TOURISM attractions enjoyed a busy Easter as holiday- makers descended on the Dorset coast.

With the current economic climate and weak pound forcing more people to holiday in Britain, parks and tourist attractions in the area said they benefited over the bank holiday weekend.

Now they are predicting more of the same as the county heads into the summer season.

Angie Bennett, who is co-owner of Bennetts Water Gardens in Chickerell, said the attraction held its first ever Easter egg hunt for children and visitors flocked to the venue.

She said: “The kids loved it and it was good for us because we are not usually very busy at Easter.

“We had a good turn out over all four days, even Saturday, and we are normally closed then.

“Overall the weather was nice, everyone seemed in good spirits and it was very successful.”

Mrs Bennett said that the busy Easter weekend could be the start of a golden summer for the resort.

She said: “I really do think that with the credit crunch and people staying at home rather than going abroad we are in for a good summer.

“We are due a good summer in terms of the weather. I have really got good feelings about this year and it’s going to be really good for Weymouth.”

Littlesea Holiday Park general manager Dave Bennett said the park had enjoyed a superb Easter.

He said: “It’s been an absolutely fantastic Easter – bookings themselves were great, the retail spend was good and customer satisfaction was good as well.

“It was significantly better than last year, with the visitor rates and bookings up and people are also spending while they are here.”

Mr Bennett said he was also expecting a good summer for Weymouth’s tourist industry.

He said: “Advance bookings for us are already 10 to 15 per cent up on last year throughout the season and we are just hoping for some good weather.”

Weymouth Sea Life park general manager Gareth Lay said the attraction had also been busy.

“I think more people are looking at holidaying in Britain and going away for long weekends these days.

“It’s great to see different people discovering what’s on their doorstep. Our feedback from over the weekend was very good.”

However, not all of Weymouth and Portland’s tourist industry experienced a bumper Easter. Alison Hughes, who runs A Knights Rest guesthouse in Dorchester Road, said: “It wasn’t our best Easter. We had held out for three night bookings and didn’t end up with them.

“Certainly the advance business wasn’t there and people were waiting to see what the weather was like, but I thought, with the weather being pretty good, it would have been a good bank holiday weekend.

“It wasn’t all doom and gloom, but it wasn’t as good as we would have liked it to be.”