Tourism businesses in the Burnham-On-Sea area look set to enjoy a bumper holiday season this year, according to local tourist bosses.
Advance bookings at many holiday parks and accommodation providers are up on previous years and the prospects look positive with less than a month until the schools break up for the busy summer holiday period.
Ian Jefferies, Burnham’s tourist information centre manager, and Vicky Banham, Sedgemoor District Council’s Tourism Officer, say the season has got off to a good start.
“Early bookings are up for the holiday period and there are very positive signs for it being a good year,” Ian told Burnham-On-Sea.com. “Many local tourism businesses are upbeat about their numbers of bookings compared to other years.”
Vicky added: “After so much national media attention on the Somerset floods last year, the coverage raised the area’s profile. Now, long after the floods have gone, tourists are coming back to see our lovely area for themselves. It looks like being a very busy summer.”
Tom Ashton, a director of Visit Somerset and Chairman of BIARS, the group which runs Burnham’s tourist information centre, added: “In Burnham, it looks like being a very positive summer – many local accommodation providers here are seeing bookings up 10% on last year. Somerset provides great value holidays in glorious surroundings.”
Among the local tourism business owners who agree is Phoebe Pearce at Round Tower Guesthouse on Burnham’s seafront, who told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I agree that advance bookings are up after a slow start. We’re busier than previous years – and it’s really positive to see the length of bookings increasing along with return visits.”
Pictured: Top – Ian Jefferies, Burnham’s tourist information centre manager, and Vicky Banham, Sedgemoor District Council’s Tourism Officer
