Will Spaniards swap the beaches of the Costa Brava for Blackpool?

A daily air route between the seaside resort and Girona, one hour away from Barcelona, was launched on Thursday.

It is the first regular service linking the airport with Europe and operator Ryanair says it will boost the Fylde coast's economy.

Sandra France, from Blackpool Tourism, said: "Blackpool would definitely offer Spaniards a lot of fun."

She added: "It's a unique destination and we would like to think that a lot of Spaniards will visit.

"There is also a large ex-pat community in Girona while this new service will help people who want to visit that part of Spain."

Ryanair's sales manager, Alfons Claver, said the new route would be good for Blackpool.