Southwold named as the quintessential British seaside resort
British seaside resorts have traditionally had a bad rap; stereotyped as drab, dirty and ‘past their best’ - now that’s all changed. With an increase in Brits holidaying in the UK, resorts are improving their acts and are quickly becoming the places to be seen.
Now Southwold, the pretty historical town in Suffolk has beaten off a host of competition to be crowned the most quintessential British seaside resort in a new poll released today. The study looked into the factors that make a resort uniquely British; with deckchairs, donkey rides and fish and chip shops included as just a few of the top ingredients holidaymakers look for when booking a quintessential British seaside resort.
The survey of 3,000 adults was specially commissioned by Teletext Holidays to celebrate a recent rise in bookings for British holidays, following a slow start to the season thanks to the unseasonably rainy weather. Participants in the study were asked a series of questions about what they consider to be the key components of a quintessentially British holiday, as well as to vote on their top seaside resorts.
Surprisingly it was the traditional beach characteristics which came top of nearly all of the respondents’ wish lists; with over 77% rating fish and chip shops as the most important factor when choosing a resort.
Other key components include; amusement arcades (61%), scenic countryside with rolling hills and tall cliffs (26%), sticks of rock (57%), Punch and Judy shows (33%), funny postcards (38%) and a pier (64%). Cream teas (34%), donkeys (44%) and deck chairs (53%) also figured highly.
Conversely some traditional seaside favourites were missing from the respondents' wish lists - water sports (7%), a varied nightlife (11%) and the obligatory lighthouse (11%) were not amongst the top ten most important ingredients for a seaside resort.
Eight out of ten participants voted Southwold as the most quintessential beach resort due to its traditional beach huts (46%) many fish and chip shops (34%) and working lighthouse (16%). In second place is the Cornish surf mecca of Newquay, which respondents praised for its water sports (76%) and stunning scenery (15%).
Completing the top three: Scarborough in Yorkshire, and Britain’s first seaside resort, was well regarded due to the abundance of activities on offer (37%), great places to eat out (54%) and good quality accommodation.
Bournemouth in Dorset came fourth; where sun worshipers can enjoy the famous seven mile long beach (57%), deck chairs, sun beds and parasols (28%); while Brighton in Sussex, our fifth placed resort, scored highly for having a varied nightlife (19%) and an extremely popular pier (71%).
The research also revealed how respondents felt about the changing face of British beach resorts; the continued demolishment of piers (22%), the modern condos (30%), the infrequency of family entertainment like Punch and Judy shows (7%) and ban on donkey rides (12%) are changing resorts for the worse.
It was clear the public want them back and eight out of ten respondents highlighted their disappointment at the death of such quintessentially British seaside pursuits.
The Top Ten Most Quintessentially British Seaside Reports are:
1. Southwold, Suffolk
2. Newquay, Cornwall
3. Scarborough, Yorkshire
4. Bournemouth, Dorset
5. Brighton, Sussex
6. Blackpool, Lancashire
7. Skegness, Lincolnshire
8. Torquay, Devon
9. Rhyl, Denbighshire
10. Dunoon, Argyll
Just missing the top ten are Southend, Padstow, Barmouth, Salcombe and Western-Super-Mare.
The research also reveals some interesting differences between the generations with 25-35 year olds preferring resorts where water sports are popular (35%) and there is a lively nightlife (38%), whereas the older generation (55-65) rated fish and chips (28%) and good views (67%) as most important. Women were more likely to choose a resort based on the quality of the beach (45%), whereas men were more concerned about activities (22%).
Matt Cheevers, Managing Director of Teletext Holidays, said: “The classic British holiday resort is still as popular today as it has ever been. Despite the weather this summer, there are some fantastic local breaks to be had and the sense of pride and loyalty that many holiday makers feel towards their favourite British getaways is fully justified.”
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For more information, please contact Andrew Olley or Laura McTurk at Taylor Herring on 0208 206 5151.
Andrew.olley@taylorherring.com/laura.mcturk@taylorherring.com.