27/09/2007 05:57:33
A spoof Cornish website is groaning under the weight of visits, after BBC News reported on its growing popularity earlier today.
The Porthemmet beach website was created as a joke by Truro teacher Jonty Haywood, and has become popular through a group created on the social networking site Facebook.
Though the group now has nearly 2,400 members, the website itself has received more than that many visits since BBC News article was posted this morning.
The name of the idyllic-sounding beach comes from the Cornish "emmet", used to describe tourists. Directions to the non-existent resort involve "heading north up the A30", which would take potential visitors into Devon.
Cornish tourism groups are confident that the light-hearted website won't hurt the county's reputation as a holiday destination. A spokesperson for VisitCornwall told the BBC that it was "good to have the spotlight turned on Cornwall and to remind people that this really is a stunning place to visit".
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