Blackpool rocks among affluent Brits
A two-year campaign to shift perceptions of Blackpool has resulted in an increase in affluent tourists who want to visit the seaside favourite.
The tourist board launched the Blackpool’s Back campaign in 2014, repositioning it as a family resort, highlighting its world-renowned, family attractions and offers as if seen through the eyes of a child.
Research carried out at the end of 2015 shows 66% of visitors were drawn to the resort for its range of family friendly attractions and coastal location compared to 42% the previous year.
Among ABC1 respondents who have seen the adverts, 65% in the north and 67% in Scotland would consider a visit to Blackpool, compared to 51% and 44% respectively who hadn’t.
Visitor satisfaction rates are on the increase for the second year running, from 89% in 2014 to 93% in 2015 (84% 2013).
Summer 2015 saw the resort record the highest visitor figures in August for three years.
A newly revamped #Blackpoolhasitall campaign will run for a third year this year, with TV adverts in the north and Scotland throughout the summer and a twitter campaign highlighting new and exclusive attractions for 2016.
Head of the Blackpool Cluster for Merlin Entertainments, Kate Shane, said: "Now we’ve successfully shown that Blackpool is definitely back, we’re ready to show that Blackpool has it all too. There are lots of exciting developments this time around to encourage even more parents to come and share their own childhood memories, or create new ones together."
The campaign is run between VisitBlackpool and Merlin Entertainments, which runs a host of attractions in the town including The Blackpool Tower, Madame Tussauds and SEA LIFE.
Statistics from Google show Blackpool is second only to London in the most-searched-for destinations in the UK so far this year, with Stonehenge, Centerparcs and Bath making up the rest of the top five.
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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