Skegness to target tourists from Birmingham

Skegness attracts over four million visitors each year, generating over £480m for the local economy

Officials in Skegness are targeting people in the West Midlands to try to attract more visitors to the resort.

Traditionally, the Lincolnshire resort is popular with tourists from the Nottingham area.

But East Lindsey District Council said it was trying to promote the town further a field.

The authority is spending £27,000 advertising the resort and other attractions in Lincolnshire using regional press and posters on buses.

The council is also investing £10,000 on two Visit England campaigns focusing on the seaside and outdoor activities.

Alison Macdonald, the council's tourism manager, said: "We are not ignoring our traditional markets in the East Midlands, we are still promoting to those customers.

"The West Midlands is a new marketing campaign based on research which showed we were receiving a high number of enquires for our visitor guide."

'Cultural coast'

Last year's campaign showed graffiti on a wall in front of Blackpool Tower

As well as aiming at visitors for the traditional seaside holiday, the authority is promoting local market towns along with the area's green spaces and aviation heritage.

The latest campaign follows criticism of the authority for using unflattering images of rival resorts in 2012.

The adverts, one of which showed graffiti on a wall in front of Blackpool Tower, featured the slogan "For sights you'll want to remember - visit Skegness".

They described the resort as England's cultural coast.

Skegness attracts more than four million visitors each year, generating £480m for the local economy.

Both Skegness and Blackpool featured in a TV advertising campaign to encourage Britons to take their holidays at home last year.