Liverpool’s Albert Dock has reported its highest ever visitor figures during the first quarter of 2015. During the three months to the end of March, visitor numbers rose by 21 per cent to 1,164,871, compared with 963,126 visitors entering the space in the first quarter of 2014.
In part, this has been attributed to a significant lift in coach visits from North Wales and the North West in particular, with the figure rising from 963 to 1,103 since the same period last year.
Correspondingly, the bars, restaurants and attractions operating within the Dock have enjoyed a stellar year – particularly the Beatles Story, which in its 25th anniversary year broke the quarter of a million visitor barrier. The Merseyside Maritime Museum, similarly, welcomed 150,000 visitors during the first quarter of the year, while sales in the Maritime Dining Room rose by 83 per cent.
Director of development and marketing for Albert Dock Liverpool, Peter Cronin, believes consumers are responding well to the wider programme of events and greater offering available at the site.
He says; “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.
Earlier this year, the Albert Dock played host to a number of incredibly high profile events within the city, including the first ever Albert Dock Rum Festival, numerous free family events during the February half term and Tate Liverpool’s Transmitting Andy Warhol exhibition.
Yet there are plenty more to come this year, with the International Mersey River Festival, One Magnificent City’s Vintage on the Dock and Tate Liverpool’s highly anticipated Jackson Pollock: Blind Spots all on the calendar this summer.
As a result of the booming visitor numbers, the Dock has now been entered into the shortlist for two major tourism awards – in the “Large Visitor Attraction of the Year” category for the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards and in the “Best Attraction for Groups” category for the national Group Travel Awards.
In the latter contest, the Dock will face competition from major attractions including the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament, demonstrating the growing status of Albert Dock, and Liverpool in general, as a major tourist destination and a superb location for leisure and retail businesses.
