30 May Southend-on-Sea named in list of best seaside towns, study reveals
It turns out we really do like to be beside the seaside, with Southend-on-Sea being named in the list of the UK’s best seaside towns for families in a new study.
With trips to the seaside a childhood highlight for many generations, researchers used a variety of factors including number of beaches, average temperature, family friendliness, cost of an ice cream and number of Instagram hashtags to score Britain’s best coastal resorts – with Southend-on-Sea finishing in 13th place.
The list was topped by Bournemouth, with Brighton, Torquay, Weymouth and Blackpool making up the top five. St Ives, , Newquay, Paignton, Whitby and Bognor Regis completed the top ten.
As well as revealing the best seaside destinations in the country, the study by dayoutwiththekids.co.uk also revealed the key elements making up the ideal seaside holiday, with a survey of over 2,000 people.
Beaches were most important with 85 percent of the nation saying clean, sandy beaches are key to an unforgettable ideal UK beach holiday. Child-friendly places to grab a bite to eat and great fish and chips were both considered equally important too (70 percent).
There are plenty of activities to keep us busy at the seaside too, with building sandcastles topping the list of the best seaside pastimes (78 percent), followed by scoffing fish and chips (75 percent) and collecting shells and stones (73 percent).
Having an ice cream on the beach (72 percent), tucking into a picnic (65 percent) and simply listening to the sound of the sea (65 percent) were also on the list of the nation’s favourite seaside activities.
And you might not need to pack your raincoats for a trip to Southend, with Met Office data revealing that it has the fewest rainy days of the entire top 50, as well as the second highest average temperatures.
Southend-on-Sea also has a good number of visitor attractions nearby, giving families lots of adventures to enjoy away from the beach – perfect for keeping kids entertained on a longer staycation break.
Lisa O’Keeffe, Senior Brand & Content Manager at dayoutwiththekids.co.uk, said: “Going to the seaside is a staple part of British childhood, and as the research shows, it’s still a firm favourite for families. UK seaside resorts have benefitted hugely from the rise in staycations in recent years, and as the trend continues to grow, it’s really exciting to see all the towns on this list really embracing family visitors and improving their offer.
“Southend-on-Sea has certainly reinvented itself in recent years to become even more popular, so we’re delighted to award it with silver status.”
For more information about the UK’s best seaside towns for families, including the cheapest place to enjoy a Mr Whippy ice cream, visit https://www.dayoutwiththekids.co.uk/best-seaside-towns-resorts-uk.
