Blackpool urged not to hike prices up during hoped for tourism boom

Seaside towns are hoping for a busy season if restrictions continue to put the brakes on international travel.

But Coun Paul Galley told a meeting of Blackpool Council’s tourism, economy and communities scrutiny committee: “We are seeing a lot of prices rise but not necessarily seeing quality rise.

“For example I know because I bought one the other day, that we are selling some ice creams on the Prom for £3 for tiny ice creams.

“What that means is potentially all those people are going to say when I holidayed in the UK that one year, it was really expensive.

“I won’t do that again – as soon as I can go back to Spain I’ll do that.

“What can we do to gently nudge some of the private sector and businesses out there not to overprice and damage potential long term holidaymakers coming back?”

The council’s head of tourism Philip Welsh said Blackpool had to remain affordable.

He said: “We don’t want the season to be a one season wonder and it’s really important when visitors come here that they have an experience that makes them want to come back again.

“We want to make sure we give visitors a really good experience and we have always prided ourselves on being an affordable resort and that’s where we need to be.”

He added while there was overwhelming demand, paricularly for accommodation, in some parts of the country, he expected this to be “a short lived phenomenon”.

Mr Welsh said: “I think there is a pent up demand at the moment, but I think that will start to balance out particularly as European markets start to open up again.

“Part of our strategic focus is on making sure whatever we do this summer is sustainable.”

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