Children wielding light sticks are stunned by a spectacular fireworks display above Blackpool Tower, ending the hopeful summer of this pandemic-reborn British seaside resort.

The port city in northwest England has benefited this summer from the influx of Britons, as have other resorts that were forgotten in past decades, neglected in favor of the sunny beaches of the Mediterranean, which cost less. 

In the midst of the pandemic, many are choosing to vacation in their home countries rather than abroad to avoid travel restrictions - from costly infection screening tests to possible adherence to quarantine upon return, as well as the constant change in government guidance.

On the Corniche, many visitors came to enjoy the show that coincides with the launch of the Black Ball Iluminations Festival, which will decorate the city with multicolored lights until January.

Instead of the nightlife of Mallorca, Owen Wells, 23, a colorfully dressed welder, chose Blackpool for his bachelor party.

"With Covid, it's a bit difficult. A lot of my friends haven't been vaccinated. It's a place you can go without having to self-isolate for two weeks after that," he told AFP.

Michelle Potter, 55, did not want to travel with her 9-year-old daughter, to avoid the hassles of restrictions, and is used to vacationing in Spain, Turkey and Cyprus.

"A holiday in the UK is good too," she says.

- The decline of my new child -

Between fish and chips and local Blackpool Rock ice cream or sweets, the resort is not lacking in entertainment such as the 158-meter-high Victorian tower resembling the Eiffel Tower, the Three Quays, the beach or the theme parks.

Overlooking the Irish Sea and north of Liverpool, Blackpool epitomizes the boom and bust of English seaside resorts.

After the arrival of the railways, the city became the UK's first mass tourist destination in the 19th and 20th centuries. But the decline began in the 1960s with a penchant for vacationing in sunnier, warmer destinations. In 2008, the proportion of households in the city was 40 percent less than it was in 1987.

Once synonymous with a leisure destination, Blackpool has become linked to poverty after losing tourism revenue, as it included eight of the country's 10 most deprived regions, according to a 2019 British government study.

The epidemic dealt an additional blow to the city's economy after hotels, bars and restaurants were forced to close for months on end during three closures. But ironically, the virus has also brought renewal with the local holiday boom this year encouraged by the government.

"It's amazing how many families experienced something different while on vacation in the UK. Blackpool will be put back on the map," says Alex Lonorgan, 37, a restaurant owner at the resort.

- High hopes -

Blackpool mayor Lynn Williams believes this renaissance will last, even if the massive vaccination campaign in Europe that keeps the virus under control will facilitate the return of travel abroad.

Recent improvement works are aimed at attracting private investment and British tourists. Blackpool "has changed since people came to her as children," she said. "But what will not change is that we are a seaside resort that welcomes everyone," she added.

She explained, "The tower and the three piers are not found in any other city. Seeing the tower lit up in all its glory is a magical sight."

Alex Lonergan's restaurant is bustling with customers.

"The plus side of these 18 very difficult months for Blackpool is that people have discovered the magic of the place. Let's hope it continues like this!" he says.