Visitors flooding into Albert Dock
ALBERT Dock Liverpool has reported record-breaking visitor figures for the first quarter of 2015 with a like for like increase of 21% (from 963,126 to 1,164,871).
Coach visits to Albert Dock also surged with a like for like uplift of 15% during the same period (from 963 to 1,103).
Maintaining its status as the North West’s most visited free tourist attraction, Albert Dock attributes a programme of free, family animation during February half term, the inaugural Albert Dock Rum Festival, and Tate Liverpool’s hugely popular Transmitting Andy Warhol exhibition, for attracting such positive numbers (52,323 people visited the Warhol exhibition, making it one of Tate Liverpool’s most successful exhibitions).
Many of the Dock’s restaurants, bars and attractions have also just reported excellent figures; Gusto had a record year with a like for like increase of 8%; Merseyside Maritime Museum saw visitor figures of 150,000 for the first quarter, an 8% increase on the previous year, with sales in the Maritime Dining Room up by 83%; and the Beatles Story in its 25th anniversary year has announced a record quarter of a million visitors during the last financial year.
Early reports also suggest that the Easter school holiday was one of Albert Dock’s most successful to date. Visitor figures show a like for like increase of 21% (from 241,903 to 291,916) – a varied programme of family entertainment including a mini-farm and chocolate-making workshops drawing in huge crowds.
Albert Dock has also been shortlisted for two prestigious tourism awards – in the ‘Large Visitor Attraction of the Year’ category at the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards, and in the ‘Best Attraction for Groups’ category at the national Group Travel Awards, with the Dock pitted against the likes of London Eye, Houses of Parliament and London Bridge.
Albert Dock Liverpool director of development Peter Cronin said: “Visitor and coach figures are up, we have record figures at many of our venues, and we have been nominated for two top tourism awards – we really couldn’t ask for a better start to the year.
“It is testimony to the hard work put in by our highly skilled on-site team, as well as the continued close relationship we have with our partners on the waterfront and the wider city, to ensure the visitor experience at Albert Dock is world class.
“In what is promising to be an extremely eventful summer ahead of us – including the International Mersey River Festival, One Magnificent City, Red Bull Harbour Reach and Tri Liverpool, these visitor figures are very positive and a sign of greater things to come.”
