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?

I don't know too much about Cornwall but I presume that some of it is roughly the same as the Highlands of Scotland.

There, studies have shown that the issue is not just about 'some' virus getting to the community, but that the community is much, much more vulnerable than elsewhere in the UK, because of the demographics:
www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/scotland/covid-19-death-rates-could-be-80-higher-in-rural-communities-say-scientists/

And it is indeed true that 'margins' hospitals have only a very small number of ICU beds. Not enough for locals if there were to be a big outbreak, let alone for visitors.

One further point. Of course it is very bad if truly local businesses are put at risk through safeguarding measures, and I would support all kinds of national/local government initiatives to support them. HOWEVER, up here in the Highlands a very great many holiday lets and holiday businesses are owned by non-resident and sometimes overseas-based companies, families and estates. I note that our local large estate is still advertising houses to let - though this might just perhaps be inefficiency. They employ local people - as cleaners etc - but all profits and capital gain ultimately go elsewhere.

Yes, but you're not all the residents of that place, are you, merrymouse? grin I bet there are some people you know who grump about tourists.

Yes, but there are grumpy people everywhere - it's not as though people in London don't complain about tourists!

I doubt that the government will still be not allowing second home owners to travel to their own properties indefinitely come the summer.

By extension holiday homes will probably open up as well.

We hope to have a holiday but will take everything with us and avoid crowds. So many people could go bust if the lock down isn't eased a little.

Cornwall and the poorer parts of Devon have a history of shooting themselves in the foot though- they all voted for Brexit despite receiving huge payments in propping up their industry/tourist trade. So, they don't think about economic interests that much...

thinkingcountry.com/2016/06/25/the-curious-case-of-cornwall-why-did-the-cornish-vote-for-brexit/

I think this is a great question! We had a week book in Wales at the end of June. We decided to cancel before the balance of the holiday was due. Luckily the owner of the holiday key allowed us to use the deposit to book another week, as long as we booked within six months. We decide to cancel - with a heavy heart - as we thought not much will have changed by then. And essentially we will be locked down in somebody else’s house.

I think we have to trust that the re-opening guidelines will be clear and sensible and that people will respect them.

Ha ha! Not a chance! This is England not Sweden!

Really hope so....got two weeks booked in Tryarnon Bay at the end of July

Can we take a minute to remember it's not Cornwall vs. Rest of the UK, or even rest of England. Plenty of people in Cornwall will have holidays booked in the UK and have the same questions.

Agree, and many people living in cities work in industries that are likely to struggle for a long time because they rely on lots of people sitting close together every day - cinemas, restaurants, theatres, gyms, sports facilities.

Please dont come. We have a very elderly population and only one hospital that doesnt cope at the best of times. We have built a morgue for 900 in Newquay airport but no Nightingale here. We are staying indoors not going to the beaches. No fun here :(

We're in a similar situation OP. A lodge booked on a site on the quieter part of the south coast with a stunning seaside town nearby but the lodge we're off to is totally secluded. We could go there effectively in lockdown and still be as happy. Tesco delivery set to arrive on day 1 and we'd walk the dog and watch Netflix to our hearts content.

It's now what we hoped to be doing as the local restaurants and pubs make this trip for us every year but we could do it in relative isolation and still enjoy the break less than an hour's drive from our house.

I'm hoping that by the first week of July we'll still be able to go and socially distance responsibly

I think this is a great question! We had a week book in Wales at the end of June.

Good decision. The restrictions are currently being enforced much more strictly in Wales.

Can we take a minute to remember it's not Cornwall vs. Rest of the UK, or even rest of England. Plenty of people in Cornwall will have holidays booked in the UK and have the same questions.

