The city of Coventry can expect an increase in ‘first time’ visitors thanks to Premier League football returning after a quarter of a century.

That’s according to Dr Tom Bason, Coventry University’s football finance expert, who believes domestic and overseas supporters will want to ‘tick off’ the Coventry Building Society Arena while following their own team.

He said it’s hard to put an exact figure on what top-flight football will be worth to the regional economy but that it would definitely help to put the place on the map.

He said: “Coventry City will be playing against bigger and better teams than they were previously. 

“These clubs tend to have a lot more away fans, and many of those fans will want to attend. That can lead to overnight stays in the region. 

“That brings potential growth for pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, and local transport.” 

The Premier League is broadcast across 188 countries globally, shining a spotlight on the sky-blue city, and having the potential to bring global interest into the region.  

He added: “Beyond the additional money earned by the club in TV rights and commercial revenue it's very difficult to put a number on it. In 2023, Brighton and Hove Albion put out a report estimating they bring £612m to the local economy.

“Promotion creates international visibility, global media exposure and will attract away fans and football tourists. Given Coventry City are new to the Premier League, there will be lots of domestic Premier League fans who want to visit the ground for the first time, and potentially more international football tourists.

“But, we also need to remember there are fairly strict constraints on visitor numbers as the club will play 19 home league matches, with a maximum ground capacity of 32,609. It's not easy to massively increase those numbers.

“Again, using Brighton as a benchmark, they estimate 54,000 visitors from overseas a season. 

“The strongest geographic effects are going to be in the city centre and around the ground, where the hospitality sector should benefit. As we get further away from these hotspots, the effect is going to be weaker.

“It might be that the club can support this, through distributing some of its extra income through local supply chains, employing more staff, and even through promotion of the wider area. But the main impacts will be around the city and the ground, and within the football-related industries.”