Tourism 2016

Latest figures released by Tourism South East show the city attracted a total of 11,234,000 visitors in 2016, an increase of 6.4% on 2015.

On a regional and national level, the overall picture shows that Brighton & Hove is performing well, while England saw visitor numbers increase by 4%, the South East, overall, recorded a decrease of 2%.

Total expenditure by visitors to Brighton & Hove is estimated to have been in the region of £885.9 million in 2016, an increase of 3.2% compared to 2015.

The data also shows the city had  9,627,000 day trippers,  a 5.8% upturn on 2015, while the amount of money spent during their trip increased by 6.2% to £353 million.

The number of overnight stays in the city showed the biggest increase at 1,607,000, just over 10% up on 2015.  Domestic visitors were shown to be the group that had contributed most to this growth with almost 15% more overnight trips made by UK travellers compared with 2015 figures. 

The only figure to have dipped slightly is the number of overnight trips made by overseas visitors, which was down marginally, by 2.1%, though both the length and value of each trip has increased.

About Tourism South East (TSE)
TSE is a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to provide services and expertise that supports the performance and growth of tourism businesses and destinations. Services provided include:  domestic and international marketing campaigns, PR and web promotions, training courses, research and visitor information services, networking opportunities and advocacy.

Read more about the Economic Impact of Tourism Study, Brighton & Hove

The East/West Divide

The old Free Butt Inn, Albion Street, looking very sad.

The Eagle, Gloucester Road, looking very lively.

Albion Street is situated at the north west corner of an area that was subjected to repeated slum clearances and redevelopment throughout the 20th.C. Many streets of 2 to 3 storey housing were demolished and replaced with the blocks of flats to be seen today. This area was situated in what was known as Hilly Laine. The rest of Hilly Laine survived and became a much sought-after area now known as Hanover. Hanover still supports many thriving pubs.

On the opposite side of the central valley North Laine also narrowly escaped demolition in the 60's thanks mainly to the efforts of BHCC Planning Director Ken Fines. This is now a lively mixed retail, commercial and residential area which is a favoured destination for both Brighton residents and visitors alike.

The current plans for the remodelling of Valley Gardens and its encircling road system has the aim of rendering the Valley Gardens more permeable to pedestrians west to east. and vice versa. Once completed perhaps some of the buzz of the west side will bleed into the east. It looks doubtful though that it will happen in time to save the Free Butt.

A "City Greeter" explains her job.

 . . also some interesting visuals of a part of the Lanes that isn't built yet!

Brighton & Hove "on the rise"

Brighton & Hove has been named one of the best tourist locations in the world by users of travel website TripAdvisor.

Brighton & Hove features twice in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice™ awards for Destinations on the Rise for 2016. The awards highlight destinations that have seen the greatest increase in positive feedback and interest from the TripAdvisor community, year-after-year.

Brighton & Hove is the only UK location included in the category for the top ten destinations on the rise in the world for 2016, ranking sixth out of 10. In the category for the top ten destinations on the rise in Europe, the city ranks even higher in third place, just above the only other UK entry which is Liverpool.

Musings on St. Peter's

 

One doesn't need to be a subscriber to the Invisible Sky Wizard's fan club to be relieved to see that something is at last going to be done about the long-crumbling tower. The church has dominated the main gateway into Brighton for 187 years and it is disturbing to contemplate the effect its loss would have on the city's skyline.

Phase1 of the work is estimated to cost £365K which doesn't seem a lot. It will presumably only cover emergency repairs. Just enough maybe to stop lumps of masonry falling on the faithful's heads. A full restoration, including reinstating the north east pinnacle that was removed in 1990, will cost another £635K.

Archie Coates, the Vicar, has appealed for public donations.

Brighton's godless hoards might view this more sympathetically if there was something in it for them, apart from merely aesthetic considerations.  St. Peter's is often described as Brighton's "cathedral" and one of the visitor attractions offered by many of the UK's other cathedrals is access to their towers from which unrivalled birds-eye views can be enjoyed. Why not provide a similar facility for St. Peter's restored tower? The consequent positive publicity would surely help to boost the restoration fund. And, when restoration is completed, the extra flow of visitors in search of a special experience could provide an on-going source of income for the church.

Previous post: St.Peter's - then & now.

Birds die in hotel netting.

Fine netting suspended between two wings of Hotel Metropole has resulted in the death of at last two birds. The suffering they endured during their prolonged demise is disturbing to contemplate. One wonders if guests in overlooking rooms slept soundly. 

Solar 'trees' for Volks railway

The world’s oldest operating electric railway is set to become the world’s first solar powered electric railway.

Brighton and Hove City Council which operates the line  plans five large solar “trees” on Madeira Drive,
a new train shed with solar panels on the roof and a public viewing gallery inside and an all-weather train providing shelter for passengers.

The aim is to keep the railway open for business all year round using state-of-the-art sustainable power and ensure its long term future. Extending the opening hours and enabling the railway to operate all year round is expected to generate additional income through fares.

The cost of the proposed work is expected to be about £1.5million, most of which will be met by grant funding. The council is looking to invest £245,000 in the developments.

The Volks railway currently uses a maximum of 29,000 kw/h of electricity per year to run.  Solar trees and panels on the new train shed will create between 32,000 kw/h and 38,000 kw/h per year depending on sunshine levels. This will provide enough electricity for existing service and the new train to run and provide a saving to the council in electricity bills of £6000 per year.

The expansion will also create jobs, including construction work roles during the development and railway staff when the project is complete. The improvements are also anticipated to boost tourism trade and improve access for visitors to businesses along the seafront.

A planning application has been submitted today with a decision due in November. If the plans are approved, the work will be carried out during the winter season of 2013. The revamped railway is set to open at the traditional start of the season in Easter 2014.

Early 1900's

Really useful signs . . .

Contrary to the impression Brighton Bits may have given in other posts; see:-
Down with Seafront & other signs
More Street clutter on the way
Green Ridge & Coney Woods
New signage for Dome Complex,
. . . not all the signs the Council erects or allows can be classified as redundant clutter.

These novel street maps on the seafront, aligned in the direction the reader is facing, are highly readable and must be a boon to visitors. They have been up a year or two I believe and so far are withstanding the elements and moronic 'tagging', or the like, very well.

Boom in visitors at Brighton's Royal Pavilion

Visitor numbers at Brighton's historic Royal Pavilion were up by more than 30,000 to 313,360 last year  the highest numbers for a decade. This is attributed to the combined effects of new exhibitions, more people holidaying at home, the winter ice-rink and increased publicity from the use of Twitter & Facebook.

Combined attendances at Preston Manor, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Hove Museum & Art Gallery, and the Booth Museum of Natural History were up from a total of 594,881 in 2009-10 to 621,969.

Visits by UK residents were up by 30,000 as more people chose a 'staycation', because of concerns about the recession, exchange rates and airport disurption.  More Brighton & Hove residents also took the opportunity to visit the royal palace on their doorstep, with visits up by 8% to 11,800.

Other visitors were drawn from across the world, with a the highest proportion from Germany and France followed by, Italy, USA and Canada. The Royal Pavilion's popularity with German and French visitors follows a high profile Brighton & Hove marketing campaign in northern Europe by VisitBrighton, the council's tourism service.

Hove Museum & Art Gallery also saw a big increase in visitors, up from from 40,056 to 44,542, thanks in part to the success of family activities and events at the museum.

From a City Council press release.