BUMPER BANK HOLIDAY FOR MARGATE

Margate has seen a bumper Bank Holiday weekend, with an estimated 60,000 visitors flocking to the town over the three days.

Turner Contemporary attracted around 8,000 visitors over the long weekend, with its visitor figures now hitting six figures, just six weeks after it opened.

Margate also welcomed around 12,000 bikes and scooters to the seafront as part of the Margate Meltdown event for the fourth year running. The total is around 2,000 more than came to the area last year.

The Isle of Thanet's Visitor Information Centre, based in Margate, had a total of 800 enquiries, via telephone calls, e-mails and from people coming into the centre in Droit House. Visitors to the centre also received information on how they could enhance their visit to Margate by exploring what the rest of the area has to offer.

Cllr. Martin Wise, Cabinet Member for Commercial Services, said: “This is fantastic news for Margate. It’s a really exciting time for the town, which is experiencing something of a tourism boom at the moment. Turner Contemporary is certainly proving to be a huge draw for visitors, accompanied by a strong programme of events during the summer months. Margate Meltdown brought thousands of people into the town on the Bank Holiday Monday. We’ve already had some really positive feedback from local businesses and I think it’s fair to say that we’re now seeing Margate busier than we have for a number of years.

“With Margate’s Big Event and the Margate Masters to look forward to over the next few weeks, I’m sure that trend will continue. Despite the success Margate has had recently, we’re not complacent. We know that there are issues that still need tackling. The first step towards doing that is the increased levels of visitors to the town that we’re seeing now, as that helps to support local businesses and encourage others into Margate.”