Wales has three of the top six seaside resorts in Britain say Which? – but there is bad news for Aberystwyth
Wales has three of the top six seaside resorts in Britain, according to a ranking by consumer group Which?.
Budget-friendly Llandudno, Conwy, claimed second place overall out of 87 destinations in a survey of more than 4,300 people.
Tenby and St David’s, Pembrokeshire, were fifth and sixth on the list. Aberystwyth was rated most harshly in Wales, coming in 63rd out of 87 after scoring only two out of five stars for its beach and tourist attractions.
A tiny village on the Northumberland coast, Bamburgh, topped the ranking for the second year in a row.
It received the maximum five stars for its beaches, seafront, peace and quiet, scenery and value for money.
Seaside locations on the British Isles enjoyed a surge in popularity during the pandemic, with many people opting for domestic holidays rather than overseas trips.
Llandudno was praised in particular for Great Orme, a limestone headland which rises to nearly 700ft.
Hotels in Llandudno cost an average of just £95 per night which proves that “for popular locations there’s no need to break the bank”, according to Which?.
Third-placed St Andrews, Fife, features Scotland’s oldest university, a world-famous golf course and a network of medieval streets to explore.
‘Boomed’
Some 51 destinations across Britain scored at least 70% in the survey.
The bottom five resorts consisted of Skegness, Lincolnshire; Bognor Regis, West Sussex; Southend, Essex; Great Yarmouth, Norfolk; and Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset.
Skegness earned no more than two stars for any category other than its beaches.
Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said: “The British seaside hasn’t boomed like this since the 1960s.
“Holidaymakers had such a fantastic time in their caravans, tents and beach lodges over the past two years that a coastal break on home shores is on the cards for many, even with restrictions on overseas travel lifted.
“Prices for a UK stay have increased but there’s no need to pay over the odds. For a holiday on a budget it’s best to aim for an off-season trip.
“Head to one of the many well-priced resorts with your bucket and spade, an empty stomach for the candyfloss and a pile of 2p coins and go make your fortune on the slots.”
Seaside resorts in Northern Ireland did not have enough respondents to be included in the research.
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Bamburgh was once the seat of a Welsh (Brythonic) Prince and has an Old Welsh name Din Guarie.
So what was wrong with Aberystwyth? They could have let us know so that we can use that as evidence to influence our Council Voting intentions.
Aberystwyth is a dirty, run down dump of a town in desperate need of renovation and updating. It’s basically dying and has absolutely nothing to offer. It’s become a cesspool full of low life drunks and addicts. Half the people I come across in the street are off their head, or off their meds.