News

The closure of two hugely popular Cornish tourist destinations in the space of a couple of hours has left locals in shock amid concerns about the state of the county’s holiday industry.

The closure of two hugely popular Cornish tourist destinations in the space of a couple of hours has left locals in shock amid concerns about the state of the county’s holiday industry.

Dairyland Farm Park, near Newquay, has been welcoming visitors for almost five decades, but shut its doors for the final time last weekend.

Citing persistent financial struggles, the attraction shared its difficulties in trying to recover from the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic against the backdrop of rising operating costs.

Described by General manager Keith Thompson as a ‘massive loss for Cornwall’, Dairyland’s closure was bookended by the immediate shutting of Flambards Theme Park in Helston.

Similarly, Flambards had been open for 48 years and cited a steady decline in visitors over the recent holiday periods, making trading untenable.

The closure of two such prominent tourist attractions follows the worrying news that this past year saw Cornwall endure its worst summer visitor numbers for a decade, according to the South West Business Council (SWBC).

In decades gone by, a trip to England’s sunny southwest was seen as one the premier staycation options available to holiday-goers.

However, businesses in Cornwall have been struggling for some time as its tourism industry slowly dwindles.

There were a multitude of reasons for this according to the SWBC’s chairman, Tim Jones, who told the BBC earlier this summer that 17 per cent of bars and restaurants had shut down in the area.

Issues impacting visitor numbers ranged from increased operating costs resulting in the need to cut staffing and in turn cap tourists at some attractions, while others pinpointed the lack of adequate public transport infrastructure as a major stumbling block.

Journeys can take many hours from urban centres such as London and Manchester, with many transfers required to reach some of Cornwall’s most picturesque locations without your own car.

In an age of cut-price flights to the likes of Spain, Italy and Greece, Cornish businesses have claimed that many potential domestic tourists are put off from the start due to the complexity and pricing of travel when compared with foreign sun trips.

Described as a ‘vital’ part of the area’s economy, Sally Everton of Visit Devon expressed her wish for both tourists and the governments support in backing the Cornish tourism industry during what continues to be a difficult trading period.

Travel expert Zak Ali, commercial leader for Together Travel, has recently voiced his concerns over tourist’s ‘abandoning’ of Cornwall’s seaside towns.

Speaking to the Express last month, Ali bemoaned the dire situation facing travel agents in the area, who could potentially be facing the prospect of mass redundancies.

With uncertainty in the housing market, Ali says that travel agents are finding it difficult to keep properties open and available on the rental market.

Adding to agents woes in securing tourist accommodation for short-term lets is the fact that as of April next year, second homes in the area are set to be slapped with a 100 per cent hike in council tax.

With Cornwall’s tourism industry worth roughly £2 billion annually, or 15 per cent of the local economy, Mr Ali said there will be wider implications for the local economy should the tourism industry continue to struggle.

‘We’ve seen it in the summer we’ve just had already, the destination has not been as strong as it has been historically.

‘The tourism industry will see a negative impact. I think it will be detrimental to the overall income generated on the back of tourism,’ Mr Ali concluded.

Related Posts

The reason behind Brad Pitt’s shock ‘collapse’ and ‘immediate medical evaluation’ at Vegas Grand Prix is revealed

Onlookers were shocked and concerned after A-List actor Brad Pitt ‘fainted’ at the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend – but all was not as it seemed. On Saturday, ahead of the highly-anticipated on-track showdown in Sin City, the star, 60, was seen collapsing to the ground as he ‘fainted’ on the grid. He wobbled on his feet several times before crashing down on to a padded mat held by a crew member.

NHS alert after a surge in hospital admissions linked to bad reactions to weight-loss jabs amid concerns over sale of ‘miracle’ treatment online

The number of hospital admissions for bad reactions to weight-loss drugs is more than four times higher than previously thought – with a staggering 274 cases reported on top of nearly 15,000 said to have suffered ill effects. Last month, the medicines regulator said there had been 68 UK hospitalisations associated with ‘miracle’ weight-loss jabs such as Ozempic, used to treat obesity and diabetes. But now it has emerged that the figure is far higher at 274, while the number of adverse reactions linked to the drugs has reached an astonishing 14,996, according to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – more than double the 7,228 reactions reported last month.

Conor McGregor vows ‘big actions are coming’ and says he is ‘soon to be vindicated’ as he launches furious tirade against his rape accuser Nikita Hand after she won €250,000 from him in court

Conor McGregor has warned ‘big actions are coming’ and he is ‘soon to be vindicated’ during a series of social media tirades against a decision to award his rape accuser nearly €250,000. McGregor, 36, was found by a jury in a civil court to have 𝑠e𝑥ually assaulted Nikita Hand, 35, at a hotel in south Dublin in December 2018. After deliberating for six hours and 10 minutes, a jury of eight women and four men returned their verdict on Friday afternoon, awarding Ms Hand the substantial damages for her claim.

Bombshell new clue may finally crack DB Cooper case 53 years after hijacker escaped out of plane with $200k

The parachute that the infamous hijacker DB Cooper used to make his getaway out of a plane with $200,000 may have finally been found. The enigma behind DB Cooper, the man who jumped out of Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305 with thousands in cash after handing a stewardess a note demanding the ransom, has long stumped the FBI. Nearly a decade later, the FBI has begun unofficially looking back into the case after the children of Richard Floyd McCoy II contacted YouTuber Dan Gryder in 2020 with possible evidence.

‘Never-Trump’ columnist ridiculed for calling Trump’s Cabinet ‘1,000 shades of white’

Washington Post columnist Jennifer Rubin is being ridiculed for calling Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations ‘1,000 shades of white’. Rubin, 62, a former conservative commentator at the Jeff Bezos-owned paper, now largely advocates for Democrats and on her podcast, ‘Jen Rubin’s Green Room.’ Speaking on MSNBC Rubin did not hold back as she ripped Trump’s nominations over the color of their skin.

Matt Gaetz is mercilessly mocked over surprising new career move: ‘Not on my bingo card’

Former Attorney General pick Matt Gaetz has turned his eyes towards a new career after claiming he was forced to exit Congress due to a 𝑠e𝑥 ‘smear’ campaign. Gaetz, sensationally dropped out of contention two days ago amid a sleuth of allegations including having 𝑠e𝑥 with a minor girl and and illicit drug use – which he has always denied. He also withdrew himself from Congress for next year despite having been re-elected to the seat he vacated.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *