History of Tourism in Manchester

World Tourism Day, celebrated this year on the 27th of September, is a great reminder of how tourism can shape and inspire a city.

For nearly two thousand years, people have been drawn to Manchester. What began as a Roman fort grew into the world’s first industrial city, and today it thrives as a hub for music, sport, culture, and global events. Every era left its own attractions, turning Manchester into a city that doesn’t just welcome visitors, it inspires them.

Let’s step through history to see how Manchester became one of the UK’s most visited cities.

Roman Roots in Manchester

Imagine walking along the cobbled streets of Castlefield, where nearly 2,000 years ago, Roman soldiers marched, traders bartered, and administrators oversaw the fort Mamucium. These weren’t tourists as we know them, but the fort marked the first time people travelled to Manchester for purpose, safety, and intrigue.

Today, the preserved fort walls, reconstructed Roman buildings, and canal-side walks let visitors relive those beginnings. It’s where the story of Manchester (and of people visiting it) truly begins.

Industrial Marvels: Tourism in the World’s First Industrial City

By the 18th century, Manchester had become a global powerhouse. The Bridgewater Canal (1761), the first modern canal in Britain, was hailed as the 'eighth wonder of the world'. Soon, Manchester was home to engineering feats that fascinated the curious:

• Rochdale Canal (1804): linked Manchester to the sea
• Liverpool & Manchester Railway (1830): the world’s first intercity passenger line, making a day trip possible
• Manchester Victoria Station (1844): one of the busiest stations in the country

The industrial boom created a new kind of visitor: the industrial tourist. People came to witness the machines, factories, and canals that powered the modern age.

And just beyond Manchester, in 1841, Thomas Cook organised the first package holiday, a train excursion that made leisure travel affordable for working people. Soon, industrial cities like Manchester were within reach for a new wave of tourists.

Royal Visits and Cultural Pride in Manchester

A turning point came in 1851, when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert visited Manchester and Salford. This was the first visit of a monarch to the region for a century and a half. On the 10th of October, the Queen and Prince Albert left Worsley Hall and the procession took them through Salford to Peel Park, where 80,000 Sunday school children performed the National Anthem. The royal visit cemented Manchester’s importance and attracted national attention with thousands flocking to Manchester to get a glimpse of the royals.

Just a few years later, the city hosted the Art Treasures Exhibition of 1857, displaying more than 16,000 works, including Raphael, Michelangelo, and Turner. It attracted 1.3 million visitors and inspired Charles Hallé to found the Hallé Orchestra, which became a lasting symbol of Manchester’s cultural ambition. The recently opened Free Trade Hall soon became its home, hosting concerts and public gatherings that reinforced Manchester’s image as a place of civic pride.

Meanwhile, Pomona Gardens offered amusements, flower shows, and leisure activities, pulling in hundreds of thousands of Victorian day-trippers. By the late 19th century, Manchester’s reputation was further enhanced by the opening of Peel Park as one of the first public parks in the country, and later by the Gothic splendour of the Town Hall (1877), hailed as one of the finest in the world. Tourism was no longer just about industry and work, it was about culture, leisure, and entertainment.

Manchester Airport: Opening Manchester to the World

The opening of Ringway Airport in 1938 gave Manchester international reach. After World War II, transatlantic flights brought new waves of visitors. By the 1950s, the city had its first direct route to New York.

By the 1970s, Manchester could accommodate jumbo jets, and in 1993 Terminal 2 and a rail station expanded capacity dramatically. Today, Manchester Airport is the UK’s third-busiest, connecting millions of travellers to the city every year.

Sports: Where Legends Attract Fans

“On derby day in Manchester, the city is cut in two. The Blues and the Reds invade the streets, and if your team wins the city belongs to you.” - Eric Cantona

Manchester is one of the world’s great sporting cities, and its sporting history has long attracted visitors. From the birth of the Football League in 1888 to Manchester United’s first title in 1908, football has been at the heart of the city. Manchester United's Old Trafford Stadium and Manchester City's Etihad Stadium draw millions each year, and the fierce Manchester derby is a spectacle in itself.

The city’s football story extends beyond its two biggest clubs. Bolton Wanderers, Bury, Oldham Athletic, Rochdale and Wigan Athletic all have their own iconic moments, drawing fans from across the region and beyond.

Manchester’s sporting heritage and tourism isn’t just football. Lancashire County Cricket Club at Emirates Old Trafford has hosted internationals since the 19th century, including the first Ashes Test in July 1884 - a match that helped spark one of cricket’s greatest rivalries between England and Australia.

Rugby is also part of the city’s story. Sale Sharks bring top-flight rugby union, while Old Trafford hosts the Rugby League Super League Grand Final every year, giving fans some of the game’s most memorable moments.

Major events have put Manchester on the international stage. The 2002 Commonwealth Games transformed the city into a modern sporting hub, leaving legacies like the Manchester Aquatics Centre. The Games showcased Manchester’s reinvention after the 1996 IRA bombing, finishing with a rain-soaked closing ceremony at the City of Manchester Stadium (Etihad Stadium), attended by 38,000 fans.

