NEARLY nine and a half million people visited the Dudley borough last year, exceeding pre-pandemic figures, a report has shown.

In an economic impact assessment commissioned by the West Midlands Growth Company, it identified there were 9.39million visitors to the borough, up from 9million in 2019.

The visitor figures generated an economic value for the borough of £401million, up 27 per cent on 2019 figures.

At a regional level, the assessment showed record numbers of people visited the region in the year it hosted the Commonwealth Games.

More than 141million people visited the region, which was worth £14billion to the economy.

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said: "Dudley borough is a great destination for visitors with our series of world class attractions such as the Black Country Living Museum, Dudley Zoo and Castle, Dudley Canal Trust and the Red House Glass Cone.

"We all know that the tourism sector was hit hard during the pandemic and it’s really encouraging to see visitor numbers to the borough and region have bounced back and are higher than they were in 2019.

"We know the Commonwealth Games had a big part to play in the region’s recovery as the event attracted visitors from around the world.

"In Dudley, we were proud to be part of the games and that people lined our streets to cheer on elite cyclists as they raced through the borough.

"We’re already building on the success and legacy of the games by hosting another cycling event this summer, the Dudley Grand Prix circuit race event, which will once again attract international athletes to our shores."

More information about the Dudley Grand Prix circuit race event is available on the council's website.

To find out more about places to visit in the Dudley borough go to website https://discover.dudley.gov.uk/welcome-to-dudley/