By Mary Gahan BBC News Online business reporter

The Lake District has seen a flood of bookings

Sunny weather and fear of flying have sparked a tourist boom that could finally help the Lake District shake off memories of the disastrous foot & mouth outbreak.

"It's been a slow recovery and I don't think we're quite there yet," says George Staley who runs Hillsdale B&B in Ambleside.

Two years ago, Easter just did not happen for much of Cumbria's tourist industry - cattle were being slaughtered, parts of the fells were closed and tourists were staying away.

This time it could not be more different - it was already gearing up to be a busy holiday and then the sunny weather added an extra fillip.

I think this spring weather is having a wonderful effect Sue Jackson, Heart of the Lakes Cottages

"For us personally it was slow to get the bookings in for Easter but there's been a bit of a flood at the end and we're now full," Mr Staley says.

At nearby Mill House, a guest house, restaurant and tearoom, they are so inundated with customers that they cannot spare the time to talk about how well they are doing.

"We're expecting to have a very good weekend," says Amy Cottrill at the town's Adrian Sankey Glassmakers attraction.

Daffodils and lambs

At Heart of the Lakes Cottages they have had to turn away people hoping for late bookings because their 300 properties are already taken.

Are people holidaying at home because of war and Sars?

"I think this spring weather is having a wonderful effect," says Sue Jackson, a partner in the business.

"If you could see the people strolling around in their shorts and t-shirts, the daffodils have lasted for weeks, there are lambs in the fields, people are sat outside the pubs and having picnics, it's absolutely gorgeous."

She says there is simply no comparison with 2001 when the foot & mouth problems kept people away.

"That's finished as far as we're concerned, we've moved on.

"Yes, it was a terrible, terrible time for tourism but we found our way out of it."

Travel fears

Two years ago at Easter Lisa Woodhouse had to close her B&B and self-catering business at Howe Farm - a beef and sheep farm - in Hawkshead.

Day trips are certainly going to increase Elliott Frisby, Visit Britain

But bookings quickly returned.

"At the moment my diary for B&B is fairly good - one minute you think oh God, where's the money coming from? The next it's full for three weeks.

"It's hard to predict what's going to happen this summer, but if the weather holds up it's going to be good.

"Maybe people are also thinking about staying in this country for their holidays because of the situation with the war or because of the Sars virus."

A day at the seaside

Bookings are strong, too, for the bigger businesses.

UK residents will spend an estimated �400m over Easter

Hoseasons, which runs cottages, country parks & lodges and boating holidays, says this Easter's sunny weather has prompted a surge in enquiries to its call centre.

Marketing director Tim Fullam said that, earlier this week, bookings were up by 25% over last year for cottages alone.

Although Lake District cottages were in demand the most popular destination for customers was South West England.

Seaside resorts have already seen an influx of tourists attracted by the sun.

Stay at home

Visit Britain has estimated that people from the UK will take 2.6 million trips of one night or more in England over Easter, spending �400m ($630m).

"If the weather remains good potentially it's going to be even better," says Elliott Frisby of Visit Britain.

"Day trips are certainly going to increase."

All of this is a relief to those who are worried about a fall in the number of visitors coming from abroad because concerns about the world economy, terrorism and the war.