Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the BHA, said a new report entitled Creating Coastal Powerhouses and commissioned by the association has revealed people living in seaside towns are more likely to be poorly educated, unemployed, unemployable, lacking in ambition, claiming benefits and living in multiple occupation housing.

He added it also found that more than half of the British public have not visited the domestic seaside in the past three years with a further 65% saying it is run down and in need of investment.

Meanwhile, the department for communities and local government has found nine out of the 10 most deprived neighbourhoods in the UK are seaside communities.

The collapse of shipbuilding and fishing combined with issues like the decline of the traditional annual holiday by the seaside and cutbacks in budgets affecting tourism promotion have created a toxic mix.

Now Ibrahim and the report are calling on the Government to create coastal enterprise zones to encourage businesses to move to and invest in the coast.

The association which represent over 40,000 businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry which employs 4.5m people, added places like Folkestone and parts of east Devon provide a model of recovery.

It has produced a seven point action plan to breathe new life into seaside towns which calls on the government to appoint a Seaside Tsar to co ordinate a to co-ordinate a recovery as well as invest, improve education and use tax breaks to rejuvenate the regions.

Ibrahim said: “We look forward to the appointment of a seaside tsar.  Our members, who invest in and operate hospitality and tourism businesses recognise the problems facing many coastal communities but we also know there are fantastic opportunities to boost these places and help revive the great British seaside holiday.

“250 million visits are already made to the UK’s coast each year, generating £17 billion to the economy. But we know there is a lot more to do – and that can only happen with a concerted effort by a committed government and the private sector.

“Together we can turn the tide and bring a smile back to the seaside.”