Weston tourism boom after pier fire
Tourism chiefs say the number of trippers has soared since the pavilion was destroyed on Monday.
Pier spokesman Edward Keating said “thousands” had visited the pier since it reopened on Thursday.
The number of trippers is expected to swell even further next week as 18 coachloads of tourists – about 900 people – arrive from Coventry on Monday for an annual day out.
The trip has been being organised by the charity Working Actively to Change Hillfields (WATCH).
WATCH community development worker John Shannon said: “We heard about the fire on the pier, but it didn't stop us coming.
“Although we are sad about the pier, there is so much more to enjoy for us to enjoy and see in the town.”
Many visitors made the walk along the pier on Thursday and Friday to the fencing surrounding the charred pavilion to see the damage close up.
The town's tourist information centre has been inundated with inquiries from people asking about the pier and wanting to make a trip to the town to view the devastation.
Staff at the centre said they had welcomed an extra 1,000 people through the doors.
Train operators First said it had seen an increase in the number of people travelling to the resort.
Spokesman Dan Panes said: “We were fearing a reduction in passenger numbers following the fire, but it looks like the opposite is happening.”
Nick Mager, who runs the donkey rides on the seafront, said: “The fire is the general topic of conversation among visitors. I am just hoping the tourists come back next year to watch the pier being rebuilt.”
Pete Swaysland, who has run the Rock Shop on the seafront for 19 years, said people had been rushing to buy postcards of the pier.
Hoteliers have also seen a rise in the number of inquiries
Weston Hotels and Restaurants Association president Keith Fearn, who runs the Corbiere Hotel, said: “People are not cancelling their holidays and are still keen to come.”
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