Marmaris is popular among Britons who holiday in Turkey

Three bombs have hit the Turkish tourist resort of Marmaris, a popular destination for British holidaymakers.

It is a place that has been transformed by the development of the tourism industry, and is geared up to welcome Britons.

The town of Marmaris, at one time a quiet fishing village, has become one of the favourite tourist resorts for Britons in Turkey.

It was the most popular destination in Turkey among British holidaymakers until this year when it was overtaken by Bodrum, according to a study by online travel agency Freedom Direct.

Catering for the British market, the town's attractions include a restaurant called the Rover's Return in honour of the famous fictional pub in TV soap Coronation Street.

Marmaris is set around a large natural harbour on the south-east coast of Turkey, where the Aegean and the Mediterranean seas meet, and the bay features a long, sandy beach.

Visitors will find plenty seafood restaurants, cafes and bars, and boat trips and scuba diving are among the top attractions.

The influx of tourists during the summer months helps boost the town's population from 150,000 to 200,000, according to the Lonely Planet travel guide.

"Fish and chips with beer by the gallon" is served up, it says.

The guide also says Marmaris also has Turkey's leading yacht marina and is the country's main centre for chartering yachts.

Almost 1.8 million British tourists visited Turkey last year.