Even though the shops are busy, the sun is shining and the beaches are packed, something is a bit off in the popular holiday towns of Cornwall. As many people all around the world cancel foreign holidays and opt for staycations the small popular English towns of Cornwall are looking very different.
With beautiful beaches, cobbled lanes, and quaint shops Looe is one of the most popular resorts of the whole of Cornwall. However, COVID-19 has made everything a little difficult, the usually full Looe hotels are all overworked making sure they can keep up with the new government legislation.
“We always had a great time here in Looe. However this year I was very anxious, because of the COVID-19 and the face masks. We haven’t done half of the activities we would have and it’s the least busy that I have ever seen it.” – Jeffery W, Manchester
There has been a large shift, where we would have seen tourists from all over the world coming to stay, the shift has been to English families and groups of stag do and hen night who would have usually gone abroad. We are still unsure how the combination of the virus and Brexit is going to affect the industry but the locals are carrying on as normal.
With the UK leaving the European union the whole of the UK tourist industry is holding its breath. Waiting to see what this means. No place in the country is more aware of this than Cornwall. Tourism and the fishing waters have been a big source of income for the sleepy beautiful region of England. Both these are going to be forever changed as the UK exits the block.
So far the Corona Virus has masked the effect of Brexit, people have been locked down and the majority of hotel bookings have been canceled. Recently with people just being allowed to leave lockdown and too scared to catch a flight out of the country, there has been a resurgence of tourists, even to the point where the small seaside towns have been unable to deal with the people. However before they would usually see polite European families come to the towns, they are now seeing the more rowdy UK traveler who finds themselves unable to go to their usual sunny party spots such as Ibiza.
Recently “Visit Cornwall” had a discussion about how Brexit could affect holiday making in the future. They are considering these:
Building on international links and reputation
This is believed to be an opportunity to reach out and sell Cornwall to other countries worldwide. Legal and visa restrictions that we would have previously seen are now completely within our control and with the English language, we still remain one of the most accessible countries to visit for a lot of cultures.
Capitalising on the current exchange rates
With the dropping exchange rate, we may find the UK to become a more and more competitive holiday destination. We would be able to offer better prices but still be able to provide some of the best destinations worldwide.
WorkForce uncertainties.
It’s not all positive though, a disproportionate amount of our hotels and tourist business are staffed by people from the European Union. Without the last workforce that travels to the UK, we may find that a lot of businesses are going to have trouble finding the workforce that they need in order to offer a world-class service.
