Tourism bosses in Weston-super-Mare say they are already taking calls from people in London and Birmingham planning to visit the resort this weekend.

Those fancying a day trip to the coast have been calling the town’s Tourist Information Centre asking if the resort is open for business.

The seaside resort and its miles of golden sand is a popular spot for visitors from Birmingham as it is the first coastal resort along the M5.

Each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors from the Midlands flock to Weston in search of sand and sea.

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The surge in enquiries has sparked fears that the town could see a deluge of visitors from across the UK – with some travelling hundreds of miles to hit the beach, Bristol Live reports.

And it has also led to fears that extra visitors - from areas with high levels of coronavirus cases – could cause a rise in numbers in the south west.

The government changed guidance earlier this week to allow unlimited exercise.

People are also allowed to travel without restriction in England to visit beauty spots and beaches as long as they return to their main residence at night.

However tourism chiefs are warning that those arriving in Weston will find much of the resort is still shut and are urging them to stay away.

Many of the main attractions – such as Weston Pier – remain closed due to the pandemic.

Pubs, restaurants and tourist attractions are shut and only a few takeaways remain open.

The town’s public toilets and car parks remain closed.

The stretch of Marine Parade from Royal Sands to the Princess Royal Square is also closed to all traffic.

It is also understood the entrance to Knightstone Causeway is also being closed off to stop people from using their boats and jetskis.

The town also only has one small hospital, with no overnight accident and emergency department.

Bosses at Visit Weston – which changed its logo to Don’t Visit Weston following the government lockdown – says it is asking people to stay away.

Visit Weston tourism manager Caroline Darlington said: “We are already taking calls from people from London and Birmingham about visiting Weston-super-Mare this weekend following the change in government guidelines.

“We are asking them not to visit and instead enjoy parks and open spaces closer to their own homes.

“The infrastructure for visitors coming to Weston is just not in place.

“Visitors cannot stay overnight, there are no restaurants or pubs open and no public toilets available.

“The few takeaways that are open are likely to see huge queues where it will be difficult to maintain social distancing.

“There is also the concern about how social distancing will be policed if large numbers of people arrive.

“We are looking forward to welcoming people back to Weston.

“And I understand people are eager to get out and to the beach.

“But now is just not the right time.

“Our message, “Don’t Visit Weston’ remains very much in place.

“We are working on a disaster recovery plan on how we can open back up safely for visitors with social distancing in place.

“At the moment, the south west has relatively low levels of coronavirus and we want to keep it that way.”

North Somerset Council is currently looking at how it will manage the impacts of the changes in the lockdown.

Council chiefs say that the section of Marine Parade is unlikely to re-open in the near future for traffic to provide more space for pedestrians.

North Somerset Council spokeswoman Zoe Briffitt said: “We are currently looking at what we need to introduce service wise to cater for increased visitor numbers.

“But we need to do this in a safe way.”

North Somerset welcomes seven million visitors each year, pumping nearly £400 million into the local economy.

Further updates are expected to be announced by the council later this week.