Do you think Cornwall will be 'open' in July?

[NoSoapAndGory]

Hi all.

A purely speculative post to gauge opinions, as I know we don't know, don't have a crystal ball, etc etc.

We have booked a self catering holiday cottage near Bude for the first 10 days of July. We live in the South East, so it's about 5 hours drive to get there on a good day. We have a dog so would need to stop at a service station at least once.

As part of general future-focused conversation, DH and I are ruminating about

1: will we be 'allowed' to go
2: if we are, would we want to anyway?
3: if it's 'allowed', will the Bude community welcome us or hate us?
4: will the tourist industry want revenue or not?

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Anyone else having similar discussions, and if so, what are you thinking?

Apparently Eden are very worried. They barely scrape a profit anyway despite churning through thousands of visitors at an exorbitant ticket price and being subsidised to the tune of millions of pounds by the Lottery etc.
What if people decide not to come back? What if they have to limit visitor numbers to ensure safety? It'll need more management with less income. Difficult times.
I love visiting Eden but that's because I don't pay full price and can visit when I like

The biggest water/fun park in my state just announced they are not opening this summer at all.

I live in Cornwall, and work in hospitality. We get quite a bit of student and local trade, but we absolutely rely on tourists for the bulk of our income. If we don't have a Summer season, then I very much doubt we'll continue to trade.
I am however pretty worried about Cornwall being flooded with tourists who might bring the virus down. I don't see how we can feasibly socially distance.
The queues for supermarkets are long enough, and there are no delivery slots available. Throw extra people into the mix and it'll be carnage. We can barely cope when things are normal. Do we just open the floodgates and let everyone in and risk our health? Or do we continue and watch businesses go under? Fucked if I know. So many won't survive this either way.

Also, can people please stop being so bloody offended by the "go home" and "stay away" signs. Locals are worried for their elderly relatives and lack of ICU beds, not concerned about whether or not you take offence and dont feel welcome. This isn't about you right now.

I wonder if they could limit the type of accommodation? So no huge campsites, haven type places, maybe no hotels.

If they limit to a certain capacity then they could open small campsites, small hotels, bed and breakfast, cottages. Would that help at all?

We go to st ives. I’d limit the train service into town as a basic measure. Day trippers just pour off that train.

I’d put hand sanitiser on the entrance to every single premises, and I’d insist on masks in shops. I’d switch pubs to table service and remove some tables. I’d let the Sloop serve on the beach when the tide is out. I’d operate an advance ticket system and time limit to sit in pubs/restaurants.

I’d be happy to pay a bit more to support local businesses. I’d be happy to stay out of the supermarkets and bring most supplies with me, buy from local suppliers. I’d be happy to buy take away from my fave restaurants at the same price as a sit down meal. Anything to support you all.

Sort of compromise measures, I suppose. Whether it will be enough, I don’t know. I expect somebody will come along in a minute to tell me to come back in 2021, but the last post highlights the need for some workable compromise and some tourist pounds coming in this year.

I don’t know if Cornwall will be open for July or Devon. It too soon to say. I think there will be a controlled relaxation of restrictions based on risk

Possibly self contained self catering accommodation should be opened first with hotels last.

At the moment I live 20/30 mins from Dartmoor and various beaches but I can’t visit them so it’s not like the locals are having a lovely time.

No, nobody said they were. This thread is about the future.

I personally have been visiting Cornwall since I was a child. Lived there as a child, too. I’m late forties now do you can imagine that Cornwall has a special place in my heart. My children have visited every year since birth.

It’s about wanting to do the right thing isn’t it? I’m that tourist picking up other people’s litter on Cornish beaches. I care about it.

Daffodil101 I'm not sure really. Have been talking to my boss about how we can move the tables to make more space, but in reality it will be hard to socially distance when serving food and drinks. It is not possible for us to do takeaway.
I totally understand why people are saying to stay away til 2021, but if people do, I'm not sure what will be left. Horrendous situation, and no one knows what to do for the best.

ps, cheers for picking up litter on the beaches

Just wish people would be more respectful, mate.

What sort of business is it? A pub?

Self catering cottages definitely seem easier to get back up and running more safely than hotels, campsites and holiday parks.

If the lockdown rules are eased before the summer, I can't imagine the OP being unwelcome in a holiday cottage down here.

The only people that have been unwelcome were all the hoards who arrived the weekend before we went into lockdown, as if they were shifting and lifting to their second homes or static caravans they owned, to sit out the lockdown. Oh, and those who flouted the lockdown and came anyway (and the cottage owners that allowed it!).

