Ask any tourism chief and they'll admit that every year they fear the worst, but come the summer, the holidaymakers flock to the seaside.

This year has been no different.

The wet weather has certainly sent a chill down the spines of those who must make their money in the summer months.

But two tragedies have meant this could be a boom season at the seaside.

Staying home

The 11 September attacks have left many people wary of flying, preferring to take their holidays at home.

And when foot-and-mouth closed swathes of the countryside it forced tourists to the coast, an experience many are keen to repeat this year.

But tourism, like any other sector, is competitive. While coastal towns are sympathetic to the suffering of their rural counterparts, they want to ensure they keep their slice of the cake.

Government strategy

Now, amid these competing interests, comes the government, looking to draw up a comprehensive strategy on tourism.

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside...

It's that which has sent Tourism Minister Kim Howells on a fact-finding mission around the coastline, taking in resorts in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Lancashire and Devon.

He accepts that the focus has been on rural areas recently and is concerned that seaside resorts should not be neglected.

Infrastructure

His initial thoughts should strike a chord with businesses - higher standards, developing niche markets and improving marketing, especially through the internet.

But when it comes to the wider picture, local tourism bosses aren't quite in such agreement.

Dr Howells wants to see more modern resorts, with high quality infrastructure and services.

The towns wonder where the money will come from. They see wads of cash going to inner cities but little coming to their patch, which might have just as much deprivation away from the seafront bustle.

Overlooked

They argue that their industry - which generates �74bn, nearly 5% of the UK economy - is often overlooked.

In the wake of foot-and-mouth, farming received �2bn in aid, tourism just �28m.

Tourism is vital to the economy of coastal resorts such as Torquay

But despite its size, critics say tourism isn't the answer to economic problems.

The industry is spending �40m to attract more foreign visitors, but wages are still low and standards of service don't match those in other countries.

And despite the competition, trying to generate tourism income is the preferred option for many areas which have lost their traditional employment base.

Great Torrington

Take the town of Great Torrington in north Devon. Two businesses recently closed leaving one in 10 of the population out of work.

With matched grant aid, the community has worked hard to regenerate the area, creating a successful tourist attraction based on its history as a Civil War battlesite.

But are such projects bringing in new money or just spreading the tourism cake more thinly? And are they creating sustainable jobs?

Government strategies are all very well, but sometimes they do need to be backed up by investment. Persuading private investors to put money into seaside resorts won't be easy.