The boss of VisitEngland has welcomed a £36 million cash injection to help coastal destinations boost tourism across the country.
Chief executive James Berresford said more than 30 projects would be supported by the money being released by the Big Lottery Fund-backed Coastal Communities Fund.
He said: “England has a world-renowned coastline and this funding will build on VisitEngland’s ongoing work to drive job creation and growth in seaside and coastal destinations through targeted marketing campaigns.
“So far we have worked with around 35 seaside destinations benefiting from £1.2 million from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund.
“We are also encouraging coastal towns to take advantage of the surge in short-breaks over the last few years. Our figures from 2013 show that 29.6 million tourists took English short breaks which was worth £5.6 billion in spend.”
He added: “The seaside towns, local communities, attractions and landscapes that form part of this are a huge draw for domestic and international visitors.
“Investment is key – and there is a need for coastal towns to continuously reinvent themselves and to strive toward attracting visitors all-year round.
“This timely investment from government for the 30-plus projects set to benefit, will stimulate a raft of activity across England’s coastline. It will help to unlock the enormous potential of our seaside towns by creating jobs and businesses opportunities.”