Having both of Manchester's Premier League soccer teams competing in next season's UEFA Champions League is expected to boost the city's economy by millions of pounds.
Thousands of opposing fans will travel from abroad to watch their heroes in every game, and experts say each supporter typically spends £316 on hotel accommodation, food, drinks, transport and other sundries.
Manchester United have qualified as Premier League champions, and Manchester City will gain automatic entry to the group stages if they finish third in the table this season. At the very least, the club will play in the qualifying stages.
Each club will host three matches in the group stages, with further games to follow if they reach the knock-out phase.
UEFA rules state a minimum of five per cent of seats must be allocated to away fans, equating to at least 3,750 visitors for every United game and 2,350 when City play.
With good numbers of supporters of United and City also flying in from abroad to cheer on their teams, the competition is set to provide a bonanza for the city's hospitality and travel sectors, including Manchester Airport.
Often fans don't travel to Manchester just to watch the game, but stay for two or three days, pumping more cash into the local economy.
Andrew Harrison, managing director of Manchester Airport, said: “European matches bring increased flights and passengers, so to have two teams in the Champions League will be fantastic news, both for the clubs, the airport and for the region in general.
“We can expect to welcome anything from 3,000-6,000 visiting fans for home games and a similar number of Manchester fans travelling to the away matches, all of which results in increased scheduled capacity and additional charter flights.“When United played the final in Moscow in 2008, we saw about 25,000 fans fly from Manchester, so the ideal scenario for us would be for both teams to avoid playing any British opposition throughout the competition, until they meet each other in the final in Germany, potentially doubling the number of travelling fans.”
Stephen Miles, general manager of the Radisson Edwardian Manchester and chairman of the Manchester Hoteliers Association, said: “For a Champions League game there are thousands of of fans from around the world who will come here to watch.
“If United play a team like Real Madrid or Bayern Munich there will be 15,000 or 20,000 people coming to the city, both home and away fans.
“It is not quite the same with Manchester City as its fans are largely from this area.”
Andrew Sykes, chief executive of Marketing Manchester, which is tasked with promoting the city nationally and internationally, said: “United and City are world brands and we are anticipating there will be a major impact from having another team in the competition.
“When European matches take place the city fills up with international visitors, who spend much more than people coming from locally.
“People book longer stays based around games, and they bring their partners and children with them, so there is a benefit for shops, restaurants and tourist attractions.”
Thousands of opposing fans will travel from abroad to watch their heroes in every game, and experts say each supporter typically spends £316 on hotel accommodation, food, drinks, transport and other sundries.
Manchester United have qualified as Premier League champions, and Manchester City will gain automatic entry to the group stages if they finish third in the table this season. At the very least, the club will play in the qualifying stages.
Each club will host three matches in the group stages, with further games to follow if they reach the knock-out phase.
UEFA rules state a minimum of five per cent of seats must be allocated to away fans, equating to at least 3,750 visitors for every United game and 2,350 when City play.
With good numbers of supporters of United and City also flying in from abroad to cheer on their teams, the competition is set to provide a bonanza for the city's hospitality and travel sectors, including Manchester Airport.
Often fans don't travel to Manchester just to watch the game, but stay for two or three days, pumping more cash into the local economy.
Andrew Harrison, managing director of Manchester Airport, said: “European matches bring increased flights and passengers, so to have two teams in the Champions League will be fantastic news, both for the clubs, the airport and for the region in general.
“We can expect to welcome anything from 3,000-6,000 visiting fans for home games and a similar number of Manchester fans travelling to the away matches, all of which results in increased scheduled capacity and additional charter flights.“When United played the final in Moscow in 2008, we saw about 25,000 fans fly from Manchester, so the ideal scenario for us would be for both teams to avoid playing any British opposition throughout the competition, until they meet each other in the final in Germany, potentially doubling the number of travelling fans.”
Stephen Miles, general manager of the Radisson Edwardian Manchester and chairman of the Manchester Hoteliers Association, said: “For a Champions League game there are thousands of of fans from around the world who will come here to watch.
“If United play a team like Real Madrid or Bayern Munich there will be 15,000 or 20,000 people coming to the city, both home and away fans.
“It is not quite the same with Manchester City as its fans are largely from this area.”
Andrew Sykes, chief executive of Marketing Manchester, which is tasked with promoting the city nationally and internationally, said: “United and City are world brands and we are anticipating there will be a major impact from having another team in the competition.
“When European matches take place the city fills up with international visitors, who spend much more than people coming from locally.
“People book longer stays based around games, and they bring their partners and children with them, so there is a benefit for shops, restaurants and tourist attractions.”