Why are seaside resorts hard to rebrand

Altrincham Market Facebook. The idea that a focus on local retailers can lead to more prosperous towns, seems to make perfect sense. There have been many studies on how different types of business recycle money back into to the local economy and it is universally conclusive that independent local retailers retain far more money in the local economy than national chains. While the number varies, the evidence is irrefutable - local business help other local businesses thrive and the local economy prosper.

Six reasons to shop small and local Wire UK. Shop local first San Fransisco local owned merchants alliance. What happens when you shop local Independant Westand. Why buying local is worth every cent Huffington Post. This policy of focussing on supporting local businesses to develop a good local economy has been repeated across the country with much success. However, in some places they have taken this one step further and even created their own local currency, including Totnes , Lewes , Brixton and Bristol.

Hull has its own local digital currency that can be earned from volunteering and used to pay council tax. An innovative new scheme to help independent shops in Norfolk fight back against multinational chains is set to be launched. The project, a first of its kind in the county, has created a digital high street where shoppers can browse and buy from local shops via a single website, and collect their purchases from in-store or at out-of-hours collection points.

Breckland Council is funding the project for three years as part of its ongoing Market Town Initiative to support businesses in Swaffham, Dereham, Thetford, Watton and Attleborough. This is about so much more than a new website though, this is about encouraging a culture of supporting our independent shops and pulling together to protect our high streets. Given the evidence that local independent business are good for the local economy, it seems obvious that councils could help their areas, by supporting local independent retailers over national chains.

This in turn would lead to a chain effect where council income from businesses should increase as a result of the better local economy, and then more council money can be used for local schemes, which in turn will further boost the economy.

In the case of seaside towns reliant on holiday customers, it would seem that this effect can be even more effective, given that:. Our own studies have shown that holidaymakers see local independent shops and restaurants as the most important things affecting their choice of holiday destination.

In effect they become a draw to the town in their own right. Holidaymakers will spend their money on more interesting, unusual and local produce, than if they were not on holiday. In effect creating a strong presence of interesting local independent shops, not only has all the benefits it would in a non-holiday town, but it also acts as a draw, to bring in more tourists to the town in general.

Of special significance here is that the tourists attracted to an area by local independent retailers, also have a profile of high disposable incomes. Bristol pound is just one example of what local currencies can achieve The Guardian. Do local currencies actually work?

The Long and Short. From the Lake District to east London: which areas have local currencies? Brixton Pound — The local currency with its own cash machine Business Advice. Local currencies: The wasted opportunities Resilience. A lot of work and government support has gone into figuring out how to positively promote regeneration in coastal areas. Art-led regeneration is now a well-established route to change, and Margate and East Kent have been leading the way over the past few years, with the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery , opening in Initially funded by Kent County Council and the Arts Council, this is a case of an iconic building acting as a catalyst for renewal.

This initial government-funded initiative has since led to significant private investment in Margate, with shops, restaurants and hotels all opening to profit from the regeneration effect. This was pushed further with the re-opening of the Wayne Hemingway-branded Dreamland last summer. And other local attractions have upped their game too.

The amazing Quex Park in Birchington , with its Edwardian Mansion and events programme, and the Powell-Cotton Museum , which contains an amazing collection of taxidermy, have both become standout destinations in their own right. Around the coast from Margate, Folkestone has promoted its Arts Triennial for a number of years with both temporary and permanent art concentrated in a small locality.

The development of restaurants and businesses around the harbour draws people to the Cultural Quarter. Unlike Margate with its iconic building-led revival, Folkestone has focused on a core problem and come up with a defined plan within a small area of town. Further afield, Tate St Ives is drawing large numbers of visitors.

Even in Blackpool where, 15 years ago, The Great Promenade Show was established as a permanent outdoor public art gallery with 10 permanent installations spread over 2 km, we can see tourism returning to deprived areas.