Manchester has also seen record-breaking moments beyond football and rugby. On 23rd February 1997, Manchester Storm set the record for the largest attendance at a UK ice hockey league game when 17,245 watched them face Sheffield Steelers at the NYNEX Arena (now AO Arena). Today, Storm play at the Silver Blades Ice Rink, Altrincham.

Whether football, cricket, rugby, or ice hockey, Manchester’s sporting heritage continues to draw fans from around the world, making it a city where sport and tourism go hand in hand.

Music and Media: Manchester on the Global Stage

“Manchester’s got everything except a beach.” – Ian Brown, The Stone Roses

Manchester’s cultural influence really took off in the 20th century.

Back in 1960, one of Britain's most loved soap operas premiered. Coronation Street, the iconic TV show, put Manchester in the national spotlight, attracting fans eager to visit filming locations and see the city behind the screen. Today, visitors can still explore these spots and experience the city’s rich television history with the Coronation Street Experience.

Tourists coming to Manchester for concerts isn’t a new phenomenon, as you've already read, the Victorians were already drawn to musical performances. However, since the 1960s, the city has become a hub for music tourism, which reached a major peak in the late 1970s and 1980s. Bands like Joy Division, New Order, The Smiths, The Stone Roses, and Happy Mondays put Manchester on the global music map. Central to this scene were Factory Records, the pioneering label that launched many of these acts, and The Hacienda, the legendary nightclub that became the heartbeat of the city’s nightlife. For many fans, Manchester turned into a site of musical pilgrimage; a reputation later celebrated and reignited by adaptations such as 24 Hour Party People, starring Steve Coogan.

The peak didn't end in the 1980s, however. From the 1990s, Manchester produced one of the greatest rock bands of the 20th century - Oasis. The band’s rise to dominance in the British music scene helped cement Manchester as a must-visit destination for music fans. Decades later, their legacy still draws visitors from around the world - from Germany and Japan to Australia and beyond. That global pull was clearer than ever during Oasis Live 25, when hundreds of thousands of fans visited the city to see them in concert for the first time in 16 years.

Today, our great music venues, both big and small, keep Manchester at the forefront of live entertainment and ensuring its status as a global music destination. From Band on the Wall, to the O2 Ritz and the huge venues like the AO Arena and Co-op Live continue to draw international artists and music tourists.

Modern Accessibility

Manchester has always been a city that moves and now, getting around is easier, greener, and more enjoyable than ever.

Since it opened in 1992, Manchester’s Metrolink has grown from a single line into the country’s largest tram network, with 93 stops across seven lines. It’s a quick and convenient way for visitors to reach the city’s top spots. From the airport to the city centre, MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, or Trafford Park for Old Trafford and the Imperial War Museum North.

In 2023, Manchester introduced the Bee Network, aiming to make public transport across the city and region simpler and more connected. Named after the city’s worker bee symbol, the network links buses, trams, cycling routes, and eventually trains under one coordinated system.

For tourists, it means:

• Travel on buses, trams, and bikes without worrying about separate fares
• Easy to navigate
• Smooth connections

Sustainability is at the heart of Manchester’s transport plans. It's a focus that ties in perfectly with this year’s World Tourism Day theme, 'Tourism and Sustainable Transformation.' Metrolink trams run on electricity, most of it from renewable sources, many buses in the Bee Network are electric or hybrid, and the city is investing in cycling and walking routes. For visitors, this means you can enjoy all that Manchester has to offer (historic canals, world-class museums, football stadiums, and live music venues) without the stress of traffic or parking, all while traveling more sustainably.

Museums, Heritage, and Experiences

For tourists, Manchester offers more than just sights, it offers stories you can step into. At the Science and Industry Museum, visitors can explore Liverpool Road Station, the world’s oldest surviving passenger railway terminus, where the pioneering Liverpool & Manchester Railway once changed the way people travelled. The People’s History Museum is another must-see for tourists, showcasing the fight for democracy, protest, and social change, making it the UK’s national museum of democracy. 

Sports tourism is just as important to Manchester’s story. A stadium tour of Old Trafford, home of Manchester United since 1910, lets tourists walk through over a century of football history. Across the city, the Etihad Stadium, home of Manchester City, gives tourists the chance to experience a modern football arena where today’s sporting history is being written.

Why Manchester Keeps Visitors Coming Back

“The thing about Manchester is… it all comes from here.” – Noel Gallagher, Oasis

Manchester isn’t just a city to visit, it’s a city to experience. Every era has left its mark, from Roman forts and canals to railways, royal exhibitions, football triumphs, music revolutions, and unforgettable events. There’s always something new to discover. Every street, museum, and venue tells a story, and being here means you become part of it.

Come see for yourself - book your trip to Manchester today and experience a city that keeps visitors coming back, time and time again.