Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, in the North West of England. It is situated between the Ribble and Wyre estuaries, 27 miles North of Liverpool and 30 miles Northwest of Bolton. It has an estimated population of 142000. In the mid 18th Century it became fashionable to travel to the coast, due to the prophesised healing properties of coastal air, and because it was a favourite pass-time of the royal family.
In 1781 a newly built private road was able to be used for the first time to access Blackpool. Also stagecoaches began running the 40 miles from Manchester, in the same year. Blackpool rose to prominence as a major centre of tourism when a railway was built in 1840. This connected the town two the highly populated and industrialised areas of Northern England, and also allowed less wealthy families to visit the town with this considerably cheaper mode of transport. By 1881 the main industry of Blackpool was tourism. It was a booming resort with a promenade complete with piers, pubs, fish and chip shops and theatres. In 1901 it was named "the archetypal British seaside resort."
By 1920 8 million people were visiting Blackpool every year; three times as many as any of its competitors. Documents have been located suggesting that Blackpool survived heavy bombardment in World War II as Hitler himself had earmarked the area to remain as one of leisure after his invasion. Blackpool reached the peak of its popularity, stage 3 of the Butler model, in 1951, by which time 17 millon people were visiting the town every year.
However the town began a period of stagnation, as several factors made this peak untenable. The rise of the package holidays took many of Blackpool's visitors abroad and the construction of the M55 made Blackpool feasable as a day trip location, rather than an overnight town.
Since this stagnation, very little has changed to attract new visitors, however the Blackpool Tower, Blackpool Illuminations, The Pleasure Beach and the Winter Gardens are still bringing in 10 million visitors per year. The current state of the resort reflects that of Bournemouth in the late 1990s, and to successfully attract more visitors Blackpool needs to seriously update its beachfront, attractions and the surrounding area.
