Month: July 2020

Search online “What is the UK’s worst seaside resort?” And the answer appears in a fraction of a second: Skegness.

The Lincolnshire seaside resort is the latest victim in an investigation by members of Which?

They are an interesting layer of society. In an airline poll, they only awarded Ryanair one star for ‘cabin environment’ while Jet2 got four stars – even though both airlines use identical planes with exactly the same. number of seats.

Who? members clearly crave beach resorts popular with the masses. When asked to “rate the beach, attractions, waterfront and scenery in over 100 UK seaside towns and villages,” they also said Great Yarmouth, Clacton-on-Sea, Bognor Regis, Mablethorpe (twin station of Skegness) and Blackpool.

All of the resorts in the last six locations in the survey have seen better days, but this summer they will provide great vacations and excursions to millions of people.

I am concerned, however, that the Lincolnshire coast may be quieter than it should be due to the Which? survey. You don’t go to Skegness on your way to anywhere else – except perhaps poor and slandered Mablethorpe.

Who? does a terrific job of providing the traveler with consumer information and lobbying the government on their behalf, but I suggest he reconsider the terms of his annual seaside survey.

As proof, I will cite a few examples from the Sussex coast. One of them isn’t even on the coast at all: Rye is now high and dry, two miles inland from the English Channel. The old Cinque Port is a charming town, but anyone hoping to swim will be sadly disappointed.

Brighton, further west, has the merit of being really on the sea. Here, I agree with which? members that the beach is lousy.

But I’m not sure we can trust their judgment on food and shopping. The collective belief is that Britain’s most beautifully indulgent seaside resort has worse food and drink than Southwold, St Andrew’s and Tynemouth, and that its retail offering is lower than that of Little Lymington in Hampshire. .

A spokesperson for Brighton and Hove Council told me: ‘The survey has very strange rankings because we get four out of five for’ peace and quiet ‘despite being known to be a bustling city around the clock.

“Plus, we’re only two out of five for ‘shopping’ when we have our famous North Laine and Lanes, dozens of designer boutiques and independent stores as well as all the usual Main Street favorites.

“Ultimately people will make up their own minds, but we love our visitors and are very happy that 11 million people choose to come to Brighton and Hove each year.”

Here is a quick survey from me:? will members really be allowed to participate in future travel polls (and even general elections)?

British seaside resorts are fragile. They need love, investment, and visitors – not to be hit while on land.

St Ives tops the list, with Falmouth in third. Bude came in fourth and Newquay took last place in the top ten.

The results were compiled on the basis of the average price of the cheapest available double room in a hotel or guesthouse during the month of August.

Only properties within walking distance of a beach and rated at least three stars were considered.

Read more : Goodbye Cornwall – Heavy traffic on the A30 as large numbers of people leave the county

With an average rate of £ 124 per night, St Ives has become the most expensive destination.

At the cheaper end of the scale, the famous seaside resort of Blackpool in Lancashire ranked as the UK’s most affordable destination, with an average rate of just £ 34 per night.

As for the impact of Covid-19 on hotel prices, rates overall are down about ten percent on average compared to last year.

The website said a handful of destinations had seen their fares drop significantly, such as Brighton (25 percent lower) and Oban in Scotland (43 percent lower).

Although prices fell 36% in Sidmouth, the town was still the second most expensive seaside resort in the UK.

And in some places prices have even increased, such as at Shanklin on the Isle of Wight (up 9%) and Lytham St Annes in Lancashire (up 22%).

Table of the 30 seaside resorts in the United Kingdom

1. Saint-Ives £ 124

2. Sidmouth £ 84

3. Falmouth £ 78

4. Bude £ 77

5. Portrush £ 76

6. Lytham St Annes £ 75

7. Poole £ 73

8. Tenby £ 72

9. Whitby £ 71

10. Newquay £ 68

11. Southend-on-Sea £ 68

12. Shanklin £ 67

13. Weymouth £ 67

14. Ilfracombe 66 €

15. Lower £ 65

16. Southport £ 61

17. Oban £ 60

18. Weston-super-Mare £ 59

19. Brighton £ 58

20. Llandudno £ 58

21. Folkestone £ 56

22. Ayr £ 55

23. Paignton £ 54

24. Scarborough £ 54

25. Bournemouth £ 52

26. Skegness £ 51

27. Torquay £ 51

28. Eastbourne £ 47

29. Swansea £ 46

30. Blackpool £ 35

Over 4,100 visitors told Which? on recent UK trips to seaside towns, villages and resorts – helping Consumers’ Champion put together a list of the best locations.

