Blackpool

In 1720 visitors would mainl include the landed gentry. 

The first guest house was made by Edward Whiteside specifically for the Blackpool visitors

There were only 4 hotels and the working class would generally stay in small guesthouses in the area

Many people bathed in the sea because they thought the water would cure diseases

The first private road into Blackpool was made in 1781 by Thomas Clifton and Sir Henry Houghton

Stage coaches ran from Manchester and Halifax allowing cheap transport for people from mill towns (northern England).

Assembly rooms were built to provide tourists somewhere to meet and enjoy events.

The first railway in to Blackpool was built in 1840 but only went as far as Poulton, so tourists would have to complete their journey with wagonettes

The Promenade was built by 1870 along the sea front

However there was still very little entertainment for the visitors who came to Blackpool

In 1863 the North Pier opened and the Central Pier with open-air dancing for the working class opened in 1870

Facilites started to be developed- for example the Talbot Road Assembly rooms and the Theatre Royals open in 1868

Package holidays were introduced.

Generally at this time in England, workers were being awarded annual holidays so more and more people had the time to visit places such as Blackpool

There were 850,000 visitors in 1872 . 

The Raikes Hall Pleasure Gardens (including a lake, racecourse, football and cricket fround, sking rink, aviary, monkey house, ballroom, theatre etc) was built

In 1912 the Blackpool Illumination were first switched on (put on hold during WW1, but switched on again in 1925).

 3,850,000 visitors in 1931 - could be because of the attraction that had opened, for example, the Grand Theatre, Stanley Park, Louis Tussauds waxworks

Blackpool Zoo opened in 1972.

The M55 opened in 1975 between M6 and Blackpool, which made it easier to commute to Blackpool by road.

A car park was built on the site of the old railway station, which could accomodate 6000 cars.

In 1980 the Hounds Hill Centre opened- the first indoor shopping centre in Blackpool with 40 shop units.

Airlines such as EasyJet and Ryanair offered cheap flights to Mediterranean destinations, so people began going abroad for their holidays due to the cheap fares

The average hotel occupancy rate had reduced to 22% in 1987 

1987:

a) annual day visits had declined 7.4 million  to 3.9 million 

b) the seasonal economy had shortened the peak became less pronounced

c) annual spend by overnigh visitors had declined from "£800 million" to "£500 million" at 2004 prices

The Blackpool Sea Lide Centre opened to try to rejuvenate the town

In 2003 the rejuvenation project started- £2.2 billion of capital invested The following were aims of the project:

a) 26,700 new jobs created

b) 400,000 sq metres of retail, casino, leisure, conference, office and airport development

c) 5,700 new homes to be built

d) 7 million additional visitors expected per year (as per the project)

e) 127 hectares of brownfield sites re-developed

In 2004, there were 11 million visitors

A new coastal defence scheme was completed costing £80m along 3.2km of the seafront

In 2013 a £10 million investment was made into the promenade to regenerate it from the Victorian design to something more sustainable and visually pleasing.