Tearoom/bar.

The amount of rubbish left behind is horrendous.

Many amongst the "hordes" (infinitely far less in number than the daily flights into Heathrow) were locals returning to their families. Loads of threads on Mumsnet at the time with people collecting adult children. After lockdown. Presumably some of the caravans include the homeless, and of course travellers. That still leaves mostly empty caravan parks and holiday homes, which is disgraceful given there are many women and children in need of sanctuary from abuse.

I should imagine people are offended by the go home, stay away message because they weren't afforded the same protection. It seems protection is warranted for the few and not the many. Road blocks and police arresting two people heading to Cornwall. Meanwhile airports in cities to received hundreds of thousands of passengers daily including from already infected countries. They're probably also offended by abusive locals intimidating vulnerable elderly people. There's another thread where a poster's vulnerable parents on their late 70s were in the holiday home ^before* lockdown. They've been receiving abusive emails from locals. I hope the police deal with those responsible.

Agree about self-catering holiday cottages OrangeSamphire. They would be easiest to get back up and running.

My relative lives in a tiny village on the Roseland. They've had loads of Chelsea Tractors arrive since lockdown. The villagers are furious, and so they bloody well should be.

Thing is, I get why people want to isolate down here, I really do, but it's selfish as hell. People have no idea of the impact they have on others.

I know that my boss is hoping that we'll be ppen again in June/July, but I have no idea if that is feasible.

I’d be happy to pay a bit more to support local businesses.

The difficulty is that if you remove half your customers you have to charge twice as much.

I suspect businesses will find ways to adapt - that is what people do - but not by the end of the summer.

I think St Ives would find it particularly difficult if all restaurants have to switch to takeaway/outdoor service!

One way only on the coast path?!
Physical distancing on beaches - people might do it voluntarily but if not I can't see how it would be enforced.
Restaurants with reduced covers serving all day? I can't see that working because it would be higher staff costs with reduced income.
But I'm sure some of them will think on their feet. Maybe advanced booking & payment only.

But they won’t be able to operate as normal. I wouldn’t like to pay double but I’d certainly pay a lot more if it helped. Perhaps a third more, whatever it takes to keep them slightly afloat.

I’d like to see the government step in. Totally get the tearoom thing, if it was a tearoom in a busy place then I’m guessing you could operate a ‘home’ tearoom with take away out of nice boxes. I’d buy one, for sure - only with Rodda’s cream of course (in fact we made scones earlier in the week and I insisted on Rodda’s 300 miles away!).

The local council could develop a logo for ‘keeping Cornwall afloat’ or some such. Stick that logo on websites, windows, stick it on packaging. It signifies you’ve agreed to pay over the odds. People would go for that, virtue signalling seems quite popular these days.

Whatever it takes really. I’ll still be shaking my head and picking up litter like a Womble.

The government already has stepped in with hospitality business grants. Up to £25,000. I think some limited opening must be the way forward but it’s difficult to police this.

There are also risk assessments that the government will need to work through plus some people might be too worried to travel. I don’t now expect any money from my house rentals this summer. Cornwall could end up as a very sorry place with nothing for locals. Work or restaurants. If locals have to pay 1/3 more they would presumably stay at home. Or will passports be necessary? I do normally pay council tax in Cornwall so do make a contribution to services and jobs for locals.

Well presumably paying extra would be a tourist tax?

Which might be popular in some quarters!

Define a tourist. How will that be done? A house owner or a house renter?

Renter. How else could you do it? Anyone renting any accommodation.

But of course it’s on goods. They can bring their own if they prefer. Nobody forces you to eat in restaurants.

I’d rather pay more in the hope that the same places are still in business next time.

Airbnb locked down all holiday properties here, full refunds. I cannot imagine they will be opened before full summer if at all. The knock on effects to businesses here will be catastrophic. Ironically we have ultra low figures here as they have in the south west. If the virus had arrived in the summer the figures would have been much higher I would imagine.

How would a restaurant know if you are renting a property? What about a day tripper? Coach trips? What about me if I stay in my own house? I’m really not sure this would work. If restaurants are open won’t differential pricing turn people away?

A lady who had a little shop refused to sell things to non locals I remember reading about. So I guess you could demand to see proof of locality.

In Greece years ago there was a two tier pricing system in restaurants one for locals one for tourists.

With social distancing if a restaurant lost a third of their tables would customers accept a 33% rise in pricing?