Burnham-On-Sea’s Mayor has this week criticised a new “flawed” Which? Magazine survey which has named the town as one of the bottom seaside resorts in the UK.
Which? has ranked 118 seaside towns around the country, but it received feedback from only 62 people in order to rank Burnham — a tiny proportion of the thousands who visit every year.
Burnham has been given a 49% customer score in the survey, which assesses experiences of visiting seaside destinations over the last year.
Only Skegness and Clacton score lower on 48%. Weston-super-Mare scored 57%, while the top scorers were Bamburgh in Northumberland with 88% and Dartmouth in Devon with 85%.
Burnham-On-Sea scored three out five for its beach but only one out of five for its seafront/pier and food and drink.
Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “This is our largest ever annual survey of the UK’s best loved seaside resorts, with over 3,000 people sharing their views on their favourite coastal towns. 62 visitors shared their impressions of Burnham-On-Sea, and while it wasn’t among the highest-scoring resorts, visitors still found plenty to praise, including the ‘glorious’ walks on offer and the ‘fantastic stretch of beach’.”
“While some visitors told us the town felt ‘run down’ and ‘tired’ compared to some other coastal towns, it’s clear this traditional seaside resort still has plenty to offer families seeking a fun day out at the seaside, from its fantastic beach to traditional wooden lighthouse.”
Burnham and Highbridge Mayor Cllr Lesley Millard told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “Burnham’s beach and town centre welcomes thousands of visitors each year, drawn to its variety of attractions and one of the longest sandy beaches in Europe.”
“They come to enjoy our wide range of independent shops, food outlets, amusements and water sports, as well as the natural features of sand dunes, important wildlife habitats and coastal walks.”
“What really counts is the opinion of those who return year after year to enjoy our seaside town. This is more important than the views of just 62 people in a flawed survey.”
Ian Jefferies at Burnham’s tourist information centre added that the centre recently carried out a far bigger survey of visitors over a month, attracting responses from 400 people.
He says: “Burnham received 96% positive feedback from visitors who love our town as it is – they don’t want lots of change. They come for the friendliness of the town, great seafront, independent shops, beach and walks.“
A Burnham Chamber of Trade spokesperson added: “We are disappointed by the results of this ‘survey’. The Chamber continues to promote Burnham’s many positives.”
“Burnham is great place to visit, with a wonderful beach and seafront walks, plus a wide variety of shops, businesses and eating places plus nearby tourist attractions.”
“The Chamber also has a successful ongoing project underway to attract coach visitors into Burnham, who appreciate what the town has to offer. The Chamber also continues to work closely with local councils and stakeholders to encourage and deliver improvements to the town centre and tourism facilities.“
Wikipedia lists that there are over 240 seaside resorts in the UK at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_seaside_resorts_in_the_United_Kingdom. Over half of those places were not included in the survey due to the lack of responses.
