Sunny weather sees visitor numbers to seaside town double, according to tourism bosses

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Tourism bosses in Somerset say footfall doubles on weekends where the sun is shining.

Visitors have flocked to the seaside town of Clevedon this bank holiday weekend (27-29 May).

John Turner, CEO of Visit Somerset, said: “Last minute bookings come flooding in when the weather is good.

"People are leaving it right until the last minute so spontaneity is absolutely critical within the visitor economy now and it's something we’re playing to our strengths.

"We're using social media to share how fabulously beautiful Somerset is."

Clevedon's footfall doubles over sunny weekends

Nicole Laken is the business manager at Clevedon pier - one of the town's hotspots.

She said: “Sunshine brings people out. Everybody wants to come to the seaside in weather like this.

"Our footfall doubles at the weekend."

The pier is undergoing long-term maintenance, and tourism helps pay for that. 

Ms Laken added: “Every penny counts. It’s fantastic to see so many people coming to the pier and spending a considerable amount of time on the pier which is important for us as well.”