Most cottages in a coastal village seemed to be for tourists

[cakeorwine]

Went on a day trip to Staithes today. Just walking down to the harbour and noticed how many cottages had keysafes on them - a marker of what I presume are holiday lets.

I know that we are big fans of holiday lets. We use them a lot on holidays. But it was depressing to see how many there were.

There were fewer at the top of the village - but in the picturesque part, there were loads.

I don't know what effect is has on the village. Clearly a lot of tourists must go there but at the same time, if you live there, it's going to have an effect as well.

Most pretty places now are hollowed out shells of their former selves.

It was so noticeable.

But we are hypocrites because we use apartments when travelling.

It makes no sense to me that you use them, but you find it depressing that there's so many of them.

I don't use them. I've got nothing against those who do, but then why would you complain when you see them all together?

I think seeing so many together really drove it home.

It was so noticeable in such a small village.

Yes, and as I live in one of these places I can tell you it's because it's nearly impossible to make a living otherwise. Between my dh and me we have two day jobs and two rental properties: equal incomes from all. That's to keep our heads above water. Our teens all work in service industry on weekends and school holidays (and have no intention of struggling to live in somewhere as beautiful as we currently do).

It is a shame but tourism has ultimately eaten up what attracted it in the first place.

Then don’t use them. They totally destroy areas, there are villages near me with almost no residents now. They affect the housing market and also mean there is nothing for younger people to rent as any rental property is a holiday let.
I don’t use them, there are all kinds of alternatives that don’t destroy communities.

We were in Cornwall last month and visited Mousehole. We noticed almost every house had a key safe and when in the pub started chatting to the barman who said two thirds of the homes in the village are holiday lets. Crazy.

It’s a shame, because holiday cottages and second homes etc definitely have a part in the economy of these areas, and have done for many years. Tourism brings in money basically.

However it does seem to be that vastly more properties are now either holiday lets or second homes and there are simply no local people able to live in these villages. Particularly families with children.

The balance has been tipped way too far the other way and some of these villages are absolute ghost towns in the winter, and village schools and shops and post offices are shutting because no one lives there to use the services all year round.

How does the fact that you use apartments while travelling have anything to do with holiday cottages?

I won’t use them or Airbnb houses. I stay in hotels, hostels or my caravan. Destroys towns and villages.

I saw a programme about Whitby once and there effect on there. Stuff like a hairdresser saying she has next to no work as people staying a week don’t have their hair cut. So she is closing her business, but this also means the few remaining locals struggle to find a hairdresser.

obviously the effect on house prices is the main issue. I kniw Whitby council charge a higher council tax for second homes but think it needs increasing further.

must have an effect on school numbers, etc as well.

Because they are places that locals could live in?

Apartments
Holiday cottages

As someone said, on the one hand tourists bring money to a place, OTOH, if they stay in an apartment, cottage, house, that could be someone's home.

@cakeorwine well maybe don't go then. But it's kinda too late now.

I stayed in a lovely B&B in about 2017, just on a little history and art tour, for myself, not like a big holiday. Just a couple of days away.

and the staff ran a little bar in the evening. They started it after the local pub went out of business. I got chatting to them and they also said how depressing the village was. Also, that people tend to turn up and get a supermarket delivery and not eat out locally, etc.

I went into the corner/grocery/Post Office shop. The lady in there was really keen to have a long conversation. And then she said to me that she doesn't get much chat or custom since the whole place turned into holiday lets. Apparently, there were a few other B&Bs there in the past, but they went out of business.

When people started using holiday lets years ago, this was obviously what was going to happen. I know lots of people love them, I have no criticism myself.

I just can't get my head around somebody who uses them criticising this - such an obvious way for things to turn out.

I haven't checked, but I would bet money that B&B I stayed in is no longer there. Ditto the nice lady and her shop. I'm not going to look it up because I'll get sad!

It depends what kind of holiday you want.

When it was just DH and I we would often do road trips, stayed at B&Bs for 1-2 nights or the odd luxery hotel thrown in.

With DD - impossible. We don't like holiday parks or caravans, too small, too chaotic.
Lots of hotels in the Uk are too expensive for what they offer.
Parks like Centre Parc is more expensive than a trip abroad in school holidays.
With the typical British weather we need something to stay with plenty of space to stretch out.
Hence a holiday let. DH and I are from Germany and we grew up staying in s/c appartments during out childhood so it's hardly a new invention.

We also stayed in lovely ones on a farm where barns where convered and brought in desperate needed money, it's not always sea side beach front appartments.

I do agree that some cottages such as converted farm buildings might be different. I grew up on a farm and we had 7 holiday cottages. My family wouldn’t have done them up to sell or even long term rentals.

If anyone else is visiting Staithes, please buy some fudge from the Reyt Good Fudge shop and send it to me. 😂 Best fudge I ever had in my life. I particularly recommend the lemon meringue flavour.

I think second homes are worse than holiday lets. Often a second home is only used a few weeks a year (of course there are exceptions!).

At least holiday lets tend to be occupied frequently, employ local cleaners etc and the tourists usually spend money in the local area.

Still too many of them though!

You're not wrong. So now you've noticed, are you going to change your holiday accommodation choices in the future?

I saw a very similar programme about Whitby a while ago - quite possibly the same programme?

On the one I saw, there was a shop - owned/run by a father and son iirc - that mainly sold ice creams and sweets. They too were blaming the fact that there were loads of tourists and thus far fewer locals around on their takings going down a lot - which sounded like the opposite of what I would have expected!

At the same time, we do find them incredibly convenient. Having a kitchen so we can cook is much easier (and cheaper ) than eating out.

Go in midweek in winter, rows and rows of houses in darkness, no lights, no community.

Also, it obviously won't be the case for the vast majority, but don't forget that keysafes are also used for vulnerable people who need regular carers at their homes.

They're not the only self catering option. But what it comes down to is, are you willing to choose something you might like less?

I ask because I've made this commitment myself.

Usually we camp. We have spent years doing camping

It's nice to now be able to afford to use apartments.