Skegness named worst seaside resort in UK in survey
Business owners in Skegness are demanding action from the local council due to its declining reputation. Not only has Skegness seen a huge increase in the number of refugees who have taken over hotels, it has also now been named as the worst seaside resort.
The survey that involved 3000 Brits and conducted by consumer magazine Which found that Skegness was the seaside resort that people would like to avoid. The survey looked at different features which included beaches, food and drink, and tourist attractions.
One of the major criticisms that Skegness faced was its run-down seafront which has puzzled those who enjoy coming to the popular Lincolnshire resort.
This is not the first time the Which magazine has ranked Skegness as the worst seaside resort. In 2022 in a survey of 4,061 visitors, Skegness was named the worst seaside resort in the UK. In survey by Which in 2021 that involved 4,000 people, Skegness was named as the worst UK seaside resort.
Local business owners are already worried about the reputation Skegness is gaining as the capital of the refugees, and now being once again named as the worst seaside resort in the UK they are worried about their future.
One business owner who did not wished to be named has said the council are doing nothing to stop refugees being homed in Skegness. Another business owner said all businesses should get together and refuse to pay business rates in protest at the damage that is being caused by the refugees and the lack of action to improve Skegness image.
It is not just affecting trade for local business owners; it is also affecting some of those who rent out their caravans to help pay their site fees. Some caravan owners have said they have struggled this year to rent out their caravans.
A caravan owner on Southview who did not wish to be named has said they have had to lower their prices to get increase bookings.
Local residents who agree that refugees are a serious problem cannot understand why the Which magazine keeps ranking Skegness as the worst seaside resort in the UK, and we must agree.
We took a trip down to Skegness and loved it. While we were there, we spoke to holidaymakers who said they loved coming to Skegness and could not understand why people would say it is the worst place to visit.
Sarah Knowles from Manchester said: “We come to Skegness each year for a holiday and have been doing so for the past five years. Yes, we have seen a serious problem with the refugees, but this will not put us off coming back”.
Lee Kane who lives just up the road from Skegness in Lincoln said they visit Skegness all the time and love it.
“We come to Skegness for a day out at least six times a year and sometimes we stay for a week, we love coming here. Skegness is a wonderful place to visit. What I would like to see though is for the council to stop housing refugees. It’s getting harder to book a room for a nice weekend as lots of the hotels are being used for refugees.”
Local businesses want to see the council come up with a plan to increase tourism and to stop Which magazine from ranking them the worst seaside resort in the UK. One major problem they want to see tackled is the growing number of refugees who are taking over hotels that should be used for tourists.
Time will only tell if the council will sit up and take notice and take action, but one thing is for sure, if no action is taken to solve Skegness reputation, then in 2024 Which magazine could once again rate it as the worst seaside resort.