Blackpool Faces it's Biggest Challenge To Date

Blackpool Faces it's Biggest Challenge To Date

Jun, 30 2020


We all remember the seaside resort Blackpool as children. The fun at The Pleasure Beach, the joy and laughter at the circus, the magical illuminations, the awkward donkey rides, Blackpool rock and the classic fish and chips by the sea.
 
Perhaps we have children of our own now and we want them to experience everything we did when we were kids. 
 
Unfortunately, Blackpool is another town that has been hit hard by the corona virus. A recent report said the town could lose an estimated 200,000 visitors due to the collapse of holiday coach operators.
 
Other fears have surfaced regarding venues like the Winter Gardens and their entertainment calendar. The management term are discussing ways conferences, shows and events can be delivered on an individual basis to determine whether they can go ahead in some form or be moved to another date. This will all take into equation the current concept of social distancing. 
 
In May tourism body Visit Blackpool rebranded as Do Not Visit Blackpool to discourage visitors when lockdown restrictions were eased. Yet Blackpool Council want to reassure the public that Blackpool now can be seen as a safe place to visit. 
 
The council acted promptly in response to the negative claim back in May, and, at the start of June, they rejected a call to close the resort to visitors to protect locals and it has also been confirmed that Blackpool Illuminations will be extended until next year to help the town's tourism trade.
 
Despite the restrictions easing slightly, Blackpool’s main source of tourism is from coach travel. Almost two months ago Specialist Leisure Group, home to Shearings and National Holidays collapsed into administration. 
 
The Local Democracy Reporting Service stated that the report said Blackpool Council was working with "what remains" of the coach industry to find a solution to keep visitors returning. 
 
The impact of Covid -19 has also caused a financial loss to  a family run bingo  business over a 46 year period. Now they have announced it will not reopen after lockdown. 
 
These are not isolated incidences. Up and down the country you will read and discover about trade and tourism being affected by the corona virus. We may feel the sting of it more because Blackpool is close to home for the majority of us. We grew up with family memories and  it became a part of our lives. Yet now we see it face a monumental challenge - adapting to the ‘new normal’ and finding new ways of reaching the public perhaps with slogans and persuasive posters. This is Blackpool’s biggest challenge - even bigger than ‘The Big One’. 
 
The tourism recovery plan will be assessed by councillors tomorrow, 1st  July.
 
Blackpool's tourism industry faces "hurdles" when reopening as the town recovers from the coronavirus lockdown, a council report has warned. 
 
^Alex Ashworth CCG UK Blogger.