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Bumper business at Albert Dock

Albert Dock Liverpool enjoyed a bountiful Christmas with visitor figures for December showing a 23% uplift on the same period in 2013. A program of free, festive animation and illuminations, coupled with a major infrastructure investment throughout the year, helped the Grade I Listed attraction end 2014 with a bang and maintain its status as being the North West’s most visited free tourist attraction.

Throughout December the Dock presented a programme of free, family entertainment, including traditional choirs, jugglers and roast chestnut sellers. Tate Liverpool’s exhibition - Transmitting Andy Warhol (showing until February 8) - continued to see bumper visitor figures. While nightly illuminations made the Dock a magical place to visit during the festivities. The Dock also joined forces with Marketing Liverpool on its Christmas by Liverpool campaign - a cross-sector partnership aimed at promoting the city’s Christmas offer.

Many of the Dock’s restaurants, bars and attractions also reported excellent figures for the same period. Circo, for example, recorded their highest figures ever in December.

The good news caps off a year of huge investment at Albert Dock. Gower Street Estates, on behalf of Albert Dock Liverpool, delivered £85k worth of upgrades to the Dock’s car park system, introduced free wi-fi to all visitors in the outdoor pavilions, and new footfall counters - further demonstrating the attraction’s ongoing commitment in improving the overall visitor experience.

Peter Cronin, director of development and marketing for Albert Dock Liverpool, said:

“Every Christmas we try to create a diverse and exciting programme of events for families to enjoy - so these figures are extremely positive news for Albert Dock Liverpool and an encouraging way to start 2015. It’s also a huge pat on the back for our restaurants, bars and shops, who work tirelessly to ensure that visitors and residents of Albert Dock have a memorable time at the Dock, throughout the whole year, which makes them want to come back again and again.

“We also continue to invest heavily in improving the Dock’s public spaces - with both our car parks and wi-fi infrastructure being upgraded during 2014 - the latter proving particularly challenging considering the sensitive approach required for a Grade I listed building. This means we are fully able to welcome cruise passengers, conference delegates and consumers alike, offering daily access to real time information. We strive to give our visitors the very best possible experience, and this appears to be paying off as we continue to attract such high footfall.”

The figures round off another hugely successful year for Albert Dock, which through 2014 hosted a number of hugely successful events, including the annual Liverpool Pirate Festival - its most successful to date, with visitor figures at the two-day event representing a 23% increase on the previous year’s festival - and the popular Red Bull Harbour Reach. The Dock also witnessed the arrival of two exciting new businesses, Magical Mystery Tour - (who after moving its central booking office to Anchor Courtyard in January 2014 saw ticket sales increase by 14% compared to 2013 during the first nine months) - and a Costa Coffee located on The Colonnades (Liverpool-based Optimum Group’s second shop based at Albert Dock).

Established attractions also enjoyed a successful and eventful 2014. The Beatles Story celebrated its most successful year since opening in 1990, while Merseyside Maritime Museum unveiled the Dazzle ship, as part of Liverpool Biennial, plus its new exhibition: Sail Away: Liverpool shipping posters, which were both big hits with visitors.

Peter added:

“Events such as the Liverpool Pirate Festival and Red Bull Harbour Reach continue to grow in popularity every year, and when combined with the Dock’s outstanding cultural offer from Tate Liverpool, Merseyside Maritime Museum and the Beatles Story, and the stunning waterfront setting, you have a very unique and special place to visit.

“Albert Dock is also the natural heart for waterfront animation like Giant Spectacular Memories of August 2014, the Mersey River Festival and Liverpool Biennial. We are committed to working in partnership with Liverpool City Council, Culture Liverpool and the wider Liverpool Waterfront Business Partnership to create incredible events which generate huge economic impact on the city and create lasting memories for our visitors.”

Summer 2014 also witnessed the arrival of the pop-up Albert Dock Welcome Centre, which handled 25,145 enquiries during the three months it was open (June-August), showcasing the Dock’s many attractions, bars and restaurants to visitors and the thousands of national and international delegates who converged on the city for International Festival For Business.

For more information on all other upcoming events at Albert Dock, please visit www.albertdock.com.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Paul Richards .