Holidaymakers have been asked to rate their recent UK seaside visits based on a variety of factors including food and drink, seaside, beach, value for money and peace and quiet. tranquility.

The investigation, conducted before the coronavirus hit, found that people’s favorite beach destinations were those with a bit of space and a bit of peace and quiet away from the crowds.

Visitors have named St Mawes in Cornwall the best place in the UK for a seaside break this year, but two towns in North Wales have also made it to Britain’s top 20.

Llandudno came in 10th with a score of 80% in a ranking based on criteria such as seafront, catering offer and shopping.

Right behind was Conwy – whose attractions and scenery were the factors that impressed vacationers the most – giving the city an overall score of 78%.

The Italian village of Portmeirion, near Penrhyndeudraeth, scored 77% and Aberdyfi in Gwynedd scored 75%, making it into the top 30 of the top 100 list.

Criccieth has been named a Hidden Gem with high marks, but lower visitor numbers than many of the more popular resorts.

Aberconwy AM Janet Fimch-Saunders said: “I am delighted that residents of the UK have voted Conwy and Llandudno among the best seaside communities to visit in Wales and the UK.

“This is not surprising when you consider the exceptional attractions, businesses, food and hospitality that are on offer here.

“Learning this news in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic gives me hope. I hope people across the UK choose to support our local businesses and spend their holidays here in Aberconwy this summer.

“Our businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic, so this positive result of Who? should be seen as a tremendous boost to our region, and an important nod to everyone in the tourism and hospitality sector that they are doing a fantastic job. ”

Elsewhere in Wales, St Davids in Pembrokeshire and Tenby performed well, with many destinations in the country scoring high marks for scenery and value for money.

Further in the rankings were other iconic seaside resorts with Victorian-era piers, game rooms and roller coasters, including Great Yarmouth (48%), Clacton-on-sea (48%), Bognor Regis (49%) and Blackpool (53%).

Rory Boland, which one? The travel editor said: “With many people choosing to vacation in the UK this summer, now is a good time to explore areas of the country that you may not have considered before and to expand our sand castles to- beyond the beaches of Devon and Cornwall. As our survey shows, it’s the small seaside towns and villages with fewer visitors that vacationers love.

“Whether it’s hitting the waves in Tynemouth or camping in Criccieth, there are some great options for those of us who want to stay away from the crowds this year, but still want to combine breathtaking landscapes with sumptuous seafood. Remember that if you book your hotel or accommodation directly and by phone, you may even get a discount or a free bottle of champagne.

Have your say on the reopening of Welsh pubs by participating in our survey here.

Some of Norfolk and Waveney’s seaside resorts have been named among the best in the country by Which?

The consumer group has created a list of the 50 “best and worst beach towns” after a survey of more than 3,700 visitors.

The highest ranked entry in our region was Southwold, which placed third nationally with a ‘city score’ of 84pc. Blakeney was just behind in 6th place with a score of 83pc.

Rosemary Thew, chairwoman of Blakeney Parish Council, said the village was an unspoiled and friendly slice of North Norfolk’s paradise.

She said: “As you walk down the main street, the harbor view is pretty iconic – it hasn’t changed for 100 years. There is plenty to do, we have a range of cafes and restaurants and you can visit the Morston Seals. And it is a friendly village.

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She said visitors were welcome, but asked them to “please be respectful” and observe social distancing as many residents were older and vulnerable.

Southwold was just behind St Mawes in Cornwall, who topped the poll with a score of 85pc.

Other Norfolk and Waveney spots included on the list were Sheringham (75pc), Wells-next-the-Sea (75pc), Cromer (70pc) and Hunstanton (62pc). Lowestoft had a score of 61pc while Great Yarmouth, our region’s lowest ranked town on the list and second to last overall, got a score of 48pc.

City scores were calculated from reviews in categories such as beach, attractions, scenery, peace and quiet, and value for money, as well as the likelihood that people would recommend the place as vacation destination.

MORE: Could Norfolk Enjoy Summer Of ‘Stay’? Who ? also listed hotel prices for many places. They say a night in a Southwold hotel will cost an average of £ 160, while a stay in Wells costs £ 148, Cromer £ 139, Hunstanton £ 103, Lowestoft £ 80 and Yarmouth £ 68.

Sheringham is said to have the third highest average hotel price of any resort in the country, with an average night costing £ 163.

The top-rated spots in Norfolk and Waveney were part of a trend of less touristy small towns and villages ranking higher than ‘classic’ favorites, which nationally include St Ives and Salcombe.

The survey results come as resorts in the region gear up for a busy second half of the summer season, as lockdown eases and travel restrictions have prompted many to consider ‘stays’ instead. than to go abroad.