Hopes for hospitality boost after Hull's promotion

The hospitality sector in Hull is hoping that tills will be ringing following the Tigers' return to the Premier League.

It is estimated that Hull City will net £205m in revenue over the next three seasons, with the potential for that figure to rise to £365m if the club avoids relegation, according to accountancy firm Deloitte.

City centre pub manager Debbie Curtis says she is optimistic that local hospitality will "go through the roof" after seeing an increase in fans over the bank holiday weekend.

But a football finance expert has warned that the impact on the local economy would be "marginal" unless there was investment from international sponsors or expenditure from overseas sports fans.

The Tigers will play in the top flight of English football next term after beating Middlesbrough in the Championship play-off final at Wembley on Saturday.

The win led to a weekend of celebrations with an open-top bus parade through Hull and a party in the city centre, with thousands of fans cheering their heroes.

Curtis, manager of The Punch Hotel in the city centre, said the pub had experienced its busiest bank holiday weekend in years, with fans "going crazy" during the game.

"We're normally quite busy in the summer, but this bank holiday was unbelievable for us," she said.

"[It was] absolutely crazy... The staff worked so hard, the drinks were flowing. We need this in this city now."

She said she was anticipating an increase in fans who followed some of the biggest teams in the country to help keep the city's hospitality industry afloat, and added: "I do believe it will bring people in."

Mark Bayston, owner of McCoy's cafe on Princess Dock Street, said he expected the club's promotion to have a positive knock-on effect on local businesses.

He said the cafe was usually busy on match days, and he hoped promotion would lead to "extremely good followings from away visitors".

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire said TV and sponsorship deals, coupled with sales from matchday tickets and merchandise, meant the club could bank £200m.

But it is unclear how much of that would filter through to the local economy.

Prof Rob Wilson, football finance expert at University Campus of Football Business, said the economic impact of clubs on their local economy "is always marginal in the context of 'new money'".

"That's because fans travel home and away, so there is a displacement of wealth within the UK economy," he said.

"Where new visitors arrive – sport tourists from overseas or investment from international sponsors – that will benefit the Hull economy.

"Hull City, by contrast, earn £120m from their promotion. That's great for the club, but doesn't benefit the economy because at least 90% goes to players through wages, or to other clubs in transfers."

Paul Drake-Davies, portfolio holder for economic development, housing and organisation at Hull City Council, thinks otherwise.

He said: "We're going to have a packed out MKM stadium, so there's going to be a tourism boost. But also in the wider economy, you're going to see increases in employment directly by the club and through supply chains."

While the financial impact is yet to be quantified, Drake-Davies said Hull hosting Premier League football would raise the city's profile on a global level and attract international investment.

And Curtis added: "I hope we stay [in the Premier League] because that would be absolutely amazing for Hull."

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