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The number of people visiting the UK’s coastline has fallen by 20% over the last 10 years, according to a new report released by the National Trust.
The report, which was conducted by YouGov and was completed by 5,047 adults in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, found that 42% of respondents said they visit the British coast for a day out each year, compared with 62% in 2005.
Over half of those surveyed (58%) said that they had not had a single day trip to the coast in the last 12 months. Despite this, some 88% of respondents said that they regard the coast as a ‘national treasure’.
The report said that the decline in coastal visits could be generational, with only 14% of 18 to 24-year-olds claiming that their happiest childhood memory is being by the sea. This is half of the national average (29%), which rises to (38%) for over 55 year olds.
For those aged 55 and above, 98% agreed that it is important for all parents to give their children the opportunity to experience the UK’s coast or seaside. Some 88% of people with children in their household also agree, although this fell to 77% amongst those aged 18 to 24.
Meanwhile, the biggest barrier stopping people visiting the shores was revealed as not having enough spare time to get to the coast, with 29% of respondents citing it as their reason.
Additional reasons credited to the decline included UK coasts being too busy when the weather is nice (23%), too expensive (18%), not having easy access to transport (17%) and people preferring to go on holiday abroad as opposed to on Britain’s coast (14%).
Philip Long, head of tourism at Bournemouth University, said: “The steep decline in visitor numbers to the British coast over the past 10 years revealed by the National Trust is disturbing for me, and a number of possible inter-related causes may underlie this.
“Cost barriers are of course a concern with families, also another factor may be the increase in recent years of many British cities becoming attractive places to visit with some, such as Sheffield, recreating a seaside resort with an ‘Urban Beach’ in the city centre.”
