MCR Magazine was Visit Manchester’s biannual tourism magazine, published between 2008 and 2016.  

Over 16 issues the magazine offered an alternative the traditional visitor guides of the time, eschewing guidebook-style listings in favour of feature stories about all aspects of life in Greater Manchester – from deep dives into the region’s music heritage and analysis of Mancunian fashion to the history of reclaimed buildings and interviews with famous (and infamous) Mancunians (native and adopted). 

Beautifully designed and incorporating stunning photography and artwork by local creatives, the magazine aspired to the coffee-table-book genre of magazines and could be found within many of Greater Manchester’s hotel bedrooms as well as being mailed out to those who requested it and distributed via the Manchester Visitor Information Centre. The magazine wrapped up in 2016 due to redistribution of funding into other projects and a generally feeling that it had run its course in a digital-first world. 

Looking back through old issues, the magazine offers a snapshot of a city-region in flux. Early issues contain photographs that barely resemble the Greater Manchester of 2020 and some of the feature stories are reminiscent of a very different place still finding its voice as a tourism destination. But for the most part there are clear threads to follow that lead back to the Greater Manchester of the here and now that we know and love, whilst many pages have actually dated quite well. 

Whilst in self-isolation, why not enjoy a peek into the not-so-distant history of Greater Manchester’s visitor economy and tell us what you think by Tweeting us using the hashtag #mcrmissesyou