How Traditional Seaside Resorts Have Changed over the Last 50 Years free essay sample

Llandudno is an example of a seaside resort that was established in the 19th century. The photograph was taken in the 1960s when resorts such as this were still developing and flourishing as a ‘bucket and spade’ location. As you can see in the photograph, the resort of Llandudno is focussed around the bay and its beach. This would have previously been the main attraction to the area, however some resorts such as Blackpool and Brighton are now becoming more popular destinations for their nightlife and other attractions (such as Pleasure Beach Theme Park in Blackpool), rather than for the beaches themselves. This has resulted in smaller resorts such as Llandudno, which have a small number of attractions other than its beach, to become much less popular. Seaside resorts have changed over the past 50 years so that the main attraction is no longer the beach, but the various other attractions available. We will write a custom essay sample on How Traditional Seaside Resorts Have Changed over the Last 50 Years or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Another feature of the photograph is that the railway station clearly dominates the foreground. This shows that 50 years ago the main mode of transport used to access resorts such as Llandudno would have been by rail. However, this is no longer the case, as railways are used a lot less, and in some cases not at all. Therefore the land left from the reduced use of the railway station would have been converted into car parks or possibly building developments. This is because the use of cars and the development of motorways over the past 50 years has increased dramatically, and therefore resorts become much more accessible by road. This results in the need for more car parks, and it also means that more visitors choose only to visit for a day/weekend rather than a week. Furthermore, the pier that is visible towards the top right of the photograph would have undergone many changes over the past 50 years. Some piers become derelict due to the fact that there is very little local/foreign investment and visitor numbers have decreased dramatically, for example West Pier in Brighton. However, some piers receive some investment and therefore are renovated and new facilities added in an attempt to keep visitor numbers up, such as the pier in Bangor. Another example of a pier that has had much development is Eastbourne Pier. Here several nightclubs have been built on the pier, attracting many new visitors. The photograph shows a number of large buildings that line the bay. These, 50 years ago, would have been busy hotels. However because there has been a massive drop in visitor numbers to traditional seaside resorts over the past 50 years, these hotels will either be significantly less busy or derelict, or would have possibly been converted into offices/flats. In addition, the reasonably large buildings further inland would have been boarding houses/guesthouses. However, many of these will now have been changed into self-catering flats. Many hotels and guesthouses in seaside resorts have had to close over the past 50 years as visitor numbers have dropped. Blackpool, for example, is said to have more beds in hotels and bed breakfasts than in the whole of Portugal, however after its peak number of visitors in 1950 being 19 million, the resort has declined to the extent that now only 30% of the accommodation is actually occupied. This results in a lot of businesses having to close. There has been some minor development in Llandudno, however it would still be classified as in the declining stage of Butler’s Model. There are some bingo halls and a concert hall, as well as a new leisure centre. The changes are not just physical, however. There has been a social change over the past 50 years from seaside resorts being family based holidays, to supporting niche markets. As previously mentioned, Blackpool and Brighton are now known for their nightlife, most notably Blackpool which has been reported in the media to be a ‘binge drinking haven’. Seaside resorts such as Newquay are now very popular for its surf and also for young people who visit after completing their GCSE examinations. This, unfortunately, means that resorts such as Llandudno suffer greatly as they fail to support any niche markets other than a cheap family day trip/a destination for the elderly. There are several reasons for this decline in tourism in traditional seaside resorts. Most important is the establishment of cheap package holidays to more attractive destinations, where there are more attractions and services and often guaranteed good weather.