Liverpool's Beatles tourism pioneers receive citizens of honour award

Two men credited as the "pioneers" of Liverpool's multimillion-pound Beatles tourism industry have been made citizens of honour.

Bill Heckle and Dave Jones of Cavern City Tours received the award at a ceremony at Liverpool Town Hall.

The Lord Mayor of Liverpool Roy Gladden said the city owes them "a huge debt of thanks".

Mr Jones, president of the company, said the accolade was "amazing" and they felt a "huge sense of pride".

Managing director Mr Heckle trained to be a Beatles guide in 1982 before forming the Cavern City Tours in 1983.

He was joined by Mr Jones in 1986 when they organised their first Beatles convention.

It soon evolved into the annual Mathew Street Music Festival which attracts more than 300,000 people to the city, Liverpool City Council said.

In 1991, they acquired the Magical Mystery Tour (bus tours of Liverpool) and the Cavern Club venue.

They transformed the Cavern from a closed building into a major live music venue and popular tourist attraction.

They also organised the Hillsborough Justice Concert at Anfield stadium, in 1997, which helped to raise more than £500,000 for legal costs for families bereaved in the 1989 football tragedy.

In 2015, they gifted a statue of the Fab Four and the figures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr on the Pier Head have become one of the most photographed landmarks in the city.

The Cavern, which has hosted hosted Oasis, Adele and the Arctic Monkeys as well as Sir Paul, played a key role in Liverpool's status as a UNESCO City of Music, the council said.

The council estimates the legacy of The Beatles is worth approximately £100m to the city's economy each year and attracts more than 600,000 visitors annually.

The honour was "richly deserved recognition for the pioneers of Liverpool's Beatles tourism industry", Mr Gladden said.

"They had the vision to recognise the potential of the city's unrivalled musical heritage in attracting visitors and their legacy is all around us every day.

He said the city "owes a huge debt of thanks" to them.

Mr Jones said: "We set out to promote the city's unique music heritage and introduce the media, the tourism industry and visitors to the spirit of Liverpool, enhance their experience and give them something no other city in the world could.

"We feel a huge sense of pride our work has received this level of recognition."

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