Signs of the times

[V1701]

Reminds me of Not the Nine O'Clock News in the 80's - "Come home to a real fire - buy a holiday home in Wales..."

 

[doris]

Yes, but they'll be grovelling for our money once this crisis is over. Me? I'll go abroad.

If they'll have you and there are any left to serve you.

 

[Skeffles]

Tourists and second home owners, are they worth the hassle and the having to tug your forelock in your own town for them? Increasingly, the answer is no.

 

[Stemar]

I think a lot of people who live in pretty areas with no industry might start to disagree once this is over and they start to wonder how to replenish their bank accounts.

I've huge sympathy for locals who are priced out by {insert preferred epithet} for whom a barely affordable home is pocket change to the tourists, and would have no problem with councils who doubled the council tax on second homes, but how long would Cornwall or the Lake District last without tourists?

 

[duncan99210]

Local industrial estates are becoming increasingly important in Cornwall, as is remote working. My son in law does advertising copy and websites for clients as far afield as Sweden whilst happily sitting in a shed in his back garden in deepest Cornwall. There’s been two new industrial estates opened in Falmouth in the last year, and so it goes on. A surprisingly large proportion of the people who do work in tourism are not Cornish, especially seasonal workers. So whilst tourism is important (please do come visit once this lock down eases) it’s not the quite driver that it once was.
It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out over the next year or so. I had a bumper year last summer: booked solid from late May until mid September, with late enquiries continuing through the season, so this year was probably not going to compare. Who know‘s what next year will bring?
Whatever turns up, one thing I do know is that the attitude of the locals won’t change. Folks who come down for a good time be it sailing, surfing, walking or just lounging about are welcome. Patronising attitudes and posers get short shrift.

 

[dom]

I think a lot of people who live in pretty areas with no industry might start to disagree once this is over and they start to wonder how to replenish their bank accounts.

I've huge sympathy for locals who are priced out by {insert preferred epithet} for whom a barely affordable home is pocket change to the tourists, and would have no problem with councils who doubled the council tax on second homes, but how long would Cornwall or the Lake District last without tourists?

I would have thought EU grants and regional subsidies, of which numerous options are......

Oh, wait

 

[Skeffles]

There is also an argument to be had that the focus on tourism is suppressing other potential industries, as they cannot get off the ground or get funding because they are not seen as key to tourism. If there is only funding for tourism related industries, then you are going to have to leave if you want to do something else. Add to that the rents/home prices/etc, and tourism is seen less and less like a wanted industry. Especially when so many of the tourism jobs are either super insecure due to seasonality, and also that the owners of a lot of those businesses are retirees from other parts of Britain and tend to treat local staff, not well shall we say.