Birmingham to get £32m boost from Cricket World Cup

Birmingham to get £32m boost from Cricket World Cup as the second city is gets set to host five matches of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup according to a report by accountancy firm EY on behalf of England and Wales Cricket Broad (ECB).

Taking into account factors such as ticket sales, match day spending on food, drink and merchandise, as well as wider revenue generated by international visitors, Birmingham is set to generate £32.1 million overall.

The ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup will take place in the UK for the fifth time and be joined by nine other nations including Australia and Pakistan. One of the top-billed matches will be hosted at Edgbaston Stadium – featuring the top two One Day International (ODI) sides, England and India.

Aside from the immediate economic boost, Birmingham will also benefit from the tourism and business legacy generated by the tournament’s global exposure. According to Nicola Hewitt, commercial director for the West Midlands Growth Company, sport is vital for drawing tourism:

“Sport plays a hugely significant role in drawing record numbers of domestic and international visitors to the West Midlands, boosting the region’s economy. It also brings us firmly to the attention of worldwide investors and our global target markets, helping new and existing businesses across our patch to grow.

“We are working closely with stakeholders – including Birmingham City Council, Edgbaston Stadium and West Midlands Railway – to ensure that visiting fans have the best possible experience and choose to extend their stay in a youthful, diverse and spirited region.”

Edgbaston has also prepped for this moment with significant redevelopment undertaken, Neil Snowball, chief executive of Edgbaston Stadium, adds:

“We’re very excited about the year ahead and look forward to working with our city partners to provide another very warm welcome to the thousands of visitors who are coming to Birmingham to experience cricket at Edgbaston.

“Edgbaston undertook a substantial stadium redevelopment project in recent years to ensure that we continue to bring the biggest matches in the global game to Birmingham.”

In addition to the £32m boost Birmingham is set to get from Cricket World Cup it’s set to benefit from other key infrastructure and commercial projects – to read more view Birmingham and other area guides here