THE scrapping of flights from Bournemouth to Frankfurt Hahn has angered businesses who say they will lose custom.

Budget airline Ryanair announced the loss of the route this week as it unveiled plans to fly to Barcelona Girona and double its number of flights to Glasgow Prestwick.

The Frankfurt Hahn route, set up only 18 months ago, was carrying around 70,000 passengers a year, but Ryanair expects the Spanish route to attract 100,000 in its first 12 months.

Bournemouth's tourism industry had been cultivating links with Germany, and German civic officials had been to visit the resort.

Alan Sibthorpe, manager of the Deane Wood Hotel in Boscombe, said: "About 25 per cent of our business comes from Germany.

"We've spent a lot of time building up our tourism trade from Germany."

He did not believe the Glasgow Prestwick route had attracted many tourists into the town. And he was sceptical that Spaniards would want to come to Bournemouth.

Another businessman from New Milton said: "I'm sure for the masses it's probably going to be a good idea because people prefer Spain to Germany, but for those that have got other interests it's a totally different matter.

"When you consider Bournemouth is supposed to be improving, this is a dramatic step backwards, I think."

But Mike Francis, of the Recognised English Language Schools Association in Wessex, said Bournemouth would gain visitors.

"Some students use the Hahn route and it has been a great convenience to students, not only coming from Germany but coming from Poland, for example," he said.

"Yes, it will be a disadvantage to the industry, but Barcelona will be an even greater advantage."

Some businesses had already suggested Girona could open up Bournemouth to Italian and French visitors as well, he said.