Hopes for Beatles-style ABBA Voyage would make Liverpool 'international destination of choice'
They are four superstars that changed the face of music for generations. With number one albums for decades, they are loved the world over.
Fans of their music travel across the globe to celebrate their beginnings and their iconic songs are sung day in day out. They have inspired films, merchandise and have a cultural impact only few could replicate.
They are, of course, ABBA. Such is the popularity of the Swedish supergroup – who actually broke up in 1982 – a major virtual concert was launched in London 40 years later called ABBA Voyage. The £140m show which features digital depictions of the group as they appeared in 1979, known as ABBAtars, is accompanied by a 10-piece live band.
The concerts are held in the ABBA Arena, a purpose-built venue in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and have proven to be a smash hit success in the capital. Liverpool famously produced its own world-renowned musical success story in the 1960s.
John, Paul, George and Ringo are four names that need no introduction such is the legacy the Beatles left. Their impact has been felt all over the world and in their home city, with dedicated landmarks at the Pier Head, Strawberry Fields and their former homes.
Never before though, has anything close to ABBA Voyage been attempted for The Fab Four. A couple of quid added to hotel stays in the city could go some way to changing that, however.
Ahead of last week’s Budget, the government confirmed regional mayors would be granted powers to introduce an overnight accommodation levy otherwise known as a tourist tax. Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram – who has campaigned for the measure – said a “modest” levy could bring in around £17m to the city each year.
He addressed the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA) overview and scrutiny committee to set out his support for the scheme. He said: “I would hope there’s some members thinking: ‘why not, why shouldn’t we?’ If you go abroad when you go on holiday, there’s always a local tax of some sort and people come here and we haven’t had the facility to have a revenue stream that we can do something over and above what we get from national government and we raise ourselves and this is the way to do it.
“It’s a locally controlled revenue stream, it will be directly reinvested into the visitor economy. It will be for some significant major projects alongside some of the things we have to do to make the place more attractive to visitors.”
Mr Rotheram said every pound raised will help fund cultural events as well as increase the number of visitor centres for tourists to access. He added: “Currently we’re on £6.27bn for the visitor economy, if there’s anybody here who thinks that should be the ceiling, then you’re literally in cloud cuckooland.
“We can do an awful lot better than that.” Currently, Liverpool’s Accommodation BID (ABID) implements a £2 overnight charge within its area.
It is thought the new scheme operated by LCRCA will likely take effect from 2028 when the ABID expires. Mr Rotheram – himself a massive Beatles fan – wants to go further however and set out how an extra few pounds in the coffers could bring music lovers on the Long and Winding Road from Here, There and Everywhere.
He said: “Since 2017 I’ve been looking at ways in which we might be able to deliver something similar but not identical to the ABBA Voyage experience in London. Just imagine if we could do something that features perhaps a local four-piece beat combo that did okay from these parts?
“Then we could have an immersive experience so people would flock in to see them. It means the footfall would increase exponentially, it means that this would be an international destination of choice.
“You’d go here and then perhaps go to London whereas currently a lot of people go to London and sometimes jump a train to come here, so we want to change that dynamic and I think this will be one of the ways in which we do it.” Mr Rotheram said the introduction of the tourist tax would also go a long way towards supporting major events the city can host, like the hugely successful Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.
Liverpool will also welcome thousands of football fans when Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium hosts five games at EURO 2028. The Metro Mayor also said tourism investment will also go toward helping Southport’s visitor economy recover following a drop off in numbers.
Rather than saying Gimme, Gimme, Gimme to the government, Mr Rotheram now hopes he’ll be able to talk about the Money, Money, Money the city region’s visitor economy can bank on.