Visitors to Blackpool are staying longer and are happier with their holiday, according to new figures released today.



The latest Omnibus survey for the first four months of the year shows over two million adults visiting the resort between January and April.

While the overall total of visits is roughly in line with 2015, there has been a dramatic increase in the ratio of staying visitors. Over 50% of those 2m-plus visits included an overnight stay, up from 36% last year – the highest proportion of overnight stays since 2011.

Visitor satisfaction ratings with the resort increased too, with 87% of visitors saying that they enjoyed their stay in the town – up from 79% over the same period last year.

Early indicators also show businesses enjoying a bumper month for trading in May, particularly during the school half term holidays, making up for the wet Easter holidays.

Inbound rail passengers to the resort also increased by 10% while the number of tram passengers soared to over one million between January and April.

In total, visitors to Blackpool contribute £1.33bn to the local economy, supporting around 24,000 local jobs.