We all know that times change. (We tell each other, all the time).
We know our industry is one of the fastest growing in the UK and must therefore reflect these times of change; leisure habits have undergone a major revolution, in the last 20 years.
But some change brings with it, maybe, regret, or pause for thought. In one of our early ISPAL e-zines, we featured the departure from Heathrow of the model Concorde, which had greeted millions of us as we used our major airport.
This week, the historic funfair at Rhyl, in North Wales, opened its doors for the last time. Once the magnet for many thousands of tourists, the popularity of the funfair (dating back to the 1890s) has declined since the 1960s. It will be demolished to make way for a new £85m leisure development of apartments, cafes and pubs.
This is a story told and repeated across the UK as traditional British seaside resorts reinvent themselves to attract today’s leisure (and cash) rich people. The rise and rise of cheap holidays, quick and easy travel options, guaranteed sunshine abroad, have given the kiss of (kiss-me-quick-hats) death to the old seaside resorts.
Let’s applaud local action to arrest decline, and to maintain employment. But does every new development have to look the same? Do our unique British towns have to look like clones, with the ubiquitous mix of national and international retailers, boulevards and designer apartments? Especially when tourist habits are changing. It’s no longer ‘cool’ to take a couple of holidays abroad, in this era of climate change. People are thinking about reducing their carbon footprint - about responsible eco-tourism. The lead comes from the top – Gordon Brown holidayed in Dorset this year (until foot and mouth got in the way!).
Perhaps, these changing times can lead back to some of the best of the past - to encouraging trips to the “traditional British seaside resort” in the 21st century.
Also in Wales, in Porthcawl, a seaside resort beloved of holidaying miners from the South Wales valleys is about to benefit from a multi-million pound regeneration package. The vision? A “premier seaside resort … achieved through a combination of quality design of buildings and the surrounding environment, comprising residential, leisure, cultural, tourism and retail uses. Central to this will be a revitalised harbour area incorporating the reuse of historic buildings, new leisure facilities and a fully refurbished harbour set within a prestigious and vibrant waterfront.”
Indeed, we are in times of change … let’s encourage each other, in this vital industry, to look for the right solutions for each unique town ... making the most of history and the new potential in this Brave New World “that hath such people in’t”.
Image: The £21m ‘People’s Playground’ promenade planned for Blackpool
