BLACKPOOL - THE PARIS OF THE NORTH

Blackpool is being promoted as the Paris of the North West in a new continental style ad. The ad which is being shown on You Tube, is aimed at promoting the North West seaside resort as the ideal tourist destination for both Brits and our French neighbours across the channel. Blackpool is already a popular British holiday resort with approximately 10 million tourists visiting the seaside town every year. My maternal grandparents (who lived in Manchester) used to take my Mum for many happy family holidays there when she was growing up.

It is thought that more Brits than ever will be holidaying at home this year due to the credit crunch. Also the strong Euro means that thousands more French people are expected to visit Britain than ever before this year. Entitled “J’aime la Tour”, the ad features a French speaking girl sitting in a chic art deco cafe in Blackpool with her boyfriend. Rather than ordering sophisticated French cuisine, the girl orders a traditional Northern dish, Lancashire Hotpot in French. A popular resort for stag and hen dos, complete with arcades and donkey rides, Blackpool is desperately trying to revamp its image as part of an advertising campaign to boost tourism to its windswept beaches. The aim of the ad is to attract tourists who in the past thought Blackpool wasn’t their sort of place. The 90 second film features shots of Blackpool’s famous tower, fairground and trams. It aims to put Blackpool on the map and promote it as a classy and sophisticated holiday destination to our French neighbours. Oh la la!