Record-breaking August for Southend Pier

September 8, 2019 by Leigh-on-sea.com

Southend Pier welcomed more visitors than any other August since records began in 2006, figures have shown.

A total of 71,140 visitors visited the world’s longest pleasure pier this August, beating the previous record of August 2017.

Record temperatures for the August Bank Holiday, the annual puppet festival and the new pier entrance are all thought to have played their part in reaching this milestone. The pier management also amended their business focus by keeping the pier open later during the days, rather than earlier when fewer visitors are in the area.

Pier admission figures show 14,700 people visited on the August Bank Holiday weekend alone.

Cllr Kevin Robinson, cabinet member for business, culture and tourism, said: “I am delighted to see yet another record-breaking month for Southend Pier visitor numbers. We are continuously looking at ways to improve the visitor offer to one of the town’s most popular visitor attractions.

“The new pier entrance, which was officially opened in June this year, has gone down very well with visitors and residents alike, and the annual puppet festival as always was well attended. We also hosted a wedding reception in August, too, and looking forward, we will be hosting the popular Halloween ghost train events in October.

“2019 has been a fruitful year for the pier, with visitor number records broken in January, February and now August. We remain committed to investing in the pier to widen its offer and appeal and ensure Southend can compete against other rival resorts. We are already having discussions about plans for the 2020 season ”

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