Road to 2030: the developments that will shape Greater Manchester’s visitor economy over the next five years and beyond

In January 2025, a new strategy for Greater Manchester’s visitor economy was published, setting out a roadmap to lead the sector sustainably through an expected period of growth coming to the region over the next five years.

The strategy recognises that Greater Manchester has been on a rapid growth trajectory over the last two decades and that during this period, the city-region's visitor economy has made a significant contribution to social and cultural life, having a positive impact on the region’s diverse communities.

One of the core aims of the strategy focuses on enhancing the visitor offer and experience, recognising that as the city-region continues to grow, the visitor economy needs to continue to develop and diversify, adapting along the way to reflect changing audiences, emerging trends, and sustainable practices.

The city-region has already seen a huge amount of investment pour into the visitor economy in recent years. From RHS opening their world-class garden in Salford to the UK’s biggest indoor music and entertainment venue, Co-op Live, and from world-leading arts venues like Aviva Studios to the redevelopment of Rochdale Town Hall, there are many shiny new things for visitors and locals alike to see and do in Greater Manchester.

With thousands of additional hotel bedrooms incoming, internationally-significant new cultural, leisure, and entertainment venues opening, a packed live events and conference calendar, and a thriving food, drink, and nightlife scene; what are the key developments and projects that will continue to reshape Greater Manchester’s visitor economy over the course of the life of the new strategy, through to 2030 and beyond?

Here’s a snapshot of what we know so far...

Manchester Town Hall: grand reopening following 8-year refurbishment
The city’s iconic Town Hall is set to reopen in 2026 after undergoing an extensive process of refurbishment and restoration, which has been ongoing since 2018. The Grade I listed building opened in 1877, will see new areas of the Town Hall open to the public, including the Victorian police cells and clocktower. Albert Square, which surrounds the Town Hall, will also be expanded to be fully pedestrianised with new seating, and space for outdoor events and markets.

Manchester City: stadium upgrades and 400-bed hotel development
The Etihad Stadium, home to Manchester City football club, is undertaking upgrades worth £300m, that will see the stadium capacity increase to 60,000 fans, with added attractions including a stadium rooftop walk experience, upgrades to its immersive two-floor museum, a new 500-capacity food hall, and an events and conference space called City Hall. A 401-bedroom hotel, The Medlock is also in development with the Radisson Hotel Group, and will offer pitch-side rooms, suites, and a luxury penthouse. The stadium has also been announced to host the 2028 Men’s European Football Championships.

Manchester Airport: Terminal 2 completion and new routes
As the biggest UK airport outside of London, Manchester Airport’s major upgrades to the Terminal 2 project will reach the next phase with 70% of flights now utilising the new terminal which is undergoing a £1bn transformation project. A new private terminal, Aether, has also launched offering check-in, security, lounge, and chauffer transfer to the airplane, as one exclusive and convenient option. Visitors can currently fly to over 200 destinations, including direct flights to New York, Beijing, Shanghai, Qatar, and Dubai.

Dakota Manchester Airport: new £60m luxury hotel plan
The Dakota hotel chain, which already has a location in Manchester City Centre, has plans to open a 154-bedroom hotel at Manchester Airport, within a 60-acre area which is part of developments at the airport. The property is expected to bring £12m a year to the local economy and will include a destination bar and brasserie-style grill, 130 parking spaces, and an airport terminal shuttle bus.

Salford Rise: elevated walkway gives safe access to green space
The construction of a £15m green walkway in Salford has started. Plans include a 5-acre elevated walkway, new tree-lined pedestrian and cyclist highways, and a 220-meter podium providing a green space haven. It’s part of a £2.5bn Crescent Salford masterplan, which includes new homes.

Good Hotel: floating accommodation to sail into Salford Quays
Plans for a 180-bedroom floating hotel have been unveiled for Salford Quays, with brand Good Hotel’s looking to create a vessel with rooms that will be built off-site and will arrive complete at the waterside neighbourhood, which is also home to IWM North, Lowry and MediaCity. The hotel will be permanently moored and follows previous successful hotels from the brand in the Netherlands.

