SOUTH East Cornwall is packed for the Easter weekend with thousands of tourists who have been arriving all week to make the best of the spring break and the fine weather forecast.

There were gridlocks on the A38 leading up to Dobwalls as early as Tuesday from sheer volume of traffic, and the RAC Motoring Services have listed the A30 in the county, and the A390 around St Austell and The Eden Project, as top of their anticipated hotspots in coastal regions nationwide, for heavy traffic flows.

With local tourism businesses reporting bumper bookings set to last for the whole season, the summer ahead is already set to be the best for more than 20 years.

However, Cornwall's tourist industry must see the coming holiday season as the start of something big rather than an opportunity to make 'a quick buck', a tourism leader has warned

Customer care

Nick Howell, chairman of Cornwall Association of Tourist Attractions, stressed the need for customer care and challenged everyone in the industry to avoid being the 'weakest link'.

"Right across the board - attractions, accommodation, catering, entertainment, transport - Cornish tourism's performance this year will only be as strong as its weakest link – the weakest smile on the face of the least motivated employee.'

He compared the Easter start to the season to the sort of opportunity presented by the 1999 Total Eclipse.

'The consensus is that Cornwall blew the Eclipse and this time it's got to be different' he said. 'The best advertisement for Cornwall is a lot of satisfied holidaymakers. Everyone must strive to ensure our visitors enjoy great value for money and take a marvellous holiday experience home with them. We want them to come back and spread the word'.

'I sincerely hope that all employers will take the trouble to give their staff and themselves a pep talk to underline the great opportunity now facing them' he said. 'Everyone should be challenged to think of Anne Robinson and avoid being told they are the weakest link'.

Caradon Tourism Officer Jill Isaac says a good indication of the large increase in tourists expected has come via their own publication - The South East Cornwall Guide/Looe and Polperro, which also includes the Rame Peninsula, Tamar Valley, Liskeard and Bodmin Moor.

'Our print run is 80,000 and we have already sent out 45,000 in answer to enquiries, in comparison to 35,000 all last year' she said. 'We have also sent 29,000 brochures to Tourist Information Centres nationwide, so we are nearly running out.

Jill , who is assisted by Donna Buckley, says that in January 2001 they dealt with 4,000 enquiries, compared to a mammoth leap to 25,000 in the same month this year. 'It's looking extremely good for the whole season' she added. 'The 'Eden' factor, and our extensive advertising nationwide has all helped'.

Peter Bishop, chair of South East Cornwall Tourist Association has also cited The Eden Project as the major draw to the area.

'All our members are reporting they are fully booked for most of the season, with self caterers at record level, and Easter is the busiest in years' he said.

'Most people booking in at my guest house used to ask how far we were from Land's End. Now the first question is, how far away are you from The Eden Project?'.

Mr Bishop added that S W Tourism had done a good job, concentrating on Europe which has been most successful, but that the perceived worry that Americans would not travel after the September 11 terrorist attack has not happened, with many Americans coming to Cornwall.

Shipwrecks.

On the Rame Peninsula, Mr John Pape, tourism officer for RATS (Rame Association of Traders), says bookings are up in Kingsand/Cawsand for the Easter weekend with things looking good for the rest of the season. 'Visitor numbers have been building up in the villages all week' he said.

'A lot of interest in us has stemmed from the national press coverage of the two recent shipwrecks - MV Willy and the Kodima. 'We were suddenly in the limelight' he said.

Looe Tourist Information has been packed out all week with manager Jill Spencer saying enquiries and bookings are up. 'Most people want to know about The Eden Project' she said, 'and we have sold 500 tickets for the attraction already this week'.