News Archive
Scarborough – A Modern Resort or Hidden Gem?
14th Aug 2009
Tourists visiting the coastal town of Scarborough often have varying views of the UK’s first seaside resort. Is it a modern resort meeting the needs of today’s discerning tourist or is it still a hidden gem that holds its values as a traditional resort?
Traditionally Scarborough was home to the Great British Holiday where people from urban areas would flock to the coast for their annual Summer breaks. Today, the values of the traditional seaside holiday remain but at the same time Scarborough has to move forward. The town has to update itself as a modern resort in order to compete with other holiday destinations, and appeal to a wider range of people.
The problem the North Yorkshire seaside resort now faces is replacing the various family attractions that have faded away or been demolished over recent years. Some visitors to Scarborough fondly remember attractions such as the open air swimming pool, aquarium top, the open air theatre, Kinderland and Atlantis to name but a few. The town now faces the prospect of having to find replacements for these attractions in order to give the next generation of holidaymakers a reason to want to stay in the seaside resort.
Scarborough is not alone and as reported earlier this month in the Sunday Times magazine Torquay is going through a similar phase. It is a balancing act of keeping the great British seaside holiday alive but at the same time attracting new visitors. This will be done if both Torquay and Scarborough can develop more modern facilities and attractions.
It is not all doom and gloom however as Scarborough has taken many steps in the right direction and has developed some fantastic features and attractions over recent years including, two award winning sandy beaches, the Spa, The Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough Sealife Centre, which guests staying at our Scarborough hotels can get discounted tickets for, Playzone, Go Ape, Scarborough Castle and the newly revamped Rotunda Museum.
The more a holiday resort, like Scarborough, has to offer then the more likely people are to stay for more than one night. If the price is good value for money and the draw of the town is good then people may increase the number of nights that they stay.
The report featuring Scarborough and Torquay in the Sunday Times Magazine shows that Scarborough’s development of its new features and attractions has had an impact on visitors staying for more than one night. The UK Tourism Survey shows:
Top Seaside Resorts
(number of visitors for more than one night)
As the survey shows the return of the Great British holiday and the better weather has seen people to enjoy spontaneous trips to the many UK seaside destinations, including Scarborough. This is an encouraging trend that many Scarborough hotels and local attractions hope will continue for many years to come.
