With the 2008 Sunrise Coast Marketing Campaign in full swing and over 25,000 copies of the Sunrise Coast Holiday handbook distributed, tourism chiefs in Waveney are delighted that the excellent Bank Holiday weather saw residents and visitors alike enjoying the very best that Waveney has to offer.

There was a wide range of entertainment to choose from over the Bank Holiday weekend, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the Marina Theatre, a Star Wars event in Kirkley, National Powerboat Racing and ‘Artists on the Boulevard’ in Oulton Broad, as well as Somerleyton Hall’s Big Bug Hunt and Halesworth’s High Tide Festival and Outdoor Theatre.

Lowestoft also welcomed the beautiful Mercedes into port, which saw over 400 people boarding this grand 50-metre tall ship. The visit is a major coup for Lowestoft - one of only five visits the ship will be making to the English Coast in 2008.

Many attractions in the area reported good weekends. Denise Thompson of Pleasurewood Hills said: “Overall we had a good weekend with lots of happy smiling visitors and we feel that when the weather is good it brings out the best in people and they all had fun in the sun.”

Kirsty Chapman at Africa Alive said: “This weekend the weather has been really kind to us, despite the poor forecast given at the end of last week. We have had a really successful weekend with many visitors coming out to enjoy all that the park has to offer.”

Darren Newman, WDC’s Service Manager for Tourism and Events said: “Waveney District Council is committed to high-quality tourism on the Sunrise Coast and we are delighted that it is growing year on year. The latest figures show that it is now worth an estimated £216 million to the local economy and now accounts for approximately 10.9% of all jobs.”

Extensive face-to-face surveys with visitors during 2007 highlighted that 76% would be returning (23% answered maybe), 83% would recommend a visit to the area to friends and family, and 41% thought the area had improved since their last visit.

Meanwhile, visits to the Sunrise Coast website www.visit-sunrisecoast.co.uk have increased and new developments include the launch of The Sunrise Coast E-Newsletter, which is being sent to visitors who have requested information on the area. Work will also begin shortly on the creation of The Sunrise Coast Destination Marketing Campaign for 2009.