Brighton Pier boss warns city needs more visitors

The boss of Brighton Palace Pier has said that Brighton and Hove faces a "very difficult future" if more is not done to attract visitors there.

Anne Ackord, who is CEO of Brighton Pier Group, claimed there is a general "lack of recognition" in the city over the importance of tourism, adding that "incisive action" is required.

Speaking ahead of the pier's admission fee doubling to £2 this weekend, she warned those running bars, restaurants and hotels in the area not to "simply assume" people will come.

Ms Ackord also defended the rise in the East Sussex attraction's entry price saying it was vital to maintaining the 126-year-old structure.

A leisure industry veteran, Ms Ackord was appointed as Brighton Pier Group Chief Executive Officer in April 2017.

"There is a lack of recognition in this city about how important tourism is, and we risk having a very difficult future unless all get together to take incisive action," she said.

"We all need to attract people here and not assume they'll just come."

She added that Brighton and Hove had not been as good as places like Bath and York in "making sure standards are as high as possible" to encourage footfall.

Ms Ackord added that a "coordinated approach, attention to detail and the belief in working towards the same goal" were missing.

She explained away the pier's new £2 entry fee on "a very difficult trading situation over the last few years, wherein costs have risen overall by about 50%".

She added that the 1899 construction needs constant maintenance, from its ageing steel substructure battered by the sea to its 17 miles of wooden decking that gets walked on daily.

"The pier is 126-years-old this year and I'd like to think she'll still be here in 126 years time, but it annually costs millions to keep her standing," said Ms Ackord.

Councillor Birgit Miller, cabinet member for culture, heritage & tourism at Brighton & Hove City Council, agreed there had been "a real lack of focus, historically" regarding tourism, but she added it was "something I am trying to address" following several months off work through ill-health.

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