Fish and chips, Wetherspoons and sunshine - Blackpool named in UK's top 5 spots for classic British holiday
Blackpool earned a top “Britishness score”.
Blackpool has been named one of the UK’s top coastal destinations for a classic British holiday, according to a new ranking of the country’s most popular seaside resorts.
The resort placed fifth in The Great British Coastal Resort Index, recording a “Britishness score” of 61.2 out of 100 and completing the top five alongside Bournemouth, Brighton, Southend-on-Sea and Great Yarmouth.
The research analysed 50 of the UK’s most popular seaside towns and coastal resorts across 10 factors, including access to fish and chip shops, arcades, Wetherspoons pubs, boat trips and average weather conditions.
Blackpool’s strongest result came in the number of Wetherspoons pubs located within a five-mile radius – the resort had the highest number of the pub chain’s venues among all the destinations analysed.
The ranking comes as more people opt for staycations over holidays abroad, with traditional British seaside breaks once again proving popular.
The Great British Coastal Resort Index described the appeal of a British seaside holiday as including the familiar sights and sounds of slot machines along the promenade, fish and chips, pubs and beer gardens, alongside the possibility of typically unpredictable British weather.
Bournemouth topped the research with a Britishness score of 73.8 out of 100. The South West resort scored highly for its access to six nearby crazy golf courses and 14 watersports options, including jet skiing, surfing and paddleboarding.
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It also performed strongly for its weather, recording an average annual temperature of 11.4°C and around 798mm of rainfall per year – one of the lowest rainfall totals among the destinations analysed.
Brighton came second with a score of 67.5 out of 100, with the seaside city scoring highly for its 84 fish and chip options across takeaways and restaurants listed on TripAdvisor. It also had 12 locations offering arcade games and amusements, including the Brighton Palace Pier amusement arcade.
Southend-on-Sea and Great Yarmouth completed the top five ahead of Blackpool, scoring 66.3 and 63.6 respectively, compared with Blackpool’s 61.2.
The research highlights the enduring appeal of traditional seaside attractions and experiences, with Blackpool’s strong showing placing the resort among the leading destinations for holidaymakers looking for a quintessential British coastal break.