The Albert Dock saw footfall increase by 23% this Festive Season, compared to the same period in 2013.

This uplift in visitors is attributed to a combination of a comprehensive programme of Christmas animations and illuminations, along with a significant infrastructure investment throughout the whole year, which helped the Grade I listed retail and tourist attraction (the most popular free tourist attraction in the North West) round off 2014 on a high.

December saw the dock decked in illuminations, complemented by a programme of free family entertainment, with traditional choirs, jugglers and roast chestnut vendors. Tate Liverpool’s “Transmitting Andy Warhol” exhibit also saw an unprecedented number of paying visitors. Joining up with Marketing Liverpool for its “Christmas by Liverpool” campaign saw the Dock involved in a cross-sector partnership to promote Liverpool’s Christmas offer.

Restaurants and bars from across the Dock reported splendid sales over the Christmas period, with Circo claiming to have recorded their highest ever December figures.

This end-of-year success tops off a year of major investments for the Albert Dock: Gower Street Estates delivered £85,000 worth of upgrades to the car parking system, introduced free wifi for all Albert Dock visitors to the outdoor pavilions and brought in new footfall counters to further demonstrate the Dock’s commitment to overall visitor experience.

Director of development and marketing for Albert Dock Liverpool, Peter Cronin, said:

“Every Christmas we try to create a diverse and exciting programme of events for families to enjoy – so these figures are extremely positive news for Albert Dock Liverpool and an encouraging way to start 2015. It’s also a huge pat on the back for our restaurants, bars and shops, who work tirelessly to ensure that visitors and residents of Albert Dock have a memorable time at the Dock, throughout the whole year, which makes them want to come back again and again.

“We also continue to invest heavily in improving the Dock’s public spaces – with both our car parks and wi-fi infrastructure being upgraded during 2014 – the latter proving particularly challenging considering the sensitive approach required for a Grade I listed building. This means we are fully able to welcome cruise passengers, conference delegates and consumers alike, offering daily access to real time infor-mation. We strive to give our visitors the very best possible experience, and this appears to be paying off as we continue to attract such high footfall.

“Events such as the Liverpool Pirate Festival and Red Bull Harbour Reach continue to grow in popularity every year, and when combined with the Dock’s outstanding cultural offer from Tate Liverpool, Merseyside Maritime Museum and the Beatles Story, and the stunning waterfront setting, you have a very unique and special place to visit.

“Albert Dock is also the natural heart for waterfront animation like Giant Spectacular Memories of Au-gust 2014, the Mersey River Festival and Liverpool Biennial. We are committed to working in partner-ship with Liverpool City Council, Culture Liverpool and the wider Liverpool Waterfront Business Part-nership to create incredible events which generate huge economic impact on the city and create lasting memories for our visitors.”

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Words: Peter Cribley