What was the downfall of Blackpool?

After WW2, from 1960 onwards Blackpool began to stagnate, then decline because of package holidays, cheaper air transport and better climates. Foreign travel grew in popularity in the 1960s and 70s with its more reliable hot, dry and sunny weather and sandy beaches. The expansion of package holidays and cheaper flights, in addition to more competing destinations. The growth of budget airlines and cheaper accommodation from the 1990s onwards. People are changing to self catering and buying time shares or holiday homes abroad. Overcrowding in Blackpool, and a shift in the market to late night drinking, stag parties and hen parties. Visitor numbers fell from 17 million to 11 million in 2000.

Visitor numbers have been great, but they haven’t been staying over. Rising costs for gas, electricity, food and staff wages, combined with national insurance increases, have taken a toll on the resort’s accommodation sector. Higher visitor numbers feed the cafes and restaurants, but it hasn’t been good for hotels. We’ve seen plenty of visitors, but they’re not staying overnight. The growing reliance on day-trippers presents a significant challenge. Day visitors bring in vital income for restaurants, cafes and attractions, but they don’t sustain the hotels, theaters and nightlife that have long defined Blackpool’s character. Without a return to overnight tourism, many businesses could struggle to survive. Rising costs have forced some restaurants to cut back from seven to five days of operation, and the availability of cheap European city breaks continues to lure potential overnight tourists elsewhere.