Bosses
at Clacton Pier have warmly welcomed new reports which promote positive vibes
about the town and the health of tourism in the area.
Clacton
has been hailed as one of the happiest places to live in Great Britain by
Rightmove and Visit Essex has revealed that day trips to the county were up by
more than a third last year.
The
UK’s largest online real estate property portal placed the town in 13th
place in its latest Happy at Home Index which surveyed 26,000 people.
The
only other Essex town to feature in the top 20 was Leigh which came in two
places higher.
And
Visit Essex said there were 50.3 million day trips in Essex compared to 37.1
million in 2021, bringing in just over £2billion.
Pier
director Billy Ball said he is delighted to see what he already knew confirmed
in the reports.
“Clacton
is a happy place to live and has a lot going for it, “ he said. “Both the
private and public sectors have worked hard in partnership in recent years to
improve the offer for residents and visitors alike.
“The
news from Rightmove and Visit Essex backs that, and shows that we must be doing
something right.
“Of
course nowhere is perfect but it is all too easy to dwell on any negative
aspects rather than celebrate the positive and good things about a place.
“There
have been several negative reports earlier this year and it is good to see
things turning around with these upbeat findings.”
Mr
Ball confirmed that the pier had seen footfall return to pre-pandemic levels,
as stated by Visit Essex.
“I
am pleased to learn that the picture is bright across Essex as a whole and
hopefully many in the leisure and hospitality sector are benefitting,” he
added.
“We
as a business are confident about the future and continue to invest to keep the
offer fresh and exciting.”
Ends
PHOTO BY KEVIN JAY
