Free events vital as Blackpool facing tough tourism season

Blackpool’s free events programme continues to be essential to driving up visitor numbers, the latest tourism figures show.

With the cost of living crisis hitting many families in the pocket, the resort is relying more than ever on free attractions including the Illuminations, the Air Show and Christmas-by-the-Sea.

Indicators for 2023 show all three have seen a rise in numbers with Air Show crowds up 41 per cent last August compared to 2022.

Footfall for Christmas-by-the-Sea was up 18 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022, while it was up four per cent for the Illuminations.

A council report warns “it is critical that Blackpool continues to promote and market itself as an affordable family holiday destination offering both quality and good value for money”.

This means continuing to support free events throughout the year including Air Show, Ride The Lights, Switch-On, World Fireworks, Lightpool Festival, Christmas-by-the-Sea and the extended Illuminations season.

Other events such as the Elmer art trail and the Blackpool Cup youth football tournaments have also helped drive up visitor numbers.

Figures from the annual STEAM report, which analyses data from tourism and hospitality businesses, saw visitor numbers pass the 20 million mark in 2022, but data for 2023 will not be available until later in the year.

However, the council’s own data shows the following increases in footfall in 2023 –

Illuminations up four per cent to 18.7 million from 18 million

Christmas-by-the-sea up 18 per cent to 7.7 million from 6.5 million

Air Show up 41 per cent to 362,000 from 259,000

World Fireworks up two per cent to 178,333 from 175,000

The Illuminations Switch-On is estimated to have attracted a crowd of between 50,000 and 80,000

Footfall at some events was down, including New Year’s Eve Fireworks down 21 per cent and Lightpool down 11 per cent, with bad weather partly to blame.

Claire Smith, president of hoteliers group StayBlackpool, said free events were vital especially as the cost of living crisis was hitting tourism more than ever this season.

She said: “There is a perfect storm this year of the cost of living crisis, money people saved during Covid has been spent, the Euros means many families have holidayed in Europe for the football, the election created uncertainty and the weather has been bad.

“All of this has hit this season and so it is really tough. So the free events are more important than ever to keep bringing people in.”

The report is due to be presented to a meeting of the council’s Levelling Up Scrutiny Committee on Thursday, July 18.