‘Underrated’ UK seaside city with incredible beaches sees huge tourism surge

Nestled on the dramatic north-eastern coastline between Tynemouth and County Durham is the City of Sunderland, home to a stretch of beautiful Blue Flag-awarded sandy beaches where the River Wear flows into the North Sea.

Sunderland has been dubbed an “underrated” seaside destination in recent years and having been born and raised in the city, it’s something I can attest to.

But having undergone a major revamp, welcoming hotels, bars, and restaurants and undergoing a £1million project transforming Seaburn promenade, the city’s seaside resort spanning Roker and Seaburn is already seeing an increase in foot traffic.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Patrick Melia, chief executive of Sunderland City Council, said: “Roker and Seaburn have benefited from millions of pounds of investment over recent years so it is fantastic to see this investment starting to bear fruit.

“Over recent years, we’ve seen new hotels rise from the ground, a number of new bars and restaurants open up and a whole host of new amenities and promenade improvements, all of which have helped breathe new life into the resorts.”

According to the latest STEAM (Scarborough Tourism Economic Activity Monitor) data, the city received 1,911,000 day visitors last year, 6.2 percent up on 2022 and 4.6 percent up on 2019.

A £1 million project to transform the Seaburn promenade was completed last year, which saw 3000m2 of new paving, street furniture and planters installed to give a fresh, modern feel. 

However, the transformation of the seafront and restoration of historic buildings which line the coastline have been ongoing for multiple years, with the £6million Seaburn Inn having opened its doors in 2021.

Owned and operated by The Inn Collection Group – which has venues in tourist hotspots across the UK – the hotel has 40 modern rooms overlooking the seafront. It also boasts a number of dog-friendly rooms so visitors can bring along their four-legged friends too.

With both visitors and locals, the downstairs pub and restaurant have become a bustling hub, especially on weekends, serving up the usual fare of British pub food alongside handpicked regional dishes – including beloved fish and chips.

That’s not the only restaurant to open its doors along the seafront. In fact, Seaburn and Roker have become potentially one of the best spots in the entire city for foodies.

Shipping container village STACK is a thriving destination, home to scores of street food, live entertainment, bars and retail vendors. Since opening its doors in 2019, the venue has welcomed hundreds of thousands of people through its doors, with plans now in place to make it permanent and further expand its capacity.

But it’s not just brand new developments that are attracting more visitors to the seafront, with some beloved historic buildings experiencing a burst of new life too.

A Grade II-listed Victorian tram shelter, which fell out of service in 1954, has remained largely empty over the years, serving only as a seating area in need of much repair. But, after three painstaking years of planning and restoration, the shelter has been reborn as Blacks Corner The Tram Shelter, a restaurant serving up locally sourced seasonal food with views out across the rolling tides.

Similarly, fish restaurant North has taken up residency in the former bay shelter on Seaburn Beach, and the former Roker Toilet Block has been transformed into the trendy gin bar Tin of Sardines.

All three historic restorations were made possible thanks to a multi-million-pound investment from The Coastal Communities Fund and Sunderland City Council. Income from the leases also helps to support the Sunderland Seafront Trust, which operates the Roker Pier and Lighthouse tours. Sunderland Council hopes the income will help to organise a range of seafront events and activities for locals and visitors to enjoy.

However, the beach itself remains the jewel in Sunderland’s crown, having been described as “one of the unsung hidden gems of the northeast English coast” by beachguide.co.uk. Both Roker and Seaburn beaches were awarded Blue Flag and Seaside Awards for the 12th consecutive year in 2023.

Patrick Melia, chief executive of Sunderland City Council, said: “While we may still be some way from our 1930s tourism heyday, which I think we can say with conviction about every single seaside town and city in the UK, it is great to see that staycations are once again being considered as a viable option for British families and cities such as Sunderland continuing to reap the benefits as a result of that. Long may it continue.”