MORE than 1,000 years ago, King Canute sat on an English beach and tried to turn back the tide. Now, seaside resorts are hoping for greater success with their own attempt to confound expectations.

Whereas for Canute it was a stunt to prove he was not all powerful, for the resorts it could be a matter of life and death.

Until the 1960s, a week by the sea was the staple holiday for millions of families, filling beaches with row upon row of deckchairs.

But the advent of cheap package holidays to destinations where sunshine was almost guaranteed, sounded the death knell for the British seaside resort as we knew it, leading to decades of decline.

Now the English Tourism Council has launched a new strategy to try to promote an upturn in the fortunes of resorts and transform them once again into attractive holiday destinations.

Mary Lynch, the tourism council's chief executive, says the challenge for the seaside resort is not to try to compete with overseas destinations but to encourage people to see what is on their doorstep.

Despite the decline, tourists still spent an estimated £146m in Scarborough last year and £32m in Whitby.

"Seaside resorts are not going to return to their glory days, it just isn't feasible," says Amanda Miller, travel and tourism lecturer at Northumbria University.

"But what is feasible is looking at niche markets, perhaps which are quite specialised, and going for them.

"It could be a cultural tourism event, an arts festival, business tourism or conferences."

The need to look for new customers has been taken on board at Whitley Bay, which is now aiming to market itself as Newcastle-by-the-sea, capitalising on the popularity of city breaks.

"There is a different type of tourist coming in now compared with five or ten years ago," says Peter Warne, tourism development manager for North Tyneside Council. "People do not come here for a week-long period as they might have done in the past."

Resorts could also look at the possibility of putting together their own package holidays, says Amanda Miller.

Tourism minister Janet Anderson says she is keen to boost an industry which already contributes nearly £6bn to the economy.

And Amanda Miller is convinced there is a chance of turning back the tide.

"I think there is a future for the resorts," she says.

"People will always be attracted to the seaside, and as long as they see something they like, then they will come."