One of region’s top visitor destinations gets royal seal of approval
One of the region’s most popular leisure destinations has been granted the royal seal of approval.
The Albert Dock in Liverpool, which attracts six million visitors every year, has been granted the prestigious title royal.
The destination – which is located on Liverpool’s UNESCO World Heritage Waterfront, and is home to the largest group of Grade I listed buildings in the country – changes its name from today to The Royal Albert Dock Liverpool.
Albert Dock requested Royal status as part of its preparations for a year of celebration in 2021 – 175 years since the Dock was officially opened by Prince Albert in 1846.
Over the next three years the Dock aims to position as a world-class, leisure destination for the visitors of the future.
Sue Grindrod, chief executive, The Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, called the news a “game-changer” for both the Dock, the city and wider Liverpool City Region.
Sue Grindrod
She said: “I cannot tell you how happy we are that Her Majesty The Queen has bestowed this honour on Albert Dock.
“It marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the Dock’s history, highlighting the important role heritage tourism can play within the city and city region context, and firmly repositioning the Dock on the international stage.
“It is also a tribute to the pioneering vision of the original Dock designer, Jesse Hartley, to Leonard Eppel and Michael Heseltine who helped shape its rebirth in the 1980s, and to the significant role the Dock has played in the history of this great city.”
Aberdeen Standard Investments took control of Albert Dock’s commercial interests in 2016, and a year later unveiled a long-term vision which aims to reinvent the Dock with a progressive and evolving retail and food offer.
Simon Moscow, of Aberdeen Standard Investments, said: “The realisation of The Royal Albert Dock Liverpool is such an incredible moment for everyone involved. The future of the Dock is looking very bright and we are proud to be part of it.”
Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, added: “It is fantastic for Albert Dock to be recognised in this way.
“The new Royal status is a vote of confidence in an attraction that has become an iconic representation of not just Liverpool city centre’s recent renaissance but the continuing success of the Liverpool City Region as a whole.”
