2007 marks the return of bustling Blackpool
Despite failing in it’s bid to win the Super Casino licence, Blackpool has seen an ever-increasing number of visitors, and is back with a bang as the number one seaside destination in the UK.Leading online travel and leisure retailer lastminute.com has seen a spectacular increase in bookings at a variety of traditional seaside resorts this year with an incredible 113.5% growth year on year for Blackpool.
To complement lastminute.com’s latest figures, VisitBritain’s statistics show that 31% of the 67.9 million (20.7 million) holiday trips that Brits take in England were at the seaside, and the Tourist Board is expecting numbers to grow even more.
To respond to this trend, most of the UK seaside resorts have undergone a major overhaul, with openings and renovations of tourist attractions, hotels and restaurants. The beaches are also the cleanest they have ever been this year with the largest number of Blue Flags ever awarded in 2007.
lastminute.com reviewed its hotel and attractions bookings to find the most popular seaside resorts across Britain. Here are the new the top five seaside destinations:
1. Blackpool
Once the darling of the traditional British holiday, it seems that nothing could get in the way of Blackpool’s renaissance as lastminute.com has seen an incredible 113.5% growth in number of room nights. The resort is the most popular seaside destination in the UK and has reinvented itself as THE seaside resort of the North West. It is home to Britain’s most visited attraction Blackpool Pleasure Beach and has recently seen the opening of its first new hotel in 25 years.
2. Brighton
The funky seaside town of Brighton is the second most popular seaside resort in the UK at lastminute.com. The resort is now the home to celebrities, artists, media gurus and trendsetters and offers some of the trendiest hotels in the country.
3. Bournemouth
With a 41% increase in room nights, Bournemouth is lastminute.com’s third most popular seaside destination. A vast choice of bars, shops and restaurants, beautiful beaches and a stunning countryside nearby, Bournemouth is a firm favourite amongst Brits.
4. Torquay
Once famed for its bad hotels, it has become one of the most popular seaside towns again. lastminute.com has seen a record increase of 146.6% in room nights year on year taking it to fourth spot, and accommodation has seen a dramatic improvement with new openings and renovations.
5. Eastbourne
Home to the famous Beachy Head cliff, Eastbourne is up 14.4% year on year at lastminute.com. The elegant resort is the fifth most popular destination thanks to its wide range of activities all within easy reach, with the seafront promenade virtually leading straight on to the foot of the beautiful Eastbourne Downs and Beachy Head and the town centre just a few yards walk from the centrally located Victorian Pier.
Responding to this growing trend, lastminute.com has launched its new “Seaside Hotels” section in its hotel category offering a variety of stunning properties across the coastal resorts in the UK.
The most popular seaside hotels on the site include properties such as the first hotel to open in Blackpool for 25 years, the Big Blue Hotel. Bestsellers such as Bournemouth’s stylish Anglo-Swiss Hotel surrounded by lush private gardens, Torquay’s most infamous property the Gleneagles Hotel, once renowned as the inspiration for Fawlty Towers and now a delightful stylish boutique hotel and the Grand Hotel in Eastbourne, reflecting the glories of Victorian architecture, now one of the finest hotels in the South of England after being completely renovated.
To book a seaside hotel, go to Lastminute.com.