RHS Garden Bridgewater: Europe’s largest gardening project enters phase two
The Royal Horticultural Society’s gardening project in Salford, RHS Garden Bridgewater, will enter phase two with the creation of a new arboretum, a teaching garden, and a lakeside café. The project, phase one of which opened in 2021 with one of the largest walled gardens in Europe, will also create a new large-scale glasshouse, and renovate a former civil defence bunker to be used as exhibition space.

Rylands: former 1930s department store plans new retail, wellness and workspace
The Grade II-listed Rylands Building has stood since 1932 and was until recently, the home of department store Debenhams. For its next chapter, the building will see a full refurbishment plus a four-storey extension, adding new high-quality office space on the upper levels, whilst a shopping arcade, leisure space, and restaurants will be added to the lower and ground levels, with a six-floor atrium opening up to natural light, and sustainable plans including heat pumps, solar panels, and an aim to be a net zero project.

Therme: £300m wellness resort set to open
The UK’s first city-based wellness resort, Therme, is set to take over 700 sq ft with a £300m development to attract two million visitors a year. The development will include three dedicated zones – a family-friendly area and two adults-only areas, with more than 10 pools, 18 waterslides, 25+ saunas and steam rooms, a garden of wellbeing and 1,120 new trees planted. The site will be next to shopping destination The Trafford Centre and will include its own dedicated tram stop.

Wave Garden: £50m surfing facility opens in Trafford
Alongside the above Therme development, Wave Garden (formerly known as Modern Surf) is set to open in Trafford with an outdoor surfing lagoon facility catering for all levels of surfer. The attraction is expected to welcome 300,00 visitors a year, offering the latest artificial wave technology, a clubhouse with bar, restaurants, and a surfer academy.

W Hotel: New 5-star property opens with 162-bedrooms
Set to open in 2027, a 162-room W Hotel will open in No. 2 St Michael’s, a new 41-storey development which will also include homes. It will be the first Marriott branded residence outside of London. The hotel will have a 5-Star rating and feature signature spaces including a Pool, W Lounge, wellness and fitness centre.

Room2: UK’s first net-zero tower hotel
33 floors and 180 bedrooms will be on offer when Room2 opens in 2027 next to Manchester Piccadilly. The property aims to be Manchester’s first net-zero tower, with renewable energy, and a net-zero ‘lifestyle museum’, which will encourage guests to live more sustainably. The property is also set to have a rooftop restaurant with 130 covers.

Sister: Pivotal innovation district linking Oxford Road Corridor and Piccadilly
Previously known as ID Manchester, Sister is a 9-acre district that will transform the University of Manchester’s North Campus, running from the Oxford Road Corridor to Piccadilly Station. Already home to one of the UK’s most densely concentrated innovation clusters, plans will accommodate 4m sq ft of development, including over 2m sq ft of workspace, innovation, retail and leisure space, over 1,500 new homes, and a public realm including a new civic square.

English National Opera: new Manchester home for opera company
Greater Manchester will become the new permanent home of the English National Opera (ENO) by 2029, with the company already increasing its presence in the region with events already announced for 2025 and 2026. The opera company will use a variety of venues across the region, including Lowry, and is set to improve representation for opera and classical music in the North West.

Hulton Park: a world-class golf course resort
Plans to develop and build a 650-acre, world-class golf course and country club in Bolton’s Hulton Park are underway through the restoration of a historic English estate. Expected to open to the public in 2032, the new visitor destination would include a 5-star luxury 100-bed hotel and fine dining restaurant, plus 20 luxury estate lodges and cottages. The resort has a vision to potentially host the Ryder Cup, bringing it back to England for the first time in 30 years.

Old Trafford Regeneration: UK's largest sports-led regeneration project, centered on the new stadium.

Thought to be the biggest regeneration project in the UK since London 2012, the Old Trafford regeneration will leverage its unique assets to create a world-class visitor destination, a rich cultural and entertainment offer, high-quality homes, and new businesses, all with a world-class new 100,000-seater stadium at its heart, set to open in the 2030/31 football season. Manchester United has announced plans to build this new stadium, designed by Foster + Partners, as the project's centrepiece. Conceptual images and models have been unveiled, showcasing a state-of-the-art arena and surrounding district. The project aims to deliver significant economic and social benefits, including job creation and increased tourism, while preserving the essence of the historic Old Trafford site. Further consultation and planning are underway.