IN a credit crunch reversal of fortune holiday parks, caravan sites, hotels, guest houses and businesses in Teignbridge and throughout Dartmoor are reaping the benefit of many Brits turning their backs on holidaying abroad and staying in this country.

The weakening pound against the euro and dollar has meant a hike in the cost of overseas holidays and, with the crunch as a double whammy this year, many have already booked their vacation in the district.

Those on the continent are also looking on resorts in south Devon as a favourable destination.

Park Holidays UK, owners of Peppermint Park, Golden Sands and Dawlish Sands, at Dawlish Warren report that reservations are up 16 per cent on last year and midsummer dates are 'almost at capacity'.

The company's commercial director, Tony Clish, described the upturn as a 'tourism explosion' and maintained the impact could be felt right across the county.

Andrew Bulpin, secretary of Dawlish Warren Tourist Group, said both the euro and the dollar were going the wrong way and people were fed up queuing at airports.

'I think the key to success is the old adage of looking after the customers you already have and giving the new ones the best welcome possible.

'Get it right first time and every time and I really think we have a chance of returning to the glory days we had before the introduction of the euro.

'We know now that a holiday here can be half the price of one in Spain when you take everything into account,' said Mr Bulpin.

At the Teignmouth Tourist Information Office, a spokesman said that so far the response had been quite good.

'I think hotels are doing quite well with their bookings but it is quite early in the year for us to be in contact with them,' she said.

Across Teignbridge everything felt very positive with bookings coming in for the approaching season, said Michelle Taylor, the teignbridge tourism and marketing officer.

'Bookings and inquiries across Teignbridge, south Devon and the South Hams are slightly up and the general feeling was very optimistic,' she said.

Jess Whistance, manager of the Dartmoor Partnership, admitted that last year was a very bad year for visitors and those providing accommodation, mainly because of the weather and the economic climate.

'This year people are finding business is up. I have spoken to a number of Dartmoor hotel owners who have confirmed their bookings are well up and they are already having a good year.

'The budget B and Bs, camping parks and campsites are finding they are taking more bookings this year.

'That is really good news and I think a lot will again depend on the weather, though there are many outdoor pursuits on the moorland that people follow rain or shine.

'Some people though are waiting until the last minute to make bookings in an effort to get the best deals,' said Ms Whistance.

The Dartmoor Partnership consists of representatives of the Dartmoor National Park Authority, tourism businesses and Dartmoor Farmers' Association, etc. It can be contacted on the web on: http://www.dartmoor.co.uk">www.dartmoor.co.uk.

Mike Nendick, of the DNPA, said they were looking forward to a very good year ahead for the national park.

'What Dartmoor has to offer is a quality product, with excellent small establishments with everything locally produced, combined with stunning scenery. For leisure and relaxation it has everything,' he said.

Travel agent, Karen Osborne, who sells holidays from her Newton Abbot home for Future Travel, which is part of the Co-operative Travel Group, reports that bookings for all inclusive holidays abroad have risen by 22.4 per cent and half board by 53.6 per cent compared to the same period last year.

She said because the pound is weak against the euro people were tending to spend their money here by booking all inclusive holidays so that they had to spend little at their destination.

There had also been a mixture of holidays booked in this country, from holiday centres to country cottages.

Last week, Teignbridge MP Richard Younger-Ross, went along to 10 Downing Street in an effort to press prime minister Gordon Brown to support tourism in Teignbridge.

Mr Younger-Ross, the Liberal Democrats shadow spokesman for culture, arts and heritage, coordinated the campaign in an effort to get the government to invest in the tourism industry.

At number 10, together with MPs Don Foster and Adrian Saunders, he left a postcard for Mr Brown inviting him to a tourist attraction in Teignbridge.

'British tourism can thrive only if the government is prepared to invest in the industry and adopt a sound marketing strategy to publicise Britain's many attractions.

'Yet Visit Britain, the body responsible for marketing Britain as a tourist destination abroad, has seen its funding drastically cut by more than £15 million between 2003 and 2010, and the government has refused to commit to more funding in the sector,' he said.

Mr Younger-Ross maintained that as a crucial part of Britain's economy, tourism deserved to be taken far more seriously by government.

'Tourism could provide one of the routes out of the recession. Thousands of jobs could be protected and new ones created if the cuts in the funding for Visit Britain were reversed and steps like reducing VAT on accommodation and entrance to tourist attractions were considered,' he said.