UK households who holiday in Cornwall warned they face 'crisis'

UK households who holiday in Cornwall warned they face 'crisis'
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


UK households who holiday in Cornwall have been issued an urgent warning over the lack of tourism. Cornwall's tourism chief has expressed the county's determination to "bounce back" after a decade-low in visitor numbers last year.

Jon Hyatt, who heads Visit Cornwall, spoke at a tourism summit in Truro, in the wake of Tim Jones, chair of the South West Business Council, warning that tourism in the south west of England was experiencing its lowest point in a decade.

UK Hospitality's Chief Executive, Kate Nicholls, warned the new Labour Party government against balancing the country's finances on the backs of small businesses in counties like Cornwall, warning of a "It will have a devastating impact."

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Malcolm Bell, the former Executive Chairman of Visit Cornwall, told the BBC 2024 was "flat all the way through". Sally Everton, of Visit Devon, said tourism was “vital to the overall economy of Devon”. She added: "The industry is now focussing on the summer and the need to support businesses and the sector to ensure that bookings occur, and that we get a good remainder of the season."

Alex Trumble has run Babel Fish English Language School since 2012, with about 80 students at a time hosted by a number of local families. The 47 year-old said: “I’d like to see more grants given out to small businesses that trade internationally. That would help us advertise to those people.

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"They come here and they spend an awful lot of money." Nelya Bradbury runs the Quies Hotel in Newquay and said bookings would increase if public transport was improved, adding: “For the business to work, we need to be occupied for more than 90% and we can’t drop the price lower than £100 a night, otherwise we don’t make money."

She said: “Cornwall really needs investment in transport. The railway connection is terrible. It’s a very high price and it’s cheaper to fly abroad to Spain, Italy or Portugal."