91Èȱ¬

The double Bank Holiday weekends are having a positive effect on bookings, say tourism officials in Wales.

With weather forecasters predicting a warm summer-like Easter, they say there are signs that people are looking for a second or longer royal wedding break.

William Moeran, of Mid Wales Tourism, said: "If it had been an early Easter, it could have been a different story."

Chris Osborne, of Wales Tourism Alliance (WTA), said: "There are a lot of people around."

This year the four-day Easter break is followed by a second long holiday weekend to the mark the royal wedding.

William Moeran, a B and B owner in Aberdovey, Gwynedd, and a director of Mid Wales Tourism, said there had initially been a degree of worry among the organisation's 500 members about whether one weekend's holiday-making would lead on a second.

He said: "Having two bank holidays on consecutive weekends is not something we normally have to deal with, and certainly not when you have four-day weekends.

"The worry was that people would only come away once, and that was a worry driven by finances.

"It certainly isn't having a negative effect, not even 50-50. It is having a positive effect."

"The bookings have been coming. I don't know whether that is driven by the royal wedding or just by the good weather, but people have booked to come away."

WTA chairman Chris Osborne, whose 23 members represent more than than 7,000 tourism businesses, said inquiries were up but he still expected bookings to be a late rush.

He said: "True to the fashion of the last few years, all of our bookings are coming right down to the last-minute - the lead-in time is getting shorter and shorter.

'Outdoor plans'

"There are considerably more people around and a lot more tents are appearing and certainly more caravans."

The Tenby hotelier, who also speaks for Pembrokeshire Tourism with around 550 members, said many accommodation providers were expecting to taking bookings as late as Thursday and Good Friday.

He said: "Our experience is that a lot of people don't actually come away until the Saturday."

91Èȱ¬ Wales weather forecaster Derek Brockway said: "The weather over Easter can often be chilly with snow, but not this year.

"Next weekend will continue to be warm. A few showers are possible on Saturday but otherwise it's looking fine and dry with more sunshine so ideal for any outdoor plans you may have."