Defra has named the 21‑kilometre Mersey Valley Way as England’s first National River Walk, running from Stockport through Manchester to Trafford. Announced on 27 December 2025 by Access Minister Baroness Hayman, it is the first of nine routes pledged across England’s regions.

For local traders, this is a new visitor product. Clearly signed riverside miles convert into coffee stops, pub lunches and small retail spend, with steady midweek usage helping to smooth demand for independents near access points. Expect neighbouring parks and high streets to benefit as walkers plan looped outings.

For scale, the GB Tourism Survey 2024 (via Welsh Government) puts average spend on a tourism day trip at £53. If the route ultimately draws an extra 200,000 day visits a year-around 550 a day-that would equate to roughly £10.6m in local spend. That’s a scenario, not a forecast, but it shows the upside if the branding and basics are done well.

Connectivity matters for linear walks. The Bee Network already offers capped tap‑in fares across buses and trams, and the first local rail lines are scheduled to join by the end of 2026-making it easier to start and finish in different places without a car.

Health and inclusion should add momentum. Sustrans reports the National Cycle Network supported 588 million trips in 2022–23 and delivered £317m of NHS savings linked to more active travel-evidence that regular, low‑cost walking and wheeling pays back for people and places.

Government materials also say stretches of the path will be upgraded to meet accessibility standards for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and prams, alongside cyclists and horse‑riders-broadening the user base from day one.

Delivery will be led by Mersey Rivers Trust with local councils and environmental partners, with consultation and volunteering planned along the route. For nearby businesses, that’s a chance to influence wayfinding, access points and event programming from the outset.

Branding work is under way: National River Walk signage is planned and a schools logo competition is live, with a winner due in February. The next tranche of river walks will be chosen through competition bids opening in 2026, giving other regions a route map to follow.

The backdrop is encouraging. Marketing Manchester’s latest research values Greater Manchester’s meetings and events economy at over £1bn in 2025-an audience already in‑market that could be nudged into adding a riverside walk to an extended stay.

Our read for SMEs near the Mersey corridor: sort the customer basics-clear opening hours, contactless payments, water refills, toilets-and consider walk‑friendly offers that encourage dwell time. Simple counters on path entrances and QR codes for reviews will help evidence demand to landlords and lenders over the next trading year.