Skegness visitors going home earlier, seaside traders say

Seaside businesses in Skegness, Lincolnshire, are reporting a noticeable decline in evening visitors and consumer spending despite a rise in overall visitor numbers. Local restaurateurs, pub owners, and shopkeepers have observed a significant drop in trade during the summer months. Data from East Lindsey District Council indicates that the seaside resort welcomed 2.94 million visitors in 2025—an 8% increase from the previous year—with a resulting economic boost of nearly £752 million, marking a 15% rise. However, many local traders feel these figures do not reflect the reality on the ground.

Craig Watts, the operator of a fish and chip cafe along the seafront, comments on the situation: “We’ve had all this great weather this year. People are coming, but there’s no money.” He notes a shift in customer patterns, adding that business hours have been cut back due to decreasing patronage. “We’re struggling to stay open until 5.30pm now and we’re not opening as early as we used to. We see an arrival at around 12 noon and at 4pm it’s dropping off. It’s day trippers.” This sentiment is shared by Hilary Fox, who has run the factory rock shop on the main shopping street for 57 years. She says, “We close around 7.30pm now. We used to be here until nine, but there’s nobody about,” suggesting that more visitors are day-trippers who prefer to return home in the evening.

Similarly, Richard Underwood, landlord of the Suncastle pub, highlights the crucial role summer visitors play in sustaining local businesses. “We rely on a huge influx of visitors during the school holidays and footfall is definitely down. It’s been a very strange season so far. We’ve had some really busy days, but not enough. It has been a struggle at times.” The historic venue has seen a reduction in evening events due to a general decline in nighttime trade. Underwood explains, “Evenings are not what we’ve been used to. I’d say it’s a gradual trend we’ve seen over the last two or three years. People haven’t got the resources to sit in a pub for three or four hours and enjoy themselves. I get the impression people are holidaying on a tighter budget.”

Despite these challenges faced by local businesses, official statistics from East Lindsey District Council show positive visitor trends for the district overall. While exact figures for 2026 are not yet available, the year 2025 was described by Councillor Steve Kirk, portfolio holder for the coastal economy, as a period when “more people than ever” chose to experience the coastal communities. The district recorded 1.927 million staying visitors—a 13% increase from 2024—and 2.837 million day visitors, rising by 2.7%. These visitors supported nearly 7,000 jobs, up by 5%. However, a shift in accommodation preferences was evident, with visitor days spent in serviced accommodation falling from 856,000 in 2023 to 722,000 in 2025, while non-serviced accommodation saw an increase from 8.1 million to 8.9 million visitor days

Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More