The companies involved in Birmingham’s tourism industry will be happy to know that they will welcome more tourists to their town in the summer of 2023, thanks to an enlarging offer by Ryanair. Ryanair has also made a move towards a more eco-friendly airplane called the Gamechanger. Here is what was announced and how it will help the economy in the region.
Is Birmingham the Next Cool Destination?
If you take a look at the Petit Futé travel guide about Birmingham, you will notice that there is indeed a lot to see in Birmingham. That includes many museums, such as the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the National Sea Life Center, The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and the Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum, to name but a few. Also, its situation is ideal for those who like to rent a car and visit other cities when they travel, as it is located right between London and Manchester, which provides tourists with a lot of choices when it comes to cities to visit close-by. It is a three-hour ride by car to London, but only one hour and a half by train, which means that you can leave in the morning and come back at night and still be rested, if you travel on rails.
What will change in Ryanair’s Routes to Birmingham?
Ryanair seems to believe that Birmingham will bring them luck, or more precisely additional money in their bank account. We can certainly come to that conclusion, since they are investing over $600 million into their various routes to and from this destination. There will now be 42 routes, which is an additional seven for the summer. The 10 routes that are exclusive to this period of the year will also be increasing their flight frequency. They even ordered a new Boeing 737-8200 especially for these routes, which represents a $100 million investment by itself. In total, there will be 350 flights per week to and from the Birmingham airport. This means the creation of 180 jobs, which adds themselves to over 1,500 that were already existing.
The Addition of a Gamechanger aircraft
In the announcement, one element stands out, which is the arrival of the new Boeing aircraft called the Gamechanger. Sustainability is an important issue in tourism and this plane will help to go in this direction. That is because it will reduce fuel and CO2 emissions by no less than 16%, and it will also lower noises by 40%. Using such type of aircraft means that Ryanair is encouraging eco-tourism.
Asked about the reduction of the Air Passenger Duty cost of 50% by the UK government, Ryanair said that they need to get rid of it entirely, even though it is a good start. The reason behind their reasoning is that the more UK will be connected to the rest of the world, through additional travelers, the better its economy will fare. It reminded those in power that the UK is an island, and as such, it needs to fly in more people if it wants its economy to grow; something Ryanair seems to have taken as a personal task, at least when it comes to the city of Birmingham.