A call to ditch Blackpool’s extended Illuminations season because it is not cost-effective has been dismissed by council bosses who say the Lights provide a massive boost to the resort.
Conservative councillor Graham Baker says the decision to run the Illuminations for an extra two months has diluted visitor numbers instead of increasing them.
He told a meeting of the full council: “I am wondering about the cost effectiveness of the Illuminations, running for four months from the beginning of September to the beginning of January.
“What seems to be happening is visitors are spreading their visits to Blackpool out now over this period, whereas at one time it was a tighter period.
“You used to avoid the Promenade during the Illuminations because it was a nightmare travelling north to south or south to north. These days you can go up and down without too much trouble.
“So I don’t think there is the same number of people on the Promenade going through the Illuminations each night. I have spoken to hoteliers, both single owners and hotel chain management, and they are not as busy either but are having to staff right through. So this is not helping them.
“The Fireworks Championships and Christmas by the Sea are obviously a big attraction. But I’m just wondering if we should be looking at the cost of the Illuminations and whether it would be better to go back to having a break at some point for three or four weeks or maybe just having the Illuminations on at the weekend.”
But council leader Coun Lynn Williams said there were no plans to axe the extension to the Illuminations which was first introduced in 2020. She said the display was key to the resort attracting 20 million visitors last year including seven million winter visitors.
She said: “While other tourist towns are shutting down, we are getting going again with the Illuminations. We have absolutely no intention of altering the Illuminations.
“The Christmas by the Sea has been a massive success. It brings in millions of visitors not just for car parks, but restaurants and all our businesses. If you have been down, even in this inclement weather over the last couple of weeks it is still really busy during the week.”
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