FEWER hotels are going bust but a strong Brexit silver lining due to a weaker pound is still to show itself in Bournemouth and Poole.

That's the verdict of Bournemouth Accommodation and Hotels Association vice chair Andy Woodland in response to a report from accountancy firm Moore Stephens, which said hotel insolvencies dropped by 18 per cent last year and linked this to the influx of visitors due to the fall in the value of sterling.

"I would say that we have had a fairly good summer with occupancy etc, but it really is the on-costs which are going up and to be honest I do feel that probably the hoteliers within Bournemouth are not feeling that positive effect," said Mr Woodland.

"I think that possibly next year, if the sterling stays where it is, we'll attract more people across from Europe and America but this summer we haven't seen it yet."

Moore Stephens said Brexit may have had a negative effect on some UK businesses, but the hotel sector had benefited from the effects of the Leave vote and hotel insolvencies were down from 98 to 80. It linked this to claims there has been a nine per cent increase in the number of of international visitors in the first six months of the year, to 2.5 million

Mr Woodland, who is manager of the Sandbanks Hotel, said he had seen 'quite a few inquiries' from Dutch and German holidaymakers for early next summer.

"We're optimistic on that point but it really hasn't taken effect, yet," he said. "There are very few hotels which are reporting to us that it's been a stunning year but we have to remember that we had such a good year in 2016 for all the hotels in Bournemouth, it would be very hard to repeat."

The news has been welcomed by Bournemouth and Poole Tourism, however, which says that ‘several million’ visitors contributing nearly three quarters of a billion pounds to the local economy have already come to the area in 2017.

Head of Resort Marketing and Events, Jon Weaver, said: “It’s good economic news for the industry countrywide and we have had a great year. The sector constantly strives to offer something new and unique and now we are working alongside Poole that can only be of benefit to visitors, both now and in the future.”

He said he hoped the area’s ‘great variety of accommodation providers’ would help continue the trend. “We hope it’s something we can make the most of again into 2018.”

Despite celebrating fewer insolvencies, and more overseas visitors to the UK, Moore Stephens also warned that hotels still faced issues such as staff shortages as a result of Brexit, minimum wage increases, and growing competition from Airbnb.