400th anniversary as spa town is an opportunity for Scarborough to shine
Scarborough has had a tough time in recent years with the town facing a variety of economic and social challenges. However, it may just be on the cusp of finding its confidence again.
Events such as Scarborough Lights have shown that there is still life in this town. And with Scarborough marking its 400th anniversary as a spa town, there is a real opportunity for it to stand out as a destination once again.
History can help guide the future and Scarborough is steeped in it. In 1626, a woman by the name of Thomasin Farrer discovered something that was to change the course of history, mineral water. It would set Scarborough off on the path to becoming a hugely popular spa town.
All that remains today is a rusty dribble of water coming out of the sea wall. However, that does not mean that this rich history can’t be leveraged to bring people to the town.
Exhibitions, cultural and arts events, and community trails are planned this year with North Yorkshire Council (NYC) vowing to champion tourism delivery.
This year's Seafest will be staged at Scarborough Spa rather than its usual venue of the West Pier, a community lantern parade will also be staged by arts group Animated Objects in November, with a theme looking to the next 400 years and Scarborough Fair, which organises Scarborough Lights, will build its events around the anniversary.
If there were ever any doubts as to the importance of tourism, then it's worth remembering that visitors to Scarborough bring in nearly £580m a year through tourism revenue.