Survey Finds Cathedrals boost Economy as well as Spirituality

A recent drive to preserve the heritage behind Christianity in Britain has resulted in a new report stating that Cathedrals in the UK do not just simply provide spiritual support and guidance for needy citizens, but they also help to bring in substantial revenue also.

The new report found that during last year alone, England's Cathedrals received 8.8 million visitors, which is more than the renowned tourist-attraction, Blackpool Pleasure Beach. It is thought that this figure would have raised in the region of £150 million for the cities that the Cathedrals are in.

The report, "Heritage Counts 2004" was based on a questionnaire which was sent to all 42 of England's Anglican Cathedrals. The research found that these historic buildings were directly responsible for generating local spending of £91 million a year.

This is the first time that attempts have been made to calculate the economic worth of England's Cathedrals. The endeavour was jointly undertaken by English Heritage and the Association of English Cathedrals.

Indirect contributions from the Cathedrals also were suggested to be added to the direct contributions of £91 million. These indirect figures took into account such things as the Cathedrals' expenditure towards staff salaries, goods and services.

The total combined annual economic impact of Cathedrals was reported to be in the region of £150 million.

English Heritage Chief Executive, Simon Thurley said, "Cathedrals' contribution reaches far beyond bricks and mortar."

In addition, the Cathedrals in England are responsible for 5,500 permanent full-time jobs, with 12,000 others working as volunteers. School trips to Cathedrals last year accounted for approximately 300,000 visitors the report suggested.

The three most popular Cathedrals in England were found to be York, Canterbury and St. Paul's in London. The threesome attracted some 8.8 million visitors last year. These were followed by Durham, Salisbury and Winchester Cathedrals.