Hoteliers in the South-west of England could be in for a bumper year as more people, worried about an impending war in the Middle East, consider taking holidays closer to home.
In north Devon, the Barnstaple Tourist Office has reported a 30-40% increase in the number of enquiries compared with last year, which was the best year for the region since 1997.
Ann Richards, duty manager of the 78-room Narracott Grand hotel in nearby Woolacombe, said it was fully booked for the next five weeks, a situation it had never experienced before, with most bookings coming from coach parties.
Carol Smith, owner of the 70-bedroom Bell Grove hotel in Torquay, south Devon, and a member of the Torquay Hotel and Caterers Association, said the past two years in the region had been "spectacular".
While forward bookings currently were slow, there was a lot of last-minute activity. "At the moment," Smith said, "we are maintaining last year's sales, which were up by 14% on the year before."
Hannah Collingbourne of South West Tourism said the region would know for sure how 2003 was panning out only when quarterly figures were published in April.
She added that even if international travellers stayed away because of a war, the region traditionally picked up a lot of domestic tourism, and last year's buoyant figures meant hoteliers were generally optimistic about the prospects for this year.
by nic paton
Hotelier expects a bumper season
The directors of the Carlyon Bay hotel in St Austell, Cornwall, are so optimistic that trade will be good this year that they have embarked on a £650,000 extension and refurbishment of the hotel.
A further 14 bedrooms will be added, giving the hotel a total of 86 by the end of June or early July, and a refurbishment of existing areas has already started.
The popularity of the nearby Eden Project had helped to boost trade, said general manager Peter Brennan, and occupancy levels were currently running at 84%.
He added: "People are holding their breath at the moment, with all the talk of war. But, from April onwards, it is looking very similar to last year, or even slightly up, and last year was very good."
Source: Caterer and Hotelkeeper magazine, 20-26 February 2003