A staggering £585 million was spent by tourists during their visits to the Borough across 2021/2022, according a 2022 report commissioned by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council.
Tourists are attracted to Windsor for a multitude of reasons including the renowned Windsor Castle, the oldest castle in the world which attracts nearly one and a half million people each year.
However, local tourism is not certainly limited to the Castle. Windsor Great Park, for example, offers thousands of acres to be explored with lovely scenery, lakes and statues to admire while walking or even taking a horse-drawn carriage. In 2022, Windsor Great Park was the UK’s most visited attraction with over 5 million tourists.
Furthermore, other visitor attractions in the area include Legoland which welcomed 2.4 million people over the course of 2022, more people than Windsor castle!
12.2% (approximately 1/8) of the population were employed as a result of tourism in Windsor and Maidenhead Borough which further demonstrates the local people’s dependence on tourism as it creates jobs and supports the region’s economy.
The region, like many others, faced much hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath. However, figures in recent years have still been promising and I believe the future of tourism is bright for the area.
In fact, some plans for the future have already been made. A huge Ferris wheel was approved for installation in Alexandra Gardens by the Borough, in an attempt to attract more tourists and keep them in Windsor for longer.
Ultimately, Windsor certainly does not rely on just Windsor Castle as some may believe; Windsor Great Park and Legoland both had more visitors in 2022! Tourism is one of if not the most important local industry, as displayed by the astonishing figures of visitors and how much of the population are employed by tourism.
