New research carried out by a team from Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) has revealed that the seaside tourism industry in England and Wales remains 'healthy'.

The report, called The Seaside Tourist Industry in England and Wales, claims that the idea of coastal resorts having suffered as a result of increasing numbers of foreign holidays is a "myth". More than 100 seaside towns support a total of 210,000 jobs across a number of sectors, while nearly 60 individual resorts maintain at least 1,000 jobs in tourism.

Professor Steve Fothergill from SHU's Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research led the team. He said: "That a large seaside tourist industry has survived and adapted is good news, not just for seaside towns but for the British economy as a whole. "What our figures show is that even in the face of stiff competition from holidays abroad, Britain's seaside towns have been able to retain and even expand much of their core business. The British seaside tourism industry remains a major employer."

British Resorts and Destinations Associations director Peter Hampson added: "What the Sheffield Hallam report tells us is that in many places around the coast the seaside tourist industry is still alive and well - and growing. "The seaside tourist industry has been written off too often. This report highlights its resilience."