Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan has said Portsmouth is becoming more of a tourist destination following a new report found strong tourism numbers and positive visitor experiences.
Mr Morgan made the comments during a visit to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, HMS Warrior and The Mary Rose to mark English Tourism Week.
On the visit Mr Morgan spoke with representatives from the tourist destinations to catch up on what they are doing to make Portsmouth a tourist hot-spot.
The city MP also discussed plans for the Association of Independent Museums Conference which is coming to Portsmouth in June.
HMS Victory provided a visitor experience with a team of actors showing what life was like in 1863 when Warrior was the gem of the Royal Navy
Portsmouth’s tourism sector supports 12,589 jobs in the city with 12.4m visitors each year, making it one of Portsmouth’s key industries
A recent council report revealed that from April 2024 to January 2025, the Visit Portsmouth website recorded nearly one million sessions and over 1.7 million page views.
The annual visitor survey showed Gunwharf Quays remained the most popular attraction, visited by 64.9 per cent of respondents—an increase from 2023.
Other key destinations included Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (48.4 per cent), Spinnaker Tower (26 per cent), and the seafront, which drew nearly three-quarters (73.3 per cent) of visitors.
Over 90 per cent rated their trip four or five stars while 3 in 4 said they were extremely likely or likely to return to Portsmouth within the next year.
Commenting, Portsmouth South MP Stephen Morgan said:
“I was pleased to mark English Tourism Week with a visit to some of Portsmouth’s best attractions to catch up on their latest actions to attract more visitors to our city.
“I was not surprised to hear that our museums are moving up the league tables on tickets sold given their quality and the dedication of the people behind them to innovate and try new things.
“I will continue to support our local tourism industry to grow so even more people can experience what a great city Portsmouth is and support our local economy.”
Mr Morgan regularly meets with local business owners to agree actions to grow Portsmouth’s economy and continues to campaign for Portsmouth to receive the investment it deserves.
