What remains from 2008, when Liverpool was Capital of Culture?

Being recognised as a European Capital of Culture in 2008 was a major achievement for Liverpool

, one that the city's tourism industry leapt on vigorously to promote the city's diverse array of attractions and entertainments - from favourite museums such as the Beatles Story to brand new developments along the waterfront.

With many new centres being revamped or built from scratch to honour the occasion and cater for the influx of visitors, both national and international, Liverpool has been loath to return to business as usual following the end of the year-long accolade - and is still reaping the benefits of its time in the limelight in 2010.

There was some criticism in the four years leading up to the benchmark year that the money being spent on boosting Liverpool's cultural credentials could be better used elsewhere, especially with building works causing widespread traffic disruptions across the city centre, but the aftermath has proven very positive indeed. Budgeted at 105 million for its initial expenditure, Liverpool's Culture Company reported a boost in Liverpool's economy to the tune of 800 million, and the gift keeps on giving.

As well as singling Liverpool out as a major centre of culture in Europe - it's the city that gave the world the Beatles, after all - the 2008 events also had a major impact on local interest in arts and culture, with the news that 70 per cent of people living in Liverpool now claim to have visited a city or art gallery, compared to the UK average of 59 per cent.

2009 saw a plethora of events aimed at continuing this momentum, including the On the Waterfront festival that involved Liverpool celebrating its transatlantic partnership with that other iconic cultural city, New York. This year has seen more events drawing visitors to Liverpool from far and wide, including the recent Summer Pops Festival.

Liverpool could never be called a complacent city, and the suggestion by the former Culture Secretary Andy Burnham that the UK initiate a new British City of Culture project to help boost the tourism industries of other cities in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland could mean that more locations follow Liverpool's lead in the near future. With cheap train tickets making a cultural day out in Liverpool a possibility for visitors from all walks of life, the city may have passed on its title but its impact is still being felt.

What remains from 2008, when Liverpool was Capital of Culture?

By: Paul Buchanan

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