LIVERPOOL’S presence at the Shanghai Expo earlier this year already appears to be paying dividends – in tourism numbers at least.
Merseytravel, which was part of Liverpool’s delegation, has enjoyed a surge in numbers from Chinese visitors at its Beatles Story attraction at the Albert Dock. There were 606 Chinese visitors in January, 2011, compared to 207 last year and just 137 in 2009.
It meant Chinese visitors outnumbered those from the USA (578) in January.
Since the opening of Expo, visitor numbers from China are up 70% from 2010.
