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Tourism chiefs are to launch a massive campaign after the Royal Wedding to attract tens of thousands of overseas visitors to the West.
They will use global coverage of the wedding at the end of May as a springboard to market the attractions of the rest of the nation.
The announcement came as a major report was published that found Bristol is the second most popular destination on the English coastline for foreign visitors.
The study marks the start of British Tourism Week today which is launched with parties on piers around the country, including the West.
The Daily Press reported last week how the Government published its Tourism Strategy, which is expected to provide a �250 million bonanza for the region.
The policy aims to put the West at the centre of a massive drive to attract overseas visitors and cash in on a series of events over the next four years, including the Royal Wedding and the Olympics.
Yesterday's new research from VisitBritain found 13 per cent of the 30 million overseas travellers to Britain went to a coastal town or city, and the 3.9 million seaside-loving tourists spent �2 billion on their trips.
Bristol attracted almost 120,000 foreign visitors, behind only Brighton in England, while Bournemouth was sixth with 55,000 and Weston-super-Mare just outside the top 20 with 14,000.
The Germans are the nationality keenest on going to the coast, with half a million visits, which is good news for their favoured destinations as they are the second biggest spenders behind Americans.
Patricia Yates, co-chair of British Tourism Week, said: "This new report shows how our coastal towns and seaside locations are an important part of our appeal to overseas visitors. As we open British Tourism Week with parties on piers across the country this research reminds us all that visiting one of our great piers at a seaside town offers visitors a quintessential coastal experience which is unique to Britain."
Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis was today due to meet Dragon's Den star Duncan Bannatyne and Somerset tourism chiefs in Shepton Mallet to discuss a tourism strategy, including developing Asian markets.
Meanwhile Tourism Minister John Penrose will attend the main launch of British Tourism Week and Party on the Pier in his Weston constituency, along with actor Timothy West, patron of the National Piers Society.
They will start a giant conga along the quarter-mile length of the pier, with local groups including dance troupes, scouts, guides and sea cadets invited to take part.
There are events taking place around the country, including at Clevedon today and Burnham-on-Sea's tomorrow.
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