A leading Blackpool hotelier has criticised the local council for exacerbating the oversupply of holiday accommodation in the town by promoting large new hotel brands.
Ian White, of hotel association StayBlackpool, argues that the council's ambition to attract larger conferences back to Blackpool, promoting those big hotels on the way, is negatively impacting smaller hotels and B&Bs due to increased competition.
He suggests that the council should instead focus on improving Blackpool's designated tourist areas, which are currently blighted by struggling hotels falling into misuse.
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However, Coun Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, insists that the council does not actively promote big brand hotels and remains committed to supporting the resort's accommodation sector.
White, a vocal spokesperson for the resort's hotel industry, said: "One of the real issues Blackpool is facing is the oversupply of holiday bed spaces.
"I believe the council is making this problem worse with the new hotel brands to support the ambition for the return of bigger conferences including the autumn party ones.
"There is also the time it takes to address the massive issues of new holiday lets in residential areas.
"We desperately need the council to review its holiday areas. Rather than following the previous practices of re-drawing lines to cover smaller and more fragmented areas, they need to get to grips with what is really going on.
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"They need to set up a Holiday Area Task Force that ensures these areas are a welcoming area that builds a stronger community and a more welcoming destination. That will do far more toward the desire to welcome more conferences than branded hotels alone.
"The failure to support the holiday areas is hitting so much of the town. The new hotels have so much on site that the town's evening economy suffers as visitors stay in the hotels. Venues and attractions further reduce their opening hours.
"Away from the prom and town centre more properties are left unloved and fall into disrepair, more properties turn to inappropriate uses, from cannabis farms, drug runner bases, HMO and squats."
Cllr Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, responded: "We do not only promote branded hotels and national chains. As a council, we have a long-standing commitment to supporting the accommodation sector in Blackpool no matter what size the business.
"Blackpool Council has for many years worked with StayBlackpool, the town's principal holiday association to help B&Bs and other accommodation providers across the resort.
"It is a fact that trade for businesses can be impacted by a number of factors such as the cost of living crisis but this has affected all destinations across the 海角视频, not just Blackpool.
"However, we continue to take pro-active steps to support our hospitality and tourism industry which is really important in achieving our ambition to create a year-round destination which will be of benefit to local businesses.
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"There continues to be significant investment each year in destination marketing. We also invest in a world-class events programme which attracts millions of people to the resort every year.
Cllr Williams highlighted events including the Christmas By The Sea festival, the Blackpool Air Show and the World Firework Championships.
She added: "We want people to stay longer in the resort and we are working on a resort pass to encourage longer stays.
"Visitors to Blackpool want a choice of accommodation and it is not just catering for the conference trade. However, helping fund major conferences and exhibitions also helps fill our hotels and B&Bs throughout the year.
"A great number of our smaller hotels and B&Bs invest in their properties but we have had an issue for many years of an oversupply of holiday accommodation, some being of poor quality.
"While good quality accommodation and short term holiday lets are welcomed in the holiday areas and town centre, the council has concerns around the growth of short term holiday lets particularly in residential areas which have the potential to negatively impact on communities and neighbourhoods. These are the cases which we currently prioritise with the resources we have to hand.
"The council is also reviewing how we can move forward with more effective strategies to deal with and crack down on properties that are having a negative impact on residential areas.
"We have already put a lot of work in to tackling poor quality properties such as those in disrepair and our enforcement teams work tirelessly to deal with those issues".