Concerns About Tourists/2nd Home Owners Visiting At Easter

[EternalOptimist7]

I am lucky enough to live in Cornwall. Things are getting better ( actually we have had some of the lowest Covid death figures in the country) but I do worry that the floodgates will open in the next school holidays. It’s such a difficult situation because Cornwall is a poor county & gets a lot of income from tourism & we have to think of the economy. But equally, loads of people coming down on holiday could set things back. Second home owners are a whole different ballgame. I am aware that feelings are running high. Just wondering what people’s thoughts are, whether you are local or not.

I'm local but away from the tourist areas. They've been coming down the whole time, although not in big numbers. We heard people greeting each other in the supermarket car park after their long drives down.

I am concerned about Easter but to be honest if people are that way inclined, they'll be here regardless. A friend runs a shop and said she got grief off people when she refused entry to those without masks, people saying "I came down here to get away from all that", like the Tamar magically stops the virus crossing

But yes, friends who work at holiday let agencies say it it's bonkers, pretty much fully booked. I'm not leaving the house in July/Aug, not least cos Carland to Chivvy is going to be hellish.

She should not refuse entry to exempt people without masks.
End of.
No wonder she got grief.
She was overstepping the mark and could’ve got sued.
One woman got £9000 compensation when she sued someone for doing that.
She was lucky the people she challenged did not know the law

I live in the Lake District. In a normal year we get around 20 million visitors.

There has been similar discussions on local Facebook groups here and after the first lockdown a lot of hate was directed towards visitors etc.

However, when you look at the Covid dashboard map, you can zoom in and see the infection rate for your local council area. It is pretty clear round here that the infection hotspots are areas of the highest deprivation and not where tourists want to visit.

In Cumbria, tourism is not spreading Covid, but it is bringing in much needed income.

However, it's far easier to blame "incomers" than it is to accept that we have real issues with community transmission.

What BoKatan said. The main permanent residents in our tourists spots (Norfolk) are old people completely dependent on public services. And they moan & cower in fear about possible 2nd homers visiting. Drives me nuts. How do they think Council gets revenue to provide any public services at all? I despair.

I’m dreading the tourists arriving..

I hear you. I live in a beautiful coastal part of Wales and am dreading the 'Easter onwards' influx even more than ever... 😔

@Dowser

She should not refuse entry to exempt people without masks. End of. No wonder she got grief. She was overstepping the mark and could’ve got sued. One woman got £9000 compensation when she sued someone for doing that. She was lucky the people she challenged did not know the law

Eh? These were just entitled arseholes, it's got nothing to do with genuine exemptions.

It shouldn't be Easter and you can call the police if it is as the stay at home order is in place until the 12th April so after the bank holidays and a lot of schools are back by then.

Schools don’t start till the 19th here.

Same here @5zeds so I think people will be keen to get out and about during the Easter holidays. I think it unlikely that tourists will make all that much difference to be honest, people come and go so much anyway for a variety of reasons.

Overnight stays away aren’t permitted at Easter unless exceptional circumstances. People in England are not permitted to travel to holiday cottages or second homes until at least 12th April.

Easter shouldn’t be an issue.

I live next door to Cornwall. Tbh I’m not worried about it, everyone worried about the summer holidays bringing Covid & there wasn’t a spike in our cases here, it didn’t have an impact. I think it will be the same again, not a big deal.

Overnight stays are not allowed until 12th April

I'm in Somerset (not a touristy bit) but if you look at the infection rate change last year for much of the south west I believe we didn't see much of an increase until mid-late September after schools & workplaces returned & community transmission went up. It's already been proven that people 'flocking' go beaches didn't spread Covid so I don't think you need to be too worried.
School holidays here start on 2nd & end on 18th so we're looking forward to hopefully doing some fun touristy stuff ourselves if things open from 12th.
The businesses need that income desperately.

Isle of Wight here. I think there are a lot of similar fears around here but I don't think we are in the same boat as last year.

Besides, even last year our numbers didn't go up here until December/Jan when the new variant kicked in.

Do you not think it’s going to be so busy you can’t move if no one can go abroad?

Tbh, yes it can get rammed here. But we just go about our business and stick to the lesser known beaches.

If the ferry prices keep going up this may be a moot point of course 😂

@AnyFucker

Overnight stays are not allowed until 12th April

That's still the school Easter holidays here, mine aren't in until the 20th with inset days.

@5zeds

I’m dreading the tourists arriving..

Thats nice. Why choose to live in a touristy area if you hate tourists so much?

I think you will find that many people who 'choose' to live in tourist areas were actually born there.

Thats nice. Why choose to live in a touristy area if you hate tourists so much?

Who said it's always about choice? I also dread the tourists arrival. Do you think the few remaining residents of Venice for example relish it?..

Anyone living (by "choice" or birth/circumstances) in an area that attracts tourists probably has at the very best a love- hate relationship with them.

I wandered down to the beach with a book today - there were a few people there who definitely looked like holidaymakers. Have also noticed an increase in cars with roof boxes this week.

I think we will need to hunker down and get on with it - that's what we did last year. Ended up going to the beach in early mornings or evenings and it was fine. My job doesn't depend on tourism but plenty around here do and I feel massively for them.

Yes, damn those all year round residents of tourist areas. How dare they inconvenience those tourists who want to visit for a couple of weeks a year by having valid concerns about their own safety.

Tourist and hospitality are on their knees, people are losing their businesses, but you don't want tourists.

Hmm.