BOSSES at a major seaside attraction have hit back after it was ranked among Essex’s worst-rated attractions.
Digital PR firm SEO Backlinks ranked Clacton Pier eighth among the county’s “worst-rated attractions”, based on Google reviews.
The study assessed 73 Essex attractions and gave Clacton Pier an average 4.33-star rating from 14,404 Google reviews.
It placed just above Firstsite in Colchester, which scored 4.31 stars from 1,402 reviews.
But bosses rejected the findings, saying national and international awards paint a very different picture.
Clacton Pier general manager Harry Peek said the ranking covered only a tiny share of the UK’s visitor attractions.
“There are more than 6,500 officially tracked visitor attractions in the UK, so SEO Backlinks' ranking of 73 attractions represents less than one per cent of the whole industry,” he told the Gazette.
Mr Peek highlighted the pier's recent success on Tripadvisor, where it has received Best of the Best awards for the last two years.
"We have received Tripadvisor Best of the Best awards for two years in a row now and that ranks us among the best one per cent of listings worldwide, based on real guest feedback," he added.
The pier has also been recognised on a European scale, having been ranked among the top 20 amusement parks in Europe in both 2025 and 2026.
“We are the only park in the East of England to be featured in this year's list,” Mr Peek said.
Clacton Pier is a major Tendring attraction with rides, arcades, ten-pin bowling, soft play, food outlets and family entertainment, attracting visitors from across Essex and beyond all year round.
Mr Peek said Tripadvisor ranks Clacton Pier as the third-best thing to do in Essex, sharply contrasting with the SEO Backlinks research.
“I will let our guests speak for us and more than 1,000,000 a year enjoy a fun family day out with us and continue to do so year after year, voting with their feet,” he said.
During Mr Peek's first year as general manager, the pier opened a £500,000 Jurassic Pier, refurbished its Waltzer and gave the Boardwalk Bar and Grill a £130,000 facelift.
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