Businesses remain positive ahead of tourism season

Businesses in Devon and Cornwall have praised the recent good weather for giving them a boost ahead of the Easter holidays and the 2025 tourism season.

The season is worth over £200m to the local economy, according to Visit Devon and Visit Cornwall.

However, there were a number of challenges facing the industry including a rise in national insurance contributions, increased living wage and bills going up, which meant potential holidaymakers might have less to spend.

Firms across Devon and Cornwall said they were feeling positive, with some encouraging residents to go out and explore locally.

Deb Rosser, pool manager at charity Friends of Bude Sea Pool, said: "We've had the most tropical weather we could wish for, the most amazing start for the new season."

The volunteer led group relied on people joining as members to help keep the pool open and maintained.

She added: "It's a family, it's a joy to come to work - we all work together because we're all passionate about a giant rock pool.

"It's 95 years worth of history and we have to ensure as a charity that we have this pool still going in another 95 years time."

Lady's Mile Holiday Park in Dawlish Warren has seen a big rush in bookings during the start of April, which it put down to the good weather.

Stephen Brown from the resort, said: "In 2023 we had snow at this time of the year and in 2024 it rained for about six months.

"The sun in March has massively helped the holidays."

He added: "Currently, we're about 17% up on last year, so you can see the impact the weather has had."

Sue Jewell, chair of the South East Cornwall Tourism Association, said that this year was shaping up to be better than previous ones.

"It's a little bit more optimistic than it started - it's quietly picking up but not quite at the pre-Covid levels yet.

"Many of our members are not yet full to capacity, but we're just so grateful that this sunshine is bringing people in."

Ms Jewell said: "I think there's a perception, and I would say it is wrong, that we are expensive, there's a lot of deals put out to go abroad and after Covid, a lot of people feel like they are owed a holiday abroad."

Tourism leaders said that short breaks were key and Visit Devon was trying to encourage people close to the area to come or stay somewhere new.

Sally Everton, director of Visit Devon, said: "We're targeting within a sort of two or three hour radius of Devon to bring visitors down, but also we're talking to the local people.

"We're asking people to explore what's on their doorstep.

"So it may be you live in South Devon, but actually let's go and stay in Croyde, Saunton or somewhere in North Devon."

The UK's largest outdoor waterpark was making its final preparations before opening on Good Friday, but bosses said that good weather now, meant good business later.

Jon Lees from Splashdown waterpark in Paignton said: "We find that on sunny days people book, even when booking a date in July or August.

"I think that people get in the spirit of 'summer's coming' - so for us it's really good, even if it's a few weeks before we open.

"The weather's good and people are booking, which is just excellent."

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