Traditional seaside towns see surge in popularity as heatwave hits UK

Southend on Sea, Margate and St Ives all see a surge in bookings

Cities such as Birmingham and Manchester have also seen the benefits of the tourism surge (Rex Features)

The number of people flocking to British seaside resorts will more than double as the nation experiences one of the hottest summers on record, the latest data has suggested.

Southend-on-Sea has seen the biggest growth with train bookings to the town for July and August up by 210 per cent compared to the same period in 2016.

Bookings to Margate have increased by 164 per cent, while St Ives and Scarborough have seen a rise of 79 per cent and 76 per cent respectively.

The spike was identified after analysts compared the Trainline app’s booking data for July and August 2018 to the same stretch in 2016.

“It’s great to see that Britons are getting out and exploring their own backyard," said Oliver Berry, co-author of the Lonely Planet’s Guide to Great Britain. “And it’s especially encouraging that people are seeking out some of Britain's lesser-known spots - and rediscovering a few old favourites that perhaps have something new to offer.”

It’s not just the British seaside experiencing a tourism surge – Birmingham has seen a 163 per cent boost in the number of people planning to travel there this summer compared to 2016.

Manchester has seen a 141 per cent increase, Wigan has had a 113 per cent rise and Scunthorpe is up 106 per cent.

The New Forest, in southern England, has seen a 91 per cent rise, while visits to Durham are up 80 per cent.

Amid this, the Trainline app also commissioned a poll of 2,000 UK adults which found around six in 10 are more likely to holiday in the UK this year.

“It’s great to see that people are falling back in love with the great British coast and are going back to places visited as a child for their UK trips and travel this year," said Fergus Weldon, data science director at Trainline, said.

“Alongside showing customers how to travel in the most cost-effective way with our Price Prediction tool, we’re also providing a guide to some of the weird and wonderful hidden gems of each destination, to make these trips extra special for travellers this summer.”

SWNS