Birmingham is the second city of England and the city’s growth dates back to the 18th century. It was during this period that it underwent rapid growth as the centre of manufacturing in the country. Since then it has developed into a thriving city with a multicultural population and heritage. Its tourism industry is now worth over £7 billion per year, after attracting 45 million visitors in 2002. As this sector continues to grow, this article will look at what attracts visitors to the city.
Gambling
As the country’s second-largest city, Birmingham has a thriving gambling industry. The online gambling industry provides multiple options for gamblers to spend their money. Users can play online slot games, roulette or poker while new players can take advantage of introductory offers like Betfair 50 free spins after they sign up. Betfair is one gambling company that offers visitors in Birmingham the chance to play casino games just like they have in their home country.
Birmingham has eleven casinos in the city. These include the Grosvenor, Rainbow and Genting casinos. Each of these locations offers tables, slots and other casino games to clientele. What’s more is that none of them require memberships. This means they are perfect for tourists who are enjoying a short stay in the city and want to gamble while doing so.
Sport
Birmingham’s sporting scene is just as lively. In 2022, they hosted the Commonwealth Games where thousands of athletes came from the commonwealth countries around the world to compete in a range of events from athletics, swimming and other sports.
Birmingham also has two of the country’s biggest football teams: Birmingham City and Aston Villa. City and Villa have a tense rivalry that goes back over a century. Aston Villa is the biggest of the two teams and attracts overseas visitors, especially from Ireland where they have had a loyal following since the 1990s. Warwickshire, the city’s professional county cricket team, also has internationals such as Moeen Ali and Glenn Maxwell in the squad.
Aston Villa are close to appointing Monchi as their new sporting director, as part of a major reorganisation at the club.pic.twitter.com/7rqvs6BZux
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) June 12, 2023
The Arts
Some of the UK and world’s most famous musicians come from the second capital. Ozzy Osbourne from Black Sabbath, The Streets and Duran Duran are all from the city. On the back of this music culture, over 50 festivals take place in and around the city each year.
The rise in popularity of the show Peaky Blinders has also attracted visitors to Birmingham. Museums and tourist experiences have popped up inside and around the city, offering visitors an insight into the way of life at the time of the show.
Why should the men have all the fun?
Watch all series of Peaky Blinders on @BBCiPlayer in the UK and on @netflix worldwide pic.twitter.com/p9vlAOC5UG
— Peaky Blinders (@ThePeakyBlinder) June 2, 2023
Birmingham has plenty to keep tourists occupied in the city. It has a mix of history, sport and the arts to ensure visitors of all tastes can enjoy the city. Its multicultural population has positively affected the food scene in the city too. It now stands as one of the most visited cities in England and the UK, and with an international airport, these tourist figures will likely grow.
