First Quarter Success At Albert Dock Liverpool

Albert Dock Liverpool has reported record-breaking visitor figures for the first quarter of 2015 with a like for like increase of 21% (from 963,126 to 1,164,871). Coach visits to Albert Dock also surged with a like for like uplift of 15% during the same period (from 963 to 1,103).

Maintaining its status as the North West’s most visited free tourist attraction, Albert Dock attributes a programme of free, family animation during February half term, the inaugural Albert Dock Rum Festival, and Tate Liverpool’s hugely popular Transmitting Andy Warhol exhibition, for attracting such positive numbers (52,323 people visited the Warhol exhibition, making it one of Tate Liverpool’s most successful exhibitions).

Many of the Dock’s restaurants, bars and attractions have also just reported excellent figures; Gusto had a record year with a like for like increase of 8%; Merseyside Maritime Museum saw visitor figures of 150,000 for the first quarter, an 8% increase on the previous year, with sales in the Maritime Dining Room up by 83%; and the Beatles Story in its 25th anniversary year have announced a record quarter of a million visitors during the last financial year.

Early reports also suggest that the Easter school holiday was one of Albert Dock’s most successful to date. Visitor figures show a like for like increase of 21% (from 241,903 to 291,916) – a varied programme of family entertainment including a mini-farm and chocolate-making workshops drawing in huge crowds.

Albert Dock has also been shortlisted for two prestigious tourism awards – in the ‘Large Visitor Attraction of the Year’ category at the Liverpool City Region Tourism Awards, and in the ‘Best Attraction for Groups’ category at the national Group Travel Awards, with the Dock pitted against the likes of London Eye, Houses of Parliament and London Bridge.

Peter Cronin, director of development and marketing for Albert Dock Liverpool, said:”Visitor and coach figures are up, we have record figures at many of our venues, and we have been nominated for two top tourism awards – we really couldn’t ask for a better start to the year! It is testimony to the hard work put in by our highly skilled on-site team, as well as the continued close relationship we have with our partners on the waterfront and the wider city, to ensure the visitor experience at Albert Dock is world class.

“In what is promising to be an extremely eventful summer ahead of us – including the International Mersey River Festival, One Magnificent City, Red Bull Harbour Reach and Tri Liverpool, these visitor figures are very positive and a sign of greater things to come.”

Andrea Nixon, executive director, Tate Liverpool, said: “The gallery had a fantastic start to the year with Transmitting Andy Warhol closing on February 8 with a visitor figure of over 50,000. Performing well since its opening in autumn 2014 it bolstered our annual figure of 600,000. We work closely with Albert Dock and it was wonderful to see the Dock so busy during the first quarter, seeing our Warhol exhibition as one of the main drivers for visits.”

Martin King, of the Beatles Story, said:”We would like to congratulate Albert Dock, these are fantastic figures. This is great news for all of the businesses at the Dock. This just proves what brilliant attractions we have here on the Liverpool waterfront and we are delighted to be a part of this and to have had a fantastic 25 years here too.

“We would like to thank all of the team at the Dock for their ongoing support and we look forward to another successful 25 years!”

Looking ahead, visitors have plenty to look forward to this year at Albert Dock.The Beatles Story will celebrate 25 wonderful years on May 1 with a series of special events; continued free activity at Merseyside Maritime Museum, including the fascinating new exhibition, Lusitania: life, loss, legacy, which marks the centenary of the sinking of the Lusitania on May 7, 2015; and Tate Liverpool will showcase the works of one of the most influential and provocative American artists of the twentieth century in its new exhibition – Jackson Pollock: Blind Spots (from June 30 to October 18).

Also on the calendar is the International Mersey River Festival (June 5-7), including the first ever Northern Boat Show, the Rock n Roll Marathon (June 14), the triumphant return of Red Bull Harbour Reach (July 25), and Tri Liverpool (July 26). Albert Dock will also play a huge role in the One Magnificent City (OMC) celebration – a landmark seven week programme of events (from May 15) marking 175 years of Cunard and the city’s unique maritime links with America, including Vintage on the Dock (July 4 and 5).

Full details can be found at www.onemagnificentcity.co.uk

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

A little more about Albert Dock Liverpool:

Almost 6 million people visit Albert Dock each year

2014 saw almost a 2% increase in visitor figures to Albert Dock representing the fourth consecutive year on year growth at the Grade I Listed attraction

The Dock is the most-visited free tourist attraction in the North West

Coach visits in 2013 were 17% up on the previous year

Over 10 shops

Over 20 restaurants, bars and cafés

2 hotels

More than 30 offices, including the regional presence of Yodel, and Hampson Hughes and Cassell Moore solicitors

115 luxury apartments

Located on the city’s iconic World Heritage waterfront, Albert Dock has come a long way since being a figure of designer, Jessie Hartley’s imagination. From an industrial past to dereliction, to its revival in 1988, today the Dock is Liverpool’s most-visited free tourist attraction and a must-see destination for families, couples and large groups.

The scale of the area and range of attractions mean it can comfortably cater for group visitors, whether interested in culture, education or nightlife. There’s a host of world-class galleries, museums, land and water tours, restaurants and bars, hotels and shops – all set within the stunning architectural setting of the UK’s largest collection of Grade I listed buildings.

What can you find at Albert Dock?

Attractions:

Beatles Story, International Slavery Museum, Merseyside Maritime Museum, Magical Mystery Tours, and Tate Liverpool.

Bars, Restaurants and Cafés:

Blue Bar & Grill, Circo, Gallery Café, Costa Coffee Britannia, Costa on The Colonnades, Quayside Cafe, Gusto, Funky Shake Bar, Miller & Carter, La Crepe Rit, Maritime Dining Room, PanAm, Revolution, Rubens coffee shop, Spice Lounge, The Smugglers Cove, Tate Café, What’s Cooking, Docklands Fish & Chips, The Pump House and Vinea.

Shops:

BeeArtistic, Pride of Liverpool, Annabel’s Accessories, The Gift Company, Fab4Store, Impressions of Liverpool, Liverpool Pictures, Nature’s Treasure, Nauticalia, Quay Confectionery and With Love From Liverpool.

Hotels:

Holiday Inn Express and Premier Inn.

Parking:

Parking spaces are available at Albert Dock and in the new Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool multi storey car park, which is open 24 hours a day.

Coach drop off and pick up is available at Albert Dock. Coach parking is situated a short distance away behind the impressive Echo Arena.

History of Albert Dock:

Albert Dock was designed by Liverpool Dock Trustees’ surveyor Jesse Hartley and named after Prince Albert. Work began in 1841 and it opened in 1846. The Dock’s warehouses stored valuable cargo from all over the world. Steamers, barges, brandy boats and corvettes (in World War II) all docked there.

The Dock’s fortunes waned after WWII, and it closed in 1972. In 1983 The Albert Dock Company Ltd and the Merseyside Development Corporation began to restore the site to its former glory, breathing new life into a rundown area. In 1988 Albert Dock was officially re-opened by HRH Prince Charles.

From 1988-1996, Richard and Judy presented This Morning on Granada TV. Their studio looked out onto Albert Dock.

The Dock has the largest group of Grade 1 listed buildings in Britain and is a World Heritage Site.

Liverpool Waterfront