A SPRING washout and the prospect of the Olympics drawing people to London has left hoteliers contemplating a difficult season.

The resort has begun an advertising campaign at London Waterloo station in an effort to remind tourists it is still open for business.

Poor weather deterred people from making spontaneous short-breaks to Bournemouth during April and much of May and effectively delayed the start of the peak tourist season.

And although the improvement in the weather has now promoted an increase in bookings, hoteliers are now concerned the Olympics could overshadow their summer.

Some hotels are promoting themselves as a way of escaping the Olympic Games, whereas others are pushing special “Olympic torch breaks” and stressing their close proximity to the sailing events at Weymouth and Portland. But most say bookings are currently poor for the Olympic period.

Andrew Woodland, chair of the Bournemouth Area Hospitality Association (BAHA), said: “I think everybody is a bit concerned about the Olympics.

“A marketing campaign from Bournemouth Tourism starts this week on the London Underground to tell people that Bournemouth is still open during the Olympics.

“Because they’re happening in Weymouth, perhaps people are thinking that maybe we’re already full. But speaking to Weymouth hoteliers they have still got spaces during the Olympics.”

Local hotel consultant Allen Stocker worked at the Hotel Bayerischer Hof in Munich, when the 1972 Olympics were held in the city.

He said he was always sceptical about any potential benefits the London Olympics would have for the rest of the country’s tourist trade.

“If you were coming from abroad and wanting to watch the Olympics, where would you want to go?” he asked.

“There is no doubt the Olympics will be a fantastic event for London; London will be buzzing and Weymouth will do quite well but I just can’t see that extending to Bournemouth.”

And Debbie Payne, owner of the Rosscourt Guest House in Boscombe, said: “July as a month is looking pretty grim and the Olympic weeks are just dire.

“I think people have heard the negative adverts warning people of road closures and traffic problems in Weymouth and that’s put them off. They look at a map and see that we’re not far away and think they will just avoid this part of the south coast altogether.

“The people who have got tickets will be travelling up to London, the people who enjoy the Olympics will watch it at home and the people who want to escape it totally will probably go abroad. It’s a real problem and I don’t know what Bournemouth Tourism can really do about it.”