Overseas, places like the Guggenheim in Bilbao remain a testament to the positive effect that arts-led regeneration can have. Silicon Beach describes a long strip of the south coast, and is primarily used to describe Brighton , Bournemouth and Poole. According to Forbes, Brighton now has the highest density of digital companies of anywhere in the UK. Coastal communities, while benefiting from the position as a desirable place to live and visit, have always generally been less appealing to traditional businesses that rely on physical products, as due to their location they will always suffer from poorer transport links, and all the issues caused by a seasonal business cycle and customer footfall.

What is therefore desirable and indeed critical to a lot of traditional bricks and mortar businesses, is not relevant to these new age businesses. This difference in needs means that these new tech businesses can thrive in locations where traditional bricks and mortar businesses would never consider locating. Indeed the things that hamper traditional bricks and mortar companies from thriving in seaside towns can be the very things that help tech and other similar businesses to thrive.

Falmouth has even created " Falmouth Launch Pad " to help fund and develop new tech startups in the local area, and Torbay has just launched a public and private sector partnership to create Silicon Bay!

This is also not a phenomenon unique to the UK, and it is being repeated across the globe with it being reported as a trend occurring in the US for many years. If a place fulfils a need for a high quality of lifestyle, then it is likely to appeal to start-ups. Furthermore, as these places are less appealing to traditional bricks and mortar businesses, there is far less competition in terms of office space. Silicon Beach - Britains fastest growing tech hub Forbes. Silicon Beach - Britains unlikely new tech hub The Telegraph.

Boom in high tech businesses in Cornwall as number of start-ups triples Software Cornwall. Tech firms are putting Devon and Cornwall on the global map Cornwall Live. Why popular tourist towns are becoming silicon valley copycats.

Why has Brighton become the hub for the UK's digital industry. So long, London: why startups are choosing to leave the capital The Guardian. Studies of successful resorts, from Whitstable to Whitby which increased visitor numbers by per cent between and , attribute their success largely to investing in public areas and heritage buildings, good leadership and — above all — a strong community spirit. The rebirth of British seaside towns Academy of Urbanism. Rediscovering cultural tourism in seaside towns Research Gate.

Coastal communities fund annual progress report UK Gov. Coastal Research and Statistics British Destinations. Seaside town regeneration and the interconnections between the physical environment, key agencies and mid-life migration PHD research paper - Brighton University.

Introduction We are the largest provider of activity based breaks in the UK, and send over , customers away on stag weekends, hen parties, activity breaks, corporate events and team building days each year. Part 1 - 8 Seaside towns undergoing transformation We take a look at how Margate, Hastings, Weymouth, Folkestone, Exmouth, Newquay, North Shields and Bournemouth are trying to turn a corner and rejuvenate their towns.

Margate - A focus on creative and arts Not all that long ago Margate was a drab seaside town rejected by even the bucket-and-spade brigade. Bournemouth - The new tech and startup hotspot Over the decade, Bournemouth has undertaken an astonishing transformation, from a fusty retirement town; to a place that is so revolutionised that it is able to attract top talent away from London, with its thriving digital economy and relaxed coastal culture.

Tech Nation, which works with digital economies around the country, highlights the three main reasons why the Bournemouth area has become so attractive to digital companies: Helpful tech community Appealing area Access to talent This may give some hope to a lot of seaside towns that have been wondering how to revive their economies - they already have the attraction of the area provided they haven't ruined their towns with too much with poor historical planning!

Newquay - From anti-social behaviour capital to foodie heaven An article written in interviewed the residents of Newquay about how the towns 'party capital' reputation, was damaging its attraction to other types of tourists and causing misery to the local community:- "The teenage invasion is a terrible problem for this town.

Hastings - Arts and Historic Old Town Hastings has had it pretty bad, and in was officially Britain's 3rd most deprived seaside town after Blackpool and Clacton!

The council's vision is outlined as follows: Our vision is for the renaissance of Hastings, with culture at the heart of its identity and regeneration, delivering long term economic and social benefits for all. Folkstone - A model for seaside town regeneration Folkestone is a place that once had it all, lost it, and is now getting it all back - plus a lot more besides.

The Harbour Arm The creative quarter is by no means the only thing that has seen a rejuvenation in Folkestone, and an interesting unique conversion of redundant historical buildings are being given a new lease of life across town and drawing in high spending tourists interested in arts, history, culture and fine food.

