A bumber Bank Holiday planned for the North East

May 28 2010 by Kim Carmichael, The Journal

THE REGION is gearing up for a bumper Bank Holiday as summer swings into season.

Thousands of people are expected to flock to events across the North East this weekend, with tourism bookings the highest they have been for a decade.

The Met Office has predicted temperatures will hover between 15C and 18C, with Monday being the best day. Tomorrow there is a chance of cloud and rain while Sunday could also see some showers.

For North Tyneside council, the summer season officially starts tomorrow and 16 extra seasonal staff will be deployed, taking the total to 26.

Their focus will be on litter picking and keeping the beaches spick and span. More bins have also been installed.

RNLI lifeguards will begin their safety patrols in North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland, following agreements to run the services with the local authorities.

A total of 23 lifeguards will patrol Roker and Seaburn beaches in Sunderland, as well as Sandhaven in South Shields. And 31 will work at Tynemouth Longsands, King Edwards Bay, Cullercoats and Whitley Bay.

The region’s tourism industry is also bracing itself for a busy weekend, with Hotels and B&Bs set to welcome a record number of visitors.

According to figures released by One North East, occupancy rates are at a 10-year high, with the boom set to continue this weekend.

Tourism bosses have said that last Bank Holiday saw an increase in occupancy on last year, and the “staycation” trend seems set to continue into the summer with recent figures released by Visit England showing that half of the population of the UK will take more domestic breaks this year.

Geoff Hodgson, chair of North East Tourism Advisory Board, said: “It is great to see that occupancy levels and online bookings are continuing to increase and feedback from the region’s tourism businesses is optimistic, with nearly three-fifths currently expecting as good a year or even better than last. North East England has a great range of visitor attractions that showcase our rich history and heritage and make the most of our fantastic coastline and countryside.”