GROWING OPTIMISM FOR SUMMER ECONOMY
July 23, 2009 11:05 AM
Well the beautiful Mediterranean heat wave was short-lived and here we are once again enjoying that traditional British wet summer. Following the 65th anniversary of D-Day we often forget what a key role the weather played in the landings, with violent cross-Channel storms threatening to derail the invasion and then halt the Allies build up. Despite the topic being a British preoccupation we all like to indulge in short memory syndrome when it comes to the weather; a mundane preoccupation but nonetheless vital to our economy here in the South West.
The good news is that pundits are optimistic about this year's summer. Two very key factors always impact on the tourist industry here in the South West - namely the strength of the pound and the British weather, sadly something us mere mortals have little control over. Currently the weak pound means that rather than travelling abroad many families are seeking alternative holidays in the UK - our part of the country very understandably always holds a special attraction to holidaymakers. In addition, and let's not hold our breath on this, the Met Office is forecasting a good August. The heady thought of peak season being hot and more to the point dry is quite seductive. For our hoteliers and camping and caravan site owners this is exactly what we need.
While South West Tourism is anticipating a summer comparable to last year and to date that seems to be the case - a strong August might give tourism in the South West the much needed shot in the arm after a series of drearily wet summers. With the schools breaking up let's hope we see a surge in visitors to the region, with anticipated revenues of £1 billion for Devon and Cornwall the signs are certainly promising.
This comment column appeared in this week's Mid Devon Gazette
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