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Tourism & retail
The Portsmouth city region has a number of nationally and regionally important visitor attractions, namely Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the Spinnaker Tower and the retail and leisure destination of Gunwharf Quays.
Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard is home to three of the most important ships ever built. Henry VIII's favourite warship Mary Rose, Nelson's flagship HMS Victory and the pride of Queen Victoria's Navy, HMS Warrior 1860. The attraction has won awards for excellence including - The Good Britain’s Guide Family Attraction of the Year, Enjoy England’s Large Visitor Attraction of the Year Excellence Award and was chosen by Which? Magazine as one of the UK’s top 10 paid-for heritage attractions in 2007.
Elegant, sculptural and awe-inspiring, the Spinnaker Tower is a new national icon. Taller than the London Eye, Blackpool Tower and Big Ben the tower also boasts Europe’s largest glass floor. The tower is an incredible feat of engineering built in the shape of a sail it’s described as “one of the most spectacular design projects of the decade”. Soaring 170 metres (557 feet) into the sky above the historic harbour of Portsmouth, gateway to the English Channel, the Spinnaker Tower, Portsmouth's newest attraction has been accredited with the prestigious industry mark of “Quality Assured Visitor Attraction”. The tower is recognised as one of the best tourist attractions in the UK with stunning views of at least 23 miles across the Solent, Isle of Wight and south coast.
Gunwharf Quays is the only shopping centre in the UK with a marina and has attracted over 40 million people since opening in March 2001. With it’s 90 plus designer outlets and 20 bars and restaurants, cinema and bowling complex, it has a truly cosmopolitan flavour. It has a prime location on the beautiful waterfront, within easy walking distance of Portsmouth Harbour station, the ferry terminal and bus services, as well as the Historic Dockyard and the iconic Spinnaker Tower.
The retail offer continues to strengthen with commercial investment still being made in the area, in particular Portsmouth city centre. An exciting regeneration project called the Northern Quarter, in which London-based Centros Miller is involved, features two brand new anchor stores, John Lewis and Marks and Spencers and around 80 shops, cafes and restaurants. The area will cement Portsmouth’s reputation as a first-class shopping destination and will also include a luxury 4-star hotel.
For more information on tourism and retail in the Portsmouth city region, please follow the links;
http://www.visitportsmouth.co.uk/
