Skegness Traders who were hoping for a busy and profitable 2023 have had their hearts broken after the number of people who have visited Skegness has dropped.
Skegness which normally attracts around 2 million visitors each year has suffered this year. With the cost-of-living crisis and the serious immigration problem that has seen popular hotels being taken over, traders are now worried about how they are going to survive.
We regularly visited different areas of Skegness from April until 22nd July to see how busy it was compared to the same period as last year, and we must admit, we have been shocked. Just like the hard-working traders in Skegness, we fear how the area has been heavily affected by the cost-of-living crisis, the immigration problem, the weather, and the bad press it has received.
Normally, Skegness is a popular holiday destination with some families coming as far as London to experience the delights of the popular Lincolnshire seaside resort while others are more local which includes Boston, Grimsby, and Lincoln. However, this year the resort has been so quiet that some traders have said it feels like COVID all over again.
We reported on 27th May 2023 ‘Skegness Business Owners Want Action Over Bad Reputation’, but it seems the local authority is ignoring Skegness trader’s plea for help. Skegness business owners are worried about the lack of action from Boston and Skegness MP Matt Warman MP and the local council to deal with the serious immigration problem.
One business owner who did not wish to be named said: “Matt Warman likes to talk a lot but fails to put his words into action. He has failed the local business community in Skegness. When it comes to the next General Election, he will be looking for a new job.”
There is a lot of ill feeling towards the Boston and Skegness MP. But he is not the only person who local businesses in Skegness feels have let them down. They are also angry with the local authority for not doing more to stop hotels from being used to house immigrants.
Although the immigration problem has had a serious effect on the Skegness tourism industry, other factors have caused the number of visitors and holidaymakers to drop this year. The cost-of-living crisis has seen people cancel their holidays to Skegness.
A lot of caravan owners who rent out their caravan to holidaymakers have reported a lot of cancellations. According to the caravan owners we have spoken to, one of the main reasons is down to the high cost-of-living. With no end in sight, some of those we have spoken to have said they are looking to sell their rental caravan as they cannot have another year like this.
One Skegness owner who said this could be his last year trading wants to see the local authority take action, not just again the immigration problem but also the bad press that Skegness receives. The Which magazine has not been a fan of Skegness for many years, and with their negative press coverage of Skegness it has caused people to go to other seaside resorts.
“I want the local authority to spend money on promoting Skegness and fight back against the Negative press”, explained the local business owner who did not wish to be named.
The summer should be the busiest period of the year, but many businesses are worried. They are hoping that the weather will get better, and people will return. If the footfall does not improve then it could result in some of the local traders closing shop.