We do like to be beside the seaside – but not as much as we used to. Too little time, overcrowded beaches, overpriced facilities and the lure of overseas destinations have all contributed to a decline in day trippers taking to the UK coast.
More than half of people (58%) have not had a single day on our coast in the past 12 months, a drop of 20% compared with 10 years ago, according to a National Trust survey.
Despite the lack of taking the sea air, the majority of adults (88%) in England, Wales and Northern Ireland still regard Britain’s coastline as a national treasure.
For those who won’t go to the sea, the National Trust is planning to bring the sea to them. The full coastal sensory experience, in the form of a giant walk-in shell, or “Shellsphere”, is to go on a nationwide tour from 19 until 31 August, taking in London, Bristol, Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and Belfast. Its “see, smell, hear and taste” experience of salty sea air, seaweed, caves, rock pools and sounds of waves and seagulls, is aimed at enticing day trippers.
“We’re hoping that the Shellsphere will trigger people’s love of the coast and encourage them to explore the great British coastline this summer and beyond, and create everlasting memories with their loved ones,” said Gwen Potter, National Trust wildlife and countryside ranger. The trust, which marks the 50th anniversary of its Neptune coastline campaign this year, manages 775 miles – around 10% – of the UK’s coastline.
To further raise awareness, the National Trust is also compiling The Nation’s Ode to the Coast through #lovethecoast, a poem project curated by performance poet John Cooper Clarke.
The survey, based on a study of 9,000 people over 10 years, found the young have less of a connection with the coast than older people, with just 14% of 18- to 24-year-olds rating a day at the seaside as their happiest childhood memory, compared with 38% of over-55s, and a national average of 29%.
Most people agree parents should give children the opportunity to experience the UK’s seaside, with 94% of those aged 55 and over and 88% of those with children believing it important.
The biggest barriers are not having enough time to get to the coast (29%); coasts being too busy in good weather (23%); trips proving too expensive (18%); not having easy access to transport (17%); and preferring to go abroad than holiday on Britain’s shores (14%).
Dr Philip Long, head of tourism at Bournemouth university, said the downward trend was disturbing but, though it demonstrated a “worrying decline”, the study also revealed “an overwhelming sense of pride and affection for our shores”.
Addressing possible reasons, he said: “Cost barriers are of course a concern with families. Another factor may be the increase in recent years of many British cities becoming attractive places to visit with some, such as Sheffield, recreating a seaside resort with an ’urban beach’ in the city centre”.
The survey found that only 24% of people from the West Midlands and 33% from the East Midlands have been on seaside day trip in the last year, which suggested that geography was a factor.
Londoners visit less the seaside than the rest of the south-east, with only three fifths visiting the coast once a year.
The south-west peninsula was the favourite coastal destination – with 70% saying they would like to visit Cornwall and 62% Devon.
