Morecambe tourism chief slams ‘ridiculous’ Which? survey

The Which? survey asked 3,000 visitors about recent trips to seaside towns, villages and resorts in the UK, rating them on their beach, attractions, food and drink, scenery, and value for money.

Morecambe came in at 92nd place out of 100 coastal destinations, below Minehead in Somerset but above Margate, in Kent.

It received one out of five stars for its attraction and just two for its scenery and value for money, which Coun Jean Parr, from Lancaster City Council, described as “ludicrous”, given the town’s notoriety for its views of the Lake District mountains and its stunning sunsets.

A summer sunset taken from the Stone Jetty in Morecambe by David Dempster,

Blackpool fared little better than Morecambe, coming in at 87th, while Fleetwood fared worse, at 95th, fifth from bottom.

The winner was Bamburgh in Northumberland, while Bognor Regis in West Sussex and Essex’s Clacton-on-Sea shared the bottom spot of the table.

Morecambe Bay is an area of Special Scientific Interest, borders national parks and areas of outstanding Natural Beauty, and is home to many species of wildlife.

Travel writer and author Bill Bryson said “Morecambe Bay may be the most beautiful bay in Britain”, while bosses from Eden Project North, who are aiming to bring the world-renowned project to Morecambe, have described the bay as “stunning”.

The Eric Morecambe statue at sunset by Spencer Ross.

Coun Parr, who has responsibility for leisure and tourism at the council, said: “The people who were asked for their opinion in this ridiculous survey clearly haven’t been to Morecambe.

“To score two for scenery, when we are universally praised for some of the best views in the country and sunsets that are the envy of nearly every other seaside towns, just shows how ludicrous these findings are.

“Our beaches, which is another area where the town scored just two, also receive Seaside Awards every single year for their quality and range of facilities, so this is another preposterous conclusion.

“Anyone who lives in Morecambe knows how special the resort is, as do the tens of thousands of visitors that we welcome every single year. When the exciting plans for the Eden Project come to fruition we’ll be even better!”