VISITOR ACCOMMODATION STUDY FYLDE COAST SUB-REGION BLACKPOOL, FYLDE & THE WYRE COUNCILS FINAL REPORT AUGUST 2009 12 Bolton Street Pavilion View 2 Stable Courtyard Mayfair 19 New Road Broughton Hall London W1J 8BD Brighton BN1 1UF Skipton BD23 3AE Westgate House 2nd Floor 39/41 Romsey Road 14 Churchill Way Winchester SO22 5BE Cardiff CF10 2DX www.humberts-leisure.com CONTENTS 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................................1 1.1 AREA DEMAND PROFILE ...............................................................................................................................................1 1.2 THE NATIONAL TOURISM MARKET .................................................................................................................................2 1.3 THE FYLDE COAST .......................................................................................................................................................2 1.4 BLACKPOOL .................................................................................................................................................................3 1.5 FYLDE .........................................................................................................................................................................5 1.6 WYRE..........................................................................................................................................................................8 2 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................11 2.1 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................................11 2.2 HLL HUMBERTS LEISURE............................................................................................................................................11 2.3 METHODOLOGY..........................................................................................................................................................11 2.4 RECOGNITION OF RISK ...............................................................................................................................................12 3 AREA DEMAND PROFILE...........................................................................................................................................13 3.1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................13 3.2 TRANSPORT & ACCESSIBILITY .....................................................................................................................................13 3.3 LOCAL POPULATION PROFILE......................................................................................................................................16 3.4 LOCAL ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT................................................................................................................................18 3.5 LOCAL REGENERATION INITIATIVES..............................................................................................................................21 3.6 SUMMARY OF LOCAL DEMAND POTENTIAL ...................................................................................................................24 4 THE NATIONAL & LOCAL TOURISM MARKET.........................................................................................................26 4.1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................26 4.2 ECONOMIC CHANGE IN SEASIDE TOWNS......................................................................................................................26 4.3 NATIONAL TOURISM TRENDS.......................................................................................................................................26 4.4 REGIONAL TOURISM TRENDS IN THE NORTH WEST.......................................................................................................28 4.5 TOURISM TRENDS IN BLACKPOOL ................................................................................................................................29 4.6 TOURISM TRENDS IN FYLDE ........................................................................................................................................34 4.7 TOURISM TRENDS IN WYRE.........................................................................................................................................37 4.8 COMPARISON OF LOCAL TOURISM TRENDS..................................................................................................................39 4.9 TOURISM MARKET SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................41 5 THE NATIONAL ACCOMMODATION MARKET.........................................................................................................42 5.1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................42 5.2 SERVICED ACCOMMODATION ......................................................................................................................................43 5.3 NON-SERVICED ACCOMMODATION ..............................................................................................................................44 5.4 CARAVAN PARKS........................................................................................................................................................44 5.5 TIMBER LODGES.........................................................................................................................................................47 5.6 ACCOMMODATION MARKET SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................48 6 THE BLACKPOOL ACCOMMODATION MARKET.....................................................................................................50 6.1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................50 6.2 SERVICED ACCOMMODATION ......................................................................................................................................50 6.3 NON-SERVICED ACCOMMODATION ..............................................................................................................................57 6.4 OVERALL APPRAISAL OF THE BLACKPOOL ACCOMMODATION MARKET ...........................................................................62 7 THE FYLDE ACCOMMODATION MARKET................................................................................................................64 7.1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................64 7.2 SERVICED ACCOMMODATION ......................................................................................................................................64 7.3 NON-SERVICED ACCOMMODATION ..............................................................................................................................67 7.4 OVERALL APPRAISAL OF THE FYLDE ACCOMMODATION MARKET ...................................................................................72 8 THE WYRE ACCOMMODATION MARKET.................................................................................................................73 8.1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................73 8.2 SERVICED ACCOMMODATION ......................................................................................................................................73 8.3 NON-SERVICED ACCOMMODATION ..............................................................................................................................76 8.4 OVERALL APPRAISAL OF THE WYRE ACCOMMODATION MARKET....................................................................................80 9 THE OVERALL FYLDE COAST ACCOMMODATION MARKET ................................................................................81 9.1 INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................................................81 9.2 SERVICED ACCOMMODATION ......................................................................................................................................81 9.3 NON-SERVICED ACCOMMODATION ..............................................................................................................................82 9.4 OVERALL APPRAISAL OF THE AREA’S ACCOMMODATION OFFER ....................................................................................86 10 BENCHMARKING ........................................................................................................................................................87