LONDON, April 13 (Xinhua) -- Liverpool's world famous Cavern Club is to become the centerpiece of an official Beatles Quarter to develop its global tourism appeal, the city's mayor announced Friday.
Mathew Street where the club is located at, famed for the rise of the Beatles pop group, is already a mecca for thousands of fans.
Mayor Joe Anderson is to ask the city cabinet to back a masterplan to attract new investment to the area to attract more tourists and fans to the area. It will also generate a more diverse mix of complimentary uses of buildings in the Mathew Street area that operate 24 hours a day.
The mayor's strategy will give the city council control over the future use of buildings in the quarter to attract new investment to build on Beatles heritage tourism which already earns the city nearly 130 million U.S. dollars a year.
A recent economic impact report found the Beatles related industry has been growing at up to 15 percent a year following the city's year as European Capital of Culture in 2008.
The Cavern Club and tours linked to the Beatles now attract 800,000 visitors a year. A hotel in the quarter named after a Beatles hit, the Hard Day's Night, says four out of every five of its guests are from overseas.
Mayor Anderson said: "The Beatles are known the world over and not just by those who grew up with them, new audiences are discovering their music all the time and wanting to learn about the bands roots.
"We have a good Beatles tourism offer but it's not at the level it could and should be, one that has a world class wow factor that reflects the band's timeless genius and global impact.
"This is a unique opportunity to establish an experience no other city can offer and one which will sustain thousands of jobs in the hotel, retail and hospitality sectors for generations to come."
The masterplan will go through a consultation exercise before being adopted by city bosses later this year.
It will see the redevelopment of derelict, under-used and undesirable sites, and a comprehensive public art strategy for the Cavern Quarter.
The report comes as figures show Liverpool's hotel sector is also booming, with occupancy levels now at a record breaking levels, and the number of hotel rooms across the city set to grow by 14 percent over the next two years.
