Blackpool Booming?

Andy Hine MBE · Blackpool Booming?

Taken from Fridays FT.

Blackpool tries to turn with tide by saying less is more
By Andrew Bounds
Published: August 21 2009 03:00

Amanda Thompson, man-aging director of the Pleasure Beach, the most popular attraction in Blackpool, appears surprisingly sanguine about falling visitor numbers this year. They declined by a third to 20,000 a day. For Ms Thompson there is a silver lining: this was the first time visitors had been charged to enter the attraction, one of many that have made the English seaside resort famous.

"People were coming in [before] because it was free. Now they are coming in to have a fantastic time," she says. The £5 ($8.20, €5.80) entrance fee was set in order to recoup some of the £8m spent on recreating the park's 1930s art deco glory days. "We're giving people a better experience. They used to come just for a picnic with only 21 per cent even buying a drink."

She says this year's visitors included high-spenders of the type who had avoided Blackpool of late, now finding shorter queues for the rollercoasters and ghost trains. "Our number of [social class] Bs is way up. You have to beat expectations, not just meet them. We want to give people something they don't expect in Blackpool."

Full article:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9051def...-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

bradpeet

Well I was there on Saturday, and the place was really busy!

Early afternoon, the queue for the big one filled all the available 'cattle pen' space and more too.

Although observation in the ticket centre leads me to believe that very few people were paying full admission price. Either a 33% discount for booking online, or Tesco vouchers or BOGOF offers.

David Ellis

My Mum and Niece recently visited Blackpool on their annual holiday. My Niece always loves the Pleasure Beach and Mum always used to take her for a few rides.

This year my Niece only wanted to "pop in" to get one ride on the Pepsi Max, but when they found out that both of them would have to pay £5 just to get into the Park, plus the charge to ride the coaster, they decided it was far too expensive for one ride, and spent their money elsewhere.

That's two previously happy customers probably lost for good. How many more might have been in the same position?

David.

Steven Burns

Magic

As I said when they announced the admission charge, guest numbers will significantly drop, but the success or failure of the policy will be in the profit of the park. I'm sure the park will see a huge increase as they won't be paying out for people to use their toilets etc. and not spend any money in the park. Whilst some will be put off, the queues now forming in the park would suggest many haven't been