IMAGE: ALAMY
A
s a child, David Jarratt and his entire Cumbrian village would decamp en masse to Morecambe for a seaside break. They didn’t do it ironically, reluctantly or self-consciously.
They did it because, back in the 1970s, tourist hotspots such as the Lancashire resort were — in holiday escapism terms — the only show in town. That decade, of course, was to prove a turning
point. The unfettered growth and popularity of the UK’s coastal towns over the preceding century, both fuelled and serviced by the Industrial Revolution, fi nally hit the buff ers. A range of micro and macro factors, from
whittled-down transport links to the availability of cheap foreign holidays, combined to lay waste to seaside towns. And precious few were to escape the ruinous eff ects of this retreat of the economic tide. “In some places, like Morecambe, the spiral of
decline was pretty quick — attractions just falling one after another,” says David, 52, now a senior lecturer in tourism management at the University of Central Lancashire. “In others, it was more a slow bleed. The 1980s and 1990s were a really dark time for most UK seaside resorts.” Fast forward to 2025 and it’s a very diff erent
picture. Sure, only the most misty-eyed nostalgist could fail to spot boarded-up shops and peeling paintwork. But around this have sprung up galleries and cutting-edge art installations, rich cultural and culinary off erings, thriving creative quarters and a renewed sense of community. With totemic, big-money attractions such as
Tate St Ives and the imminent £100m Eden Project Morecambe only adding to the momentum, these once-glittering jewels of the UK tourism industry are beginning to reclaim their lustre. “What tourism relies on in particular is ‘place
image’,” says David. “Ten or 15 years ago, people going on holiday to places like Morecambe would tell me they still enjoyed it but were embarrassed to share this with anyone. I think that’s changed now. No one’s treating Britain’s coastal towns as a joke.”
Staycation boom Just as the decline stemmed from multiple factors, the resurgence is driven by a complex web of infl uences. The cost of living crisis, fl ight scepticism and the lure of the great outdoors are all playing a part. So too is the staycation boom, which was accelerated by the pandemic.
“It’s really hard to talk about Covid in terms of
opportunities,” says Jane Biscombe, town clerk for Weymouth Town Council and a tourism manager in the Dorset resort. “But the restrictions around travel gave us an opportunity to re-introduce people to Weymouth, and show them what’s been done to revitalise it.” Weymouth is the classic example of a comeback
resort. Edgy (not in a good way) at the turn of the century, today it’s walking an astute line between nostalgic button-pressing and thrusting forward- thinking. Hosting the sailing for the 2012 Olympics in London supercharged the town’s profi le. Less dramatic, but just as vital, have been the endless improvements to the likes of its fabled beach and Grade II-listed Nothe Fort, which received a record 100,000 visitors during the 2024 season. There’s now even a Michelin-recommended restaurant. “Obviously, I’m biased, but if you were designing
a coastal town for visitors you’d be hard-pressed to design anything better than Weymouth,” says Jane. While perceived benefi ts to physical health
— hydrotherapy, seawater bathing and taking the air — helped drive the early popularity of the UK’s coastal resorts, it’s mental health that’s become the focus today. And seaside towns — what David terms the “nature-culture nexus” — off er a ready balm in an age of anxiety. It’s a trend that hasn’t gone unnoticed by the
Guest brothers. Tom, Tristan and James are the hoteliers behind one of the UK’s most dynamic new boutique hotel brands, GuestHouse. The fact their last two openings have both been in coastal towns (Margate and, in 2024, Brighton) tells its own story. “People have started to focus more on the
wellness and mental-health aspect of their lives and connecting with nature,” says Tom. “And what could be better for that than a nice stroll by the sea with the sea breeze in your face?” In the process of resort regeneration, high-end
hotels such as theirs can act as catalysts. Tom views it the other way round. “It’s more a case of [these places] are already on the upward curve, and we’re jumping on the bandwagon,” he says. His brother Tristan has been further encouraged by the diversifi cation of coastal town communities: incomers, such as the DFLs (Down From London) in the resorts of Kent, for example, driving the average age down — and the energy levels up. “There’s been a shift,” he says. “When we were growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, the
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER — COASTAL COLLECTION 29
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