Exactly.

they all voted for Brexit

What a stupid comment to make. I don’t know anyone that voted for Brexit in Cornwall. Most of my friends were out protesting in Truro in favour of remain. You think we are all brexiters based on your very limited knowledge of Cornwall and the Cornish way of life?
You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

Yes, Cornwall will be CLOSED to tourists, and a stern and hostile attitude will be taken to anyone who dares set foot in the touristy parts of the West Country...until the government grants run out, and then they will be OPEN and you will be..ok, not welcome, but nessecary.
I won't be going though. If I am going that far South I'll get on the ferry to Brittany as soon as I can. It's like Cornwall but with much better food and less up itself.

So, they don't think about economic interests that much...

This is irrelevant because people in Cornwall will be complying with the same restrictions as everyone else.

Yes there has been hostility towards second home owners, but tourism depends on hotels, holiday lets and campsites which can only open by the government, not the people of Cornwall.

This thread is so sad, please remember Cornwall has a huge number of elderly and a huge number of children in poverty. It is also a very different Cornwall now to what you are hoping - our beaches are closed, our parks are closed, our resturants & pubs are closed. We are not out having fun e are staying at home the same as everyone else. The car parks are closed. My children and I have been walking round the same turnip field for 5 weeks or whatever it is, its not going to the beach like it is normally. My husband is a GP and believe me we have been effected by Covid already, it is devastating in all communities. He is working from a hut and dealing with end of life stuff all the time. We just honestly want to protect our families. We have no nightingale planned. The exeter one is 200 beds and being staffed by vets as clinical support. This is a national emergency here as much as anyone else, it is just hitting us slower. We are not a place for holidays any time soon. Please.

bee222 apologies, 57% voted for Brexit. The rest did not. As you say, there was a lot of differences in the population, and that will be the case with welcoming back tourists too, but clearly not everyone appreciated the money spent on Cornwall including on developing tourist destinations, or was happy for that not to continue (if I read it correctly, they were due another 600 million that now won't be coming). In other words, it's not all about the money, is it?

Quite possibly, yes.

We will all have to acclimatise ourselves to a new life where we live with a risk we didn’t have before. We will all be exposed to the virus at some point.

I doubt Cornwall will be 'open' this year to be honest. We live in Cornwall - at the minute the virus level is relatively low but people are not going out.
The beaches are empty, the parks are taped closed by the council, attractions are shut, our nearest supermarket still has empty shelves. People are exercising for an hour a day but because the villages and towns are relatively small, everyone knows everyone and incomers stick out like a sore thumb! Police are patrolling the A38 and A30 daily and people are generally staying indoors. I certainly haven't seen anyone on the beach sat down like the photos of the London parks.
I think people are very aware that there is a huge elderly population and there are only 12 ITU beds in the county. Please don't visit - there is nothing to do and very limited resources for the locals as it is.

Even if cornwall is open what happens if intervening counties aren't?

I do live in Cornwall, but about as far as it's geographically possible to live from a beach. So no, I am not going to the beach to walk, although I like the idea. I shall stay close to home and continue trudging locally. Nice walks, just not new.

We had a week booked in mid May... have rebooked for May half-term next year, praying it’s open more or less normally by then!

I live in Cornwall as do all my family & we all voted Remain.

Also none of us work in any sort of tourism! In fact none of my friends do either! Forces, NHS, web developers, teachers, police, illustrator, builder etc

It's like some people think every resident of Cornwall is a racist gift shop owner!

It would be great if lockdown was reduced to social distancing but be able to move around the County of your primary residence.

I'd love to enjoy the beaches without them being heaving with tourists but I do understand that we don't own them. It's locals who do the beach cleans etc though!

@SpokeTooSoon
I’m in the south west. People are definitely concerned about the limited number of hospitals not being able to cope with an influx of visitors while Covid 19 is still prevalent. Infection and death rates here are much lower than average so I think some people also fear that lots of visitors will alter this.

Please come, but only when it’s safe to do so.

Not Cornwall, but mid-Wales booked for mid July. I must admit, I'd obviously considered that we might not be able to go at all, if current (or similar) restrictions are in place. I'd even considered that it might be a very limited holiday in terