BARNSLEY Market has welcomed a major rise in out-of-town coach visits during the last year - and plans are in place to continue broadening the town centre’s appeal this year.
From January to November 2025, the market received 130 coaches, carrying over 4,400 passengers.
This is 44 more coaches than the same period in 2024 and an additional 1,962 passengers.
This uplift reflects the market’s strong mix of independent traders, great value and the warm Barnsley welcome, according to the council.
Visitors have also been drawn in by Barnsley’s events programme, including Big Weekend, Bright Nights and the recent Christmas market as well as the opportunity to explore the wide range of shops, restaurants and tourist attractions across the town centre.
Councillor Robin Franklin, cabinet spokesperson for regeneration and culture, said: “Barnsley Market is a fantastic place to shop and spend time.
“For over 775 years it has sat at the heart of our town centre, supporting local traders, bringing people together and boosting footfall.
“It’s brilliant to see coach parties visiting from all over the country to experience our friendly welcome and great value.”
It comes after it was revealed that more than nine million visits were made to Barnsley town centre over a 12-month period.
Footfall in 2024/25 showed a continued, year-on-year hike, with its 9.18 million visits surpassing the 2023/24 figure by more than 2.5 million.
According to the council, the catalyst for the rocketing numbers has been the Glass Works - the £220m regeneration scheme which transformed the town centre and brought in big-name businesses such as The Botanist, Cineworld, Nando’s and TK Maxx among others.
A council report added: “We’re developing a five-year plan to shape tourism and the visitor economy of the borough.
“Economic data is being used to understand tourism’s impact and focusing on enhancing visitors’ experiences and local pride.
“The total number of annual visitors for 2024/25 was 9,180,502.
“This is a higher figure than was reported the previous year, but
we must note a change in how we monitor footfall - from a static counter in one spot to actual devices within a bounded area.
“Car parking levels at the Glass Works and footfall in the interchange showed seasonal variations exacerbated by the reasons above.
“Most come for the market, demonstrating what pulling power it has.”
Schemes such as the Alhambra’s Health on the High Street project, Barnsley Youth Choir’s NAVE venue, the ‘Base 71’ youth zone, the South Yorkshire Institute of Technology (SYIoT) and work on The Seam, on County Way - which includes an urban park and a 140-room hotel - will also go towards helping to entice more visitors.
The Chronicle can reveal that council bosses will meet in March to discuss the next steps for the hotel.
Council leader Sir Steve Houghton said: “The whole point of investing in the town centre in the first place was to make Barnsley a place where people want to come and it’s already gaining a reputation from not only local shoppers but from other towns and cities, too.
“We are proud that our vibrant town centre continues to see increasing footfall year-on-year, drawing visitors from across the region and beyond.
“A key part of that is down to the Glass Works and the associated work we’re doing surrounding the overall scheme, which spans right from the Civic to the bridge.
“Footfall is high and it’s high for a reason: the centre is brimming with businesses of all kinds and there’s much on offer to entice visitors both from across Barnsley and beyond, which we’ve seen by the increased coach trips.
“We have ambitious plans for the future and we’ll continue investing in making Barnsley an even better destination, and spreading the word about how it’s a great place to work, shop and visit.”
Coach operators can book group visits via the online form on the Barnsley Markets webpage or email marketservices@barnsley.gov.uk for enquiries.
