More than nine in 10 visitors would recommend Great Yarmouth to family and friends

 

• Annual survey reveals 93 per cent of visitors to the Great Yarmouth area this summer would recommend it as a tourist destination to family and friends

• Overall enjoyment feedback rose by 4 per cent on last year

• Beaches, family-friendly activities, a warm welcome and accessibility contributed to high enjoyment levels

• Overnight visitors are staying longer

 

More than nine out of ten visitors to Great Yarmouth this summer said they were “very likely” or “likely” to recommend it to friends and relatives as a tourist destination.

The same percentage – 93 per cent – said their overall enjoyment of their time in Great Yarmouth was ‘high’ or ‘very high’, jumping from 89 per cent last year,

The research commissioned by Visit Great Yarmouth found the highest satisfaction scores were for “ease of finding your way round” followed by the clean beaches in the survey of people holidaying or on short breaks in Great Yarmouth, Hemsby, Gorleston and other nearby areas between July and September.

And Great Yarmouth and its surrounding areas are such a hit with its visitors they return time and time again, with 94 per cent enjoying previous visits and 59 per cent returning within the last year.

The number of nights visitors stayed increased this year. Overnight visitors spent 6.3 nights away from home in 2025, a rise from 6.1 nights last year and 5.9 nights in 2023.

The Great Yarmouth Visitor Survey 2025 was a street survey of 450 face-to-face summer interviews in Great Yarmouth – on the Seafront between Pleasure Beach and Waterways and Regent Road – and in Hemsby, Caister, Winterton and Gorleston.

Visit Great Yarmouth invests in the research to help it form a clear profile of visitors to the area and what they enjoy and value across the destination to shape its marketing campaigns and identify who and where to target their activities to attract new visitors.

Tourism contributed almost £700 million to Great Yarmouth’s economy last year with spending on the 7.5 million visits to the area.

Most people interviewed – 91per cent- were visiting for leisure or holidays. Family groups were the most usual visiting parties.

The best things about Great Yarmouth included its sandy clean beaches and seafront, its diverse family-friendly offering, positive and welcoming and atmosphere, and its accessibility.

Visitors praised its value for money activities, lots to do for children, its welcoming and relaxing atmosphere, sense of nostalgia with friendly locals.

Accessibility and ease of mobility were frequently highlighted by visitors, emphasising its inclusivity and convenience as key strengths because it was easy to get around, to walk and disability friendly.

Eating out, walking and shopping were the top three activities that respondents engaged in during their visits to the area – with those engaging in walking as part of their visit increasing by 10per cent compared to 2024.

Visits to local markets rose this year as well as sport, outdoor pursuits and leisure centres visits.

Visit Great Yarmouth chair Nathan Race said:

“To see an increase in visitors’ enjoyment is hugely pleasing. It reflects the warm welcome and the hard work and creativity put into the range of activities and experiences they can enjoy across our destination.

“To learn that more than nine out of 10 people would recommend the destination to friends and family to visit is a real boost for everyone here.

“Investing in this annual survey delivers us clear essential data to plan the best offer each year to attract people to our destination. The results are invaluable to determine how we and where we market the Great Yarmouth area and where we target our efforts.”

 

Asa Morrison, chief executive of Visit Great Yarmouth, said:

“This data shapes our decisions on how we can grow and how we market our area to attract new visitors. We hear directly from visitors what is working, what visitors enjoy most, why people come back year after year and where things need to improve.”

“Overall, results demonstrate the strength and appeal of Great Yarmouth as an overnight destination, with an increasing average length of stay and prominence of self-catering accommodation in the area. Findings also highlight the destination’s appeal for a day trip – with an opportunity to increase dwell time,” the report states.

Overnight visitors’ daily spend on accommodation, eating out, shopping, entertainment, travel, and transport also rose this year to £58.91 per person, an increase from £44.39 last year.

The average expenditure per person and per overnight trip was £365.27, up from £270.78 last year.

But spending by day visitors was less – an average of £27.97 per person per day down from £29.42 last year, with eating out accounting for the highest proportion of expenditure.

Quality of accommodation was rated highly with 86 per cent saying it was ‘good’ or ‘very good’ similar to last year, with those rating its value ‘good’ or ‘very good’.