PORT ELIZABETH’S beaches are the main attraction for holiday-makers. That’s according to research conducted for the metro over the December holiday period. After swimming came eating. The next most popular past-time was making merry in the metro’s restaurants, coffee shops and taverns. The quality of the food and dining experiences were rated highly by visitors. The second-most popular destination after the beaches was The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World. “We are proud of the fact that The Boardwalk is contributing towards the growth in tourism to the area,” says Boardwalk general manager Graham Vass. Tourism in the metro is growing. According to Statistics South Africa, room occupancy grew by 5.1 per cent a year between November 2001 and November 2002. This is higher than major attractions like the Garden Route and the Drakensberg. According to the study, the next most popular reason to visit the metro after the beaches was the quality of food and dining experiences. Restaurants, pubs and taverns in the metro were rated highly across the board by tourists, according to the research. Vass says the findings of the research – which went on to rate The Boardwalk Casino and Entertainment World as one of the main strengths of the metro – were born out by a record number of visitors to the complex over the Christmas season.