Dundee Eden Project: Morecambe tourism leader says attraction is a ‘game-changer’

Dundee is now sharing a ‘game-changing’ journey with the English seaside resort of Morecambe, thanks to the Eden Project.

That is the view of a tourism leader in the Lancashire resort where Eden Project North is on the horizon and hopes for the future are high.

It follows the signing of a milestone agreement to take forward the site of a former city gasworks as the preferred location for Eden Project Dundee.

Like its counterpart on the banks of the Tay, which is already reaping the benefit of the Waterfront project with its V&A Dundee centrepiece, Morecambe is enjoying something of a renaissance.

Target audience

Its motto is ‘beauty surrounds, health abounds’ and Mark Prada, chairman of the Bay Tourism Association, is brimming with optimism over what Eden will mean for their area – and now Dundee.

“As a seaside resort, we’ve undergone years of neglect,” he said.

“The town itself had started to rejuvenate – Eden makes it a game-changer.

“It is a springboard to a different target audience completely.

“Our motorway network is in reach of a 10 million headcount and that presents a great opportunity.

“You’re not just going to visit Eden for two or three hours.

“Hopefully you’re going to stay a couple of nights and go to places like the Lake District, which are so accessible from us.

“I think you can see the same happening in Dundee.

“People will want to go to Eden. In the same way we have the proximity to the Lake District, they might want go to places like Edinburgh.

“What we want is overnight accommodation stays, and I am sure Dundee will want to see that as well.”

Catalyst

Mr Prada also predicts the milestone announcement of Dundee’s preferred site selection will be the catalyst for an almost immediate vote of confidence from other quarters.

“We’ve already seen massive investment from private interests taking a bit of a punt on the future.”

Film companies have homed in on the Morecambe area and town property prices have shown a 10-15% rise.

“Eden is one thing that is helping to rejuvenate the economy but there are lots of others happening at the same time.

“There is lots of optimism here, as I think there should be in Dundee,” he said.