Bristol is more popular than Blackpool as a short-break destination for UK tourists.

Figures revealed today by the tourism organisation VisitEngland show that our city is the fourth most popular place for overnight stays, with about 1.6 million visitors.

The North West coastal resort has dropped to sixth place, with about 1.4 million visitors.

London, Manchester and Birmingham were the top three cities.

London, Liverpool and Newcastle-upon-Tyne all saw sharp rises in visitor numbers for 2008, while Bristol's fell by five per cent, in line with the national average.

Blackpool was the big dipper, though, with a 26 per cent drop in overnight stays.

Bristol, which has seen new hotels including Ibis at Harbourside and Temple Quay, Holland House in Redcliffe and Future Inns in Temple Quay open in recent years, and will soon also have the Radisson Blu on the Centre, looks well placed to see a rise in figures for 2009.

They will reflect the full year's effect of the Cabot Circus shopping centre, which opened in September 2008, and the expected spike in over- night visitors thanks to the Banksy exhibition at the City Museum.

Better weather this summer is also set to help the city offset any possible drop because of the recession.

Tourism officials believe the economic downturn could even benefit UK visitor attractions, as more of us take breaks in our own country rather than going overseas.

Jenny McGee, of VisitEngland, said: "We're delighted to see our urban centres continue to attract visitors with their increasing and diverse range of attractions and cultural events.

"The disappointing summer of 2008 has most likely had an impact on the position of some of our seaside towns – but weather predictions for this summer give us hopes of reversing that trend in next year's results."

The league table of the top 10 most-visited English cities and towns was based on UK residents staying for at least one night.

Bristol is also set to benefit from its listing in a 2009 travel guide as one of the top 10 cities in the world to visit.

The city rubs shoulders with Buenos Aires, Cape Town and Washington DC in DK Eyewitness Travel.

The publication recommends a short break in Bristol, the only UK city in the top 10, for its shopping facilities, "green" appeal, and charming neighbourhoods.

Other Bristol highlights mentioned in the book are Georgian architecture and historical attractions – including Brunel's Suspension Bridge and the ss Great Britain, the Arnolfini arts gallery and Watershed media centre at Harbourside.

John Hallett, managing director of Destination Bristol, said of the guidebook entry: "Bristol is an exciting city to visit right now. It is one of the most talked about places in the UK."