Weymouth needs to ‘liven itself up’ and utilise its full potential if it is to survive as a tourist destination, business owners say.

They claim the town has been quieter than usual this summer, with fewer tourists choosing the traditional seaside town as their holiday destination.

Weymouth boasts an award-winning beach – having been voted by the public as the best in the UK in a poll by travel site Trip Advisor and gaining Blue Flag status in 2016 for the first time in 15 years – so why are we seeing a decline in visitors?

On a hot summer day in Weymouth you will often find a long queue outside Rossi’s ice cream parlour on the seafront, where owner Fulvio Figliolini has been whipping up ice creams for holidaymakers for more than 40 years.

Rossi’s was established in 1937, making it a firm favourite with visitors, but Mr Figliolini believes the town has changed.

“We used to be famous for being a seaside town,” he said. “We’re a seasonal town and in the summer we are an attraction – so we need to make it attractive. We don’t work as an all year round town; in the winter Weymouth is empty. We need to be considered as seasonal resort, put into perspective what we are capable of and take some action.”

Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is considering introducing charges at seafront toilets, a move that Mr Figliolini believes will have a negative impact on the town’s tourism industry.

He was also concerned about removing the perk of free deckchairs for locals over 60s, but this plan has been dropped.

“Weymouth is a beautiful seaside town spoilt by the council,” he claimed.

“Instead of utilising the town to benefit the town it seems to be ‘how much money can we make?’ I’m sure they’re doing what they think is best but it’s not necessarily what’s best for everyone.

He added: “The least we can offer visitors is the use of some toilets. How is the council going to make up the deficit when people stop coming because of these things.”

A spokesman for the council said if approved, charges for toilets would be minimal and go towards the upkeep with the hope of providing much cleaner, accessible facility for both residents and visitors.

Adam Foster, 39, opened up seafood-inspired bistro Sea Beats on the Esplanade in April with his partner – they too have seen fewer visitors than expected. 

Mr Foster, who previously worked at the Crab House Café, said: “This year has shocked everyone. It should be packed at this time of the month. There never used to be any gaps on the beach at this time of year.

“Considering we are a new business, things have been okay, but we did expect more.”

Mr Foster's father-in-law Terry, who sometimes visits the cafe, said: “Weymouth is not like it used to be. Things completely changed after the Olympics – it all went crazy. The fairy lights that gave it an old-fashioned feel of a traditional seaside town were replaced with lasers and the traffic became chaotic after they put in all the traffic lights.

“Parking needs sorting out – it costs a fortune just to park your car here and people can go abroad for cheaper.

“It needs to liven itself up.”

Councillor Richard Kosior, spokesman for Tourism, Culture and Harbour at Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said parking charges in Weymouth were comparable to other seaside town and all charges were put back into town improvements. 

“We all have role to play in making Weymouth a great place to live, work and visit. It’s up to everyone – the council, businesses and residents – to do all we can to promote the town. 

“By doing this, we’ll see more investment and better facilities for residents and visitors to enjoy,” he said.

  • WE HAVE been asked to clarify the figure for the increase in the number of visitors coming to Weymouth between 2013 and 2015 which had been mentioned in the above article but has now been removed.
  • Weymouth and Portland Borough Council says there were 405,000 staying visits in 2013 compared with 451,000 staying visits in 2015, an increase of 46,000. The number of day visits was the same for each year at 1.7 million. There is no recent data.

It's a beautiful place, says cafe owner

CAFE Blue manager Peter Richmond, who has owned the seafront café for nine years, is also experiencing a quieter summer than usual.  “Compared to other years, the buzz does not seem to be there this year,” said Mr Richmond.

“We’ve had a lot of rain this year but even still, there are usually people out and about but this year that hasn’t happened. 

“It’s difficult to say what can be done to change things because on a sunny day you can’t beat Weymouth. It’s a beautiful place but it needs more to bring in young families and things for kids to do when we have bad weather.”

Mr Richmond agreed with other business owners about the impact of business rates.

“I’m very lucky with business rates but I know other businesses that are struggling.”

A Weymouth & Portland Borough Council spokesman said business rates were set by the valuation office agency and discretionary discounts were offered in certain cases such as if properties were unoccupied or businesses were used for charitable purposes.

We're in the UK's top 10

DESPITE claims the town is not as busy this year, the resort may be in for a boost after Weymouth was rated one of the top 10 favourite seaside resorts in the UK.

The “picturesque harbour with traditional fishing trawlers and luxury yachts framed by the pretty pastel shades of the surrounding houses, make it a joy to admire and it’s no surprise the town is so popular”.

This is according to retirement housebuilder McCarthy and Stone which conducted the survey.

From a survey of 2,700 customers the most popular seaside resort is Salcombe, Devon [18.5 per cent], with Weymouth [16.1 per cent] a close second, and Whitby, North Yorkshire [12 per cent] also edging into the top three.

Brenda Chapman, Sales Executive at McCarthy and Stone’s Harbour Lights Court  said: “Homeowners and staff here are delighted to see that the town has made it onto the list of top seaside resorts in the UK because we know first-hand just what it has to offer.”