Many of Cornwall’s top tourist attractions will be opening their doors again tomorrow and welcoming back visitors, providing a much-needed boost to the county’s tourism economy.
Following the Government’s announcement supporting the reopening of tourism and visitor attractions from July 4, the general public will be able to visit many of Cornwall’s best visitor attractions and enjoy a safe and special day out with their family.
While a small number of attractions with large outdoor spaces – such as Eden Project (pictured), National Trust properties, The Lost Gardens of Heligan and Trebah Garden – have been able to offer opportunities to visit in recent weeks, next week will herald a more widespread return to business for the majority of tourist attractions.
Jonathan Bray, chair of the board of directors at Cornwall Association of Tourist Attractions (CATA), said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be welcoming back visitors to our attractions. We are encouraging people to make sure they plan ahead and book in advance – it’s vital that attractions manage their visitor numbers.”
“There’s still a chance to get out and make some amazing memories together this summer and we can’t wait to see everyone enjoying our spaces.”
The Cornish visitor attraction industry continues to face challenges, with hopes that the summer season will allow businesses to recoup income lost from three months of enforced closure. While most attractions are opening this summer, some businesses cannot make it economically viable to open until later in the year, with some others planning to reopen in spring 2021.
CATA says that along with industry partners Visit Cornwall and Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, it will continue to lend its voice to lobbying calls for continued financial support for the tourism industry and an extension of the employee furloughing scheme throughout the winter.
Bray added: “While we are excited to welcome back visitors, there is no escaping the fact that 2020 will continue to present challenges in the tourism sector. At CATA, we will be speaking regularly with colleagues across the industry and presenting our views on the impact to our organisations. We’ll be working with those colleagues to lobby government for continued support.”
CATA, a regional industry group set up in 1974 to act as a voice for the Cornish tourist attraction industry, works with almost 40 of the county’s leading visitor attractions. Providing support, peer networking, quality assurance and a promotional platform for the attractions, the association has become an important tool for many local businesses.
