A golden ticket competition is promising to save you shelling out on a turtle-y amazing day on the coast.

Visit Great Yarmouth's Golden Ticket Giveaway was launched on Wednesday (June 28) with four lucky winners snapping up free entry to some of the seafront's biggest attractions.

Among those is the SeaLife Centre, on Marine Parade, where local hospitality bosses celebrated the launch by feeding the resident green sea turtle, Noah.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Visit Great Yarmouth have launched a Golden Ticket competition which will give free entry to some of the town's top seaside attractions. Visit Great Yarmouth have launched a Golden Ticket competition which will give free entry to some of the town's top seaside attractions. (Image: JJ Visuals)

Noah, who is 24-years-old and can live up to 130 years, was rescued from a turtle farm in Mauritius, where the animals are killed and sold for their meat and shells.

This year, visitors to the centre will be able to book a VIP experience online to feed the turtle, who eats cabbage, broccoli and brussell sprouts, as well as handle jungle critters in the Rainforest Ranger zone. 

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Lyndon Bevan, chair of Visit Great Yarmouth, feeding Noah the sea turtle at the SeaLife Centre. Lyndon Bevan, chair of Visit Great Yarmouth, feeding Noah the sea turtle at the SeaLife Centre. (Image: JJ Visuals)

Lyndon Bevan, chair of Visit Great Yarmouth, said the lingering effects of the pandemic, as well as the cost of living crisis, mean the summer season is "not normal yet but it's getting better".

"This year we will see improved visitor numbers. The signs are we will get more people this year. We're hoping for great things.

"The only way we can bring people in is by word of mouth really," he added.

Currently, most of the money is made during the six-week school holidays, with the Easter and Halloween breaks also bringing visitors to the borough. 

But Mr Bevan said that local businesses are also trying to increase the length of the season, with more to offer during the winter as well.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Leo the Lion at the SeaLife Centre in Great Yarmouth. Leo the Lion at the SeaLife Centre in Great Yarmouth. (Image: JJ Visuals)

Asa Morrison, chief executive of Visit Great Yarmouth, said he is "always optimisitic" about the summer season.

"People come for the beach. There are 50 miles of golden sands. It's just a wonderful place for a day out," he said. 

The season will get a kickstart this weekend with the Wheels Festival which promises to showcase a collection of classic and modern cars and vehicles, as well as plenty of free activities and entertainment.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Matt Smith, of Sara's Tearooms in Great Yarmouth, with the Golden Ticket. Matt Smith, of Sara's Tearooms in Great Yarmouth, with the Golden Ticket. (Image: JJ Visuals)

Matt Smith, who co-owns Sara's Tearooms, said that although people are finding times "a bit tough", when they come to Yarmouth during the school holidays they are "in good form".

Recently, the periods between Easter and the summer holidays have been quieter than before, and those who do come have been spending less money.

"But it's encouraging to think people are still in love with Great Yarmouth," Mr Smith said. "No matter how hard things are, we have to hold onto that."

Great Yarmouth Mercury: A new ride called the Polar Express is coming to the Pleasure Beach in Great Yarmouth in July.A new ride called the Polar Express is coming to the Pleasure Beach in Great Yarmouth in July. (Image: Archant)

At the Pleasure Beach, people will be able to enjoy a new ride, the Polar Express, which is expected to arrive next month and replace the old Mulan attraction.

Aaron Jones, director at the Pleasure Beach, said: "We're expecting a busy summer. The changes we've made to entry have helped. People are not having to book a timed session and they are more relaxed at the park."

The ride that will eventually replace the log flume, which was demolished last year, remains "the million dollar question", he said.

"We have some options but that will be a project for next year."

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Tide and Time Museum curator Philip Miles with the Burmese python skeleton. Tide and Time Museum curator Philip Miles with the Burmese python skeleton. (Image: Denise Bradley)

Another place people can visit is the Time and Tide Museum on Blackfriars Road.

Andrew Smith, operations manager for the Norfolk Museum Service, said that visitors can enjoy the current exhibition, which is called Bare Bones and shows the anatomy of animals and how they move.

Four Golden Tickets are up for grabs, worth £500 each, for a Big Day Out for six people.

Each ticket will include a meal at Sara’s Tearooms, entry to The Pleasure Beach, the Sealife Centre and the Time and Tide Museum, plus tickets to The Hippodrome Circus’s Summer Spectacular.

The competition will run on Visit Great Yarmouth’s Facebook page for four consecutive weeks with four lucky winners selected at the end of the competition on July 26.