Devon and Cornwall tourist numbers still down
It’s that time of year when staycationers around the country are gearing up for trips to Devon and Cornwall.
But, visitor numbers are down – and Visit Cornwall Chairman, Malcolm Bell, explained why.
Overall tourism numbers
Bell stated that in Cornwall, expected tourism numbers were between 15% and 20% down from a normal year.
He estimated that there were 102,000 tourists and 495,000 overnight stays during half-term week.
Devon is following a similar trajectory.
Are local businesses impacted?
While numbers are down, some local businesses have actually stated that they are up – for example, Rick Turner from The Big Sheep in North Devon mentioned that he actually had “very good numbers” and was up 10-20%, although many of these were local visitors.
The South Devon Railway also reported similar numbers, with Tuesday 28th May being one of the busiest days ever recorded in May.
Why are numbers lower?
There are a few reasons why footfall is lower than previous years:
- The weather: There has been quite a lot of rain, which discourages people from getting out and about in Cornwall and Devon.
- Cost of living crisis: Leisure activities and holidays are among the first to go when looking at cutting costs.
- Holidays abroad: Often, it is cheaper to holiday abroad, and like last year, there are no longer any COVID restrictions in nearly all destinations.
- Cryptosporidium: While cryptosporidium is only affecting an area in Brixham, some staycationers are believing it covers all of Devon and are staying away!
Visitor numbers may be down, but that does have some benefits – less crowding and cheaper prices are just some. Do you think it’s a good or bad thing?
