Strong start to the year for tourism, firms say
BBC Weather Watchers/CazgardensSouth-west England's tourism sector has reported a strong start to the year with an increase in the number of Easter visitors.
Provisional data from the Devon Association of Tourist Attractions (DATA) showed about 70% of members had more visitors over the Easter bank holiday weekend than last year.
Some businesses in Cornwall had seen a 40 to 50% rise in footfall compared to last Easter, the Cornwall Association of Tourist Attractions (CATA) said.
Firms said the increased cost of living had reduced visitor numbers last year and, while fuel has recently risen in price, bad winter weather and uncertainty about flights due to the Middle East war had resulted in an influx of visitors.
BBC Weather Watchers/Tony N-DCarolyn Custerson, chief executive officer of the English Riviera BID Company, said more people were holidaying in the UK.
She said: "I think we're already starting to see the impact of global events.
"We're seeing a lot more first-time visitors that maybe would have gone abroad but are currently becoming staycationers.
"When we analyse where we're seeing a great interest in travel to the south west, we're seeing it within a two-hour drive time."
"Easter's always a barometer for the rest of the season," she added.
A spokesperson for DATA said: "While footfall is up, we are seeing more cautious spending, and visitor numbers have been very weather dependent - but overall it's been a positive start to the season."
'Best ever Easter trading'
Keith Southwell said Cornwall Association of Tourist Attractions (CATA) members had a "very strong" start to the Easter holidays, in part because of good weather.
He said: "Some smaller attractions are seeing 40 to 50% increase in footfall from Easter last year.
"The larger attractions are on average seeing 10 to 15% increase in footfall which is very encouraging."
As well as his role with CATA, Southwell owns Lappa Valley, a family attraction near Newquay.
He said: "At Lappa Valley we have seen a 61% increase in footfall over the four days which is a very encouraging start for the year and the best Easter trading we have had."
Lisa Vickery, co-owner of MacDonald's Farm in Porthcothan, said the business had been affected by the rising cost of living last year but it had picked up this year.
She said: "It's almost like things are awakening here in Cornwall.
"We're seeing it in the number of visitors, even day visitors, that we're getting.
"Over the last couple of weeks it has increased twofold from what it was this time last year.
"People can't afford to go on holidays now, even staycationing isn't as cheap as it once was, so we really had to look at how we can make this work.
"I think most hospitality businesses are having to because it's how do we keep going and how do we make it work in these times?"
'Show Cornwall off'
Hugh Ridgway, the co-owner of the St Moritz Hotel and Cowshed Spa, near Rock, has reacted to the rise in the cost of fuel by offering an incentive to guests.
He said: "We've been paying our customers the increase in their fuel cost of driving down here," he said.
"We have customers who are cancelling their holidays abroad because of the uncertainty over flights, potential fuel charges, that sort of stuff, and they are booking with us for the summer."
"It's very easy for us to get complacent, you know, I live here in this amazing playground and it's very easy to take it for granted but actually what we want to do is show it off to the rest of the nation and Cornwall this summer has a wonderful opportunity to do that," he added.