensure tourism delivers lasting benefits for local businesses, communities and residents across the city.
Sunderland City Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Tourism and Heritage, Cllr Ciera Hudspith, said: "Tourism is such an important part of our city's economy, and it is encouraging to see the sector thrive.
"These latest STEAM figures show the growing strength of Sunderland's visitor economy and how our booming food and drink industry is attracting more people to come and spent their time and money in the city, and world-class events like the opening of Women's Rugby World Cup in 2025 are having a real positive impact on our city.
"While these results are encouraging, they also highlight the opportunity ahead of us. Through the Sunderland Tourism Alliance and our 10-year Tourism Strategy, we're working with partners across the city to encourage visitors to stay longer, spend more and discover everything Sunderland has to offer."
STEAM figures include the number of visitors to attractions, event attendance figures, retail spend in the city and away fans (but not home fans) attending SAFC Home matches.
Hotel occupancy and bed stock figures count towards the overnight visitors.
A number of high-profile events and developments helped drive visitor numbers and spending throughout the year. These included the opening match of the Women's Rugby World Cup, which brought tens of thousands of visitors to the city and significant national and international exposure. The Sunderland New Year's Eve fireworks also proved hugely popular, attracting one of the city's largest public event audiences in recent years.
Cultural venues and attractions also reported strong performance. Sunderland Empire recorded significant growth in attendance and major west end titles such as Hamilton, and Mary Poppins; becoming one of the largest visitor attractions in the region and continuing to draw audiences from across the North East and beyond.
Marie Nixon, Theatre Director at Sunderland Empire and member of Sunderland Tourism Alliance, said: "Tourism is such an important part of our city's economy, and it is encouraging to see the sector continue to grow. From major international events to our thriving food and drink scene, Sunderland is offering more reasons than ever for people to visit and spend time here.
"The latest STEAM figures highlight the strength of the city centre offer and the importance of partnership working across businesses and sectors."
The city's seafront, independent businesses and expanding food and drink scene continue to grow in appeal, contributing to Sunderland's evolving identity as a vibrant and welcoming destination.
Sunderland AFC also remains a key contributor to the visitor economy, particularly through away supporters travelling to the city and the club's continued national profile in the Premier League.
Looking ahead, Sunderland's visitor offer is expected to strengthen further. The city is set to benefit from continued Premier League exposure, participation in the UEFA Europa League, the opening of Culture House, and growing recognition, including being named by Time Out as one of the best places to visit in the UK in 2026.
Find out more about what's on in Sunderland at visit-sunderland.co.uk
