Working for a newer jackpot
Drop a penny from the top of Blackpool Tower and it will crack the pavement. Drop the Labour Party conference from Blackpool and it will break the town.
This certainly seemed to be the case a couple of years ago when New Labour announced plans to take its annual convention to Brighton and Bournemouth, missing out the Lancashire leg of its traditional two-year, north-south tour.
At the time, the news had a devastating effect on the morale of hoteliers in one of the UK's most popular seaside resorts. Although Tony Blair said that Labour's decision had nothing to do with the standard of accommodation in the town - "The hotels are excellent; the staff are superb," he said - the implication was very clear. Blackpool had slipped behind the times. The facilities for a major conference, where delegates are used to top-class accommodation, were simply not up to scratch.
After Labour's body blow, Blackpool seemed to attract other misfortunes. "Tidal wave engulfs pier", "Blackpool beaches dirtiest in Britain", "Strong pound keeps tourists away from Blackpool" were the sort of headlines to be found at the end of the 1990s.
But it would be unfair to tag Blackpool as unique. All around the coastline of Britain, seaside towns have been suffering a similar fate. Bad weather, dirty water and the lure of Spain and the USA brought a downturn to many once-profitable centres. They just didn't get the publicity in the same way as their northern next of kin.
Luckily, Blackpool is, if not bouncing, at least clawing its way back from the indignities of the past decade. A makeover is taking place, a change of image. The plan is to turn away from fish-and-chips and kiss-me-quick hats and look toward attracting a more affluent visitor, making the town into the Las Vegas of Lancashire.
Along with new-build projects comes a drive to raise the standard of existing properties. En suite bathrooms are to become de rigueur - without them, guesthouses will no longer be listed in official guides - and the seafront is to be cleared of tack shops and booths (well, some of them).
In other words, Blackpool has woken up to the fact that the world has moved on; that the market has changed, and what was on offer20-30 years ago no longer satisfies the modern, seen-it-all-on-TV-so-give-it-to-me-now customer.
It is a lesson that other seaside resorts must learn, and learn quickly. They might not have the Labour Party to jolt them or European money to fund them, but they must look very carefully and honestly at what they provide and ask the question: "Is this good enough?" - and remember that "good enough" will not be good enough for ever.
The economy is robust, the pound is strong and tourists will continue to make contrails in the sky (in the 11 months to November last year, Britons made 52.9 million trips abroad). All British seaside resorts, not just Blackpool, must come up to scratch, offering short-break accommodation, spring and autumn attractions and events that will make them special.
As Blackpool has found, sea, sand and donkeys no longer pull in the crowds.
Forbes Mutch, Editor, Caterer & Hotelkeeper
