London Gatwick’s Northern Runway could help unlock £275m a year for the Sussex visitor economy, as the region looks to attract more high-value international tourists.
If approved later this year, the airport’s proposals would enable an additional 1.6m international inbound passengers annually by 2038. This growth is central to ambitions for Sussex to raise its global profile and attract tourists who stay longer and spend more.
The Sussex Visitor Economy Growth Strategy’s target of an extra 500,000 international tourists a year by 2034 aims to grow the sector from £5bn to £7.5bn, with tourism already supporting more than 74,000 local jobs and accounting for 14% of the county’s employment. London Gatwick’s Northern Runway represents a key opportunity to unlock further growth in the region.
While overseas tourists currently make up just 2% of the total visitor numbers to Sussex, they contribute around 20% of all spending. Key to boosting this are new and expanded long-haul services to destinations such as Shanghai, Singapore and Dubai, with China also highlighted as a key market for growth within the strategy. Alongside developing connectivity across Southeast Asia and the Gulf, the airport is actively shaping the UK’s role as a global gateway with 54 long-haul routes already operating.
If approved, the Northern Runway could bring an additional 60,000 flights per year, including more long-haul routes with passenger numbers increasing to around 80.2m passengers per year in 2047.
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