The motorcycle industry contributes billions of pounds to the UK economy each year, according to a report published today. The Economic Benefits of the UK Motorcycle Industry 2014 calculates that:
· £5.3billion is generated through net annual sales, with an added value of £2billion
· The industry directly employs 58,500 people in 5,700 businesses, plus an additional 16,400 jobs through motorcycle businesses purchasing goods and services from other UK sectors
· Pays over a £1 billion in tax
· Exports equal around £450 million each year, up 12% in real terms since 2008
· Tourism associated with motorcycling is estimated to support an additional 13,200 jobs
The report breaks down the industry by five sectors, which include:
· Manufacturing
· Distribution and retail
· Repair, servicing and maintenance
· Sports and leisure
· Support services, which include finance and insurance
It shows that the £2billion ‘added value’ generated by the motorcycle industry is more than the following industries:
· Retailers of automotive fuels, lubricants and cooling products (£1.2billion)
· Call centres (£1.4billion)
· Performing arts (£1.5billion)
· PR and communications activities (£1.3billion)
The number of jobs supported by the industry is more than:
· Taxi driving (36,000)
· Manufactures of pharmaceuticals (50,000)
· Agriculture, forestry and fishing activities (46.000)
· Manufacture of textiles (47,000)
Social benefits:
· Saves the NHS several million pounds a year through voluntary ‘blood biker’ services, couriering life saving products
· Used by emergency services to cut through traffic
· Addresses transport poverty through Wheels to Work schemes
Christopher Macgowan
