Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Wrexham AFC takeover fuels £180m tourism surge and hotel booking boom

Tourism in Wrexham has experienced a substantial uplift with spending reaching nearly £180 million, following the acquisition of the city's football club by celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Newly released statistics show approximately two million visitors inundated the area last year, buoyed by the "Welcome to Wrexham" documentary and the Red Dragons' consecutive promotions.

This surge represents a 20% yearly increase for the county borough, topping the growth charts across Wales. Back in 2020, tourism revenues in Wrexham plummeted to a mere £49 million due to the impact of COVID-19.

Yet, the dynamic change in Wrexham AFC’s fortunes post-takeover by the Hollywood pair has pushed local hotels into a scramble to accommodate the influx of guests. Wrexham Council's tourism manager, Joe Bickerton, said: "When you look across social media, people might come because they've seen certain aspects of the documentary, or they might come because they're interested to see what Wrexham is all about now it's a city."

He added, "It's heartwarming to see the amount of positive feedback, compared to five or 10 years ago.

"Since we were awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO back in 2009, Wrexham has really been on an upward trajectory as a whole county", reports Wales Online.

According to him, the heightened international profile from the celebrity ownership has significantly fostered recovery from the pandemic downturn.

Speaking to local councillors about the burgeoning tourism in the area, Mr Bickerton hi