Exmouth - Watersports based Regeneration Exmouth was suffering the same fate as almost all other traditional seaside towns, with tourism dropping from around , visitors in to , in , and the average visitor spend in Exmouth is half that of other Devon towns.

North Shields - Fish Quay Turning a fishing heritage into a thriving community 'Fish Quay' is a fantastic success story. Creative thinking Its testament to the creative thinking and ambition of the local community, that they had the foresight to see that the remaining fishing activities could be central to the areas regeneration in a way similar to where we have seen markets in London think Borough, Maltby St, Portobello, Camden, Spitalfields, Greenwich turn from pure work places associated with working class and decline, to centres at the heart of highly desirable areas to live, work and socialise.

Community and council working together Much of the developments success has been put down to a community-led document that continues to help shape the Fish Quay area, and in doing so achieved European recognition.

Local quality and community spirit Key to the areas success and 'brand' is its strong emphasis on business that are local, unique, and work together with other local business to enhance the areas uniqueness and community feel. The Staith House Among the many businesses that exemplify this ethos is The Staith House , where self-sufficiency and quality best local produce are at the centre of this award winning gastro pubs success.

Amazing growth results The area's regeneration initiatives clearly have something going for them, as while the vast majority of seaside communities economies have lagged behind the rest of the country, the North Tyneside area has had the third highest growth of all coastal communities in the UK. As a quick outline of the inherent potential of the town it has: A beach often known as the English 'Bay of Naples' and voted best in the UK in The 3rd most sunshine hours in the British Isles Four nature reserves - two right in the middle of the town and two on the edge.

One of the most attractive harbours in Europe recently used as the film set for D Day. A Georgian seafront described as the best preserved on the south coast. Situated in the middle of and surrounded on all sides by an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which is currently being looked at as becoming a national park Some of the best waters for sailing and other water sports in the UK Hosting the Olympics A fort and two castles if you count the one on Portland The 3rd largest man-made harbour in the world.

One of the largest remaining active fishing fleets in England. A pedestrianised and attractive old town shopping centre provided you look above the ground level A famous live music scene most town centre pubs have live music during the evening some point Festivals galore, including, Folk festivals, the largest seafood festival in the UK, Victorian and military weekends, and many music festivals.

Playing the numbers game Weymouth seems to be following a different path to the other towns in the study, with its regeneration strategy seemingly aimed at the budget end of the travel market and playing the numbers game. Blackpool of the south? Part 2 - The key to successful regeneration An in-depth look at the things that are working to help regenerate these once depressed towns into modern successful resorts with successful industry outside the tourist sector. So had the Mermaid Inn, a local s pub.

What a Lovely War , have burned down since A litany of once-grand seafront hotels has disappeared, too, having closed and turned into cheap rental housing. Still, although the economic and social problems of many seaside towns remain real enough, their story is not all gloom and doom.

The largest boon to the coast, though, may be something else: nostalgia. Today, there is the sense that, in all the hectic and complex rush to holiday abroad, we have forgotten the simple pleasures of picnics, rock-pooling and ice-creams in British resorts — pleasures seen more, perhaps, through the lens of old railway posters or the windscreens of refurbished VW Camper vans than experienced in reality.

Still, that nostalgia has meant that some resort towns have come into their own again in recent years. Avant-garde director Derek Jarman and other artists moved to exquisitely ramshackle Dungeness on the Kent coast. While some towns have had to struggle back from decline, though, others appear to have been immune to begin with. From the outset, Bournemouth attracted a prosperous middle class. An artistic one, too. From , the Bournemouth airport has hosted upmarket, champagne-fuelled flights around the Bay of Biscay.

The recovery of many British seaside towns is still paddling rather than swimming along. The key to its success is whether visitors are willing to buy into the image. Stay signed in. Forgotten password? Get the very latest news and insight from Campaign with unrestricted access to campaignlive. Get the latest creative jobs in advertising, media, marketing and digital delivered directly to your inbox each day.

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