Blackpool hoteliers and restaurateurs are celebrating an expected boost to tourism, worth tens of millions of pounds, following the promotion of the town's football club to the Premiership. Ever since Blackpool's 3-2 victory at Wembley in the Championship play-off final on Saturday, Visit Blackpool has been inundated with telephone calls and visits to its website.
"The publicity the town has received has been phenomenal," said Mandy Tythe-McCallum, business tourism manager for Visit Blackpool. "We expect an increase in both leisure and business visitors."
Claire Smith, president of Stay Blackpool said: "The recent regeneration of Blackpool means that the town is really looking good. There is so much entertainment and so many things to do in the town that we are hoping that the away supporters will all bring their families and stay over for a few days.
Blackpool is nearing the end of a regeneration programme which includes the £400m rebuilding of the promenade and six new headlands such as the Tower Festival Headland, which is a space to hold up to 20,000 people for festivals and outdoor events.
Annual visitor numbers have fallen in recent years from 17 million in 1992 to around 10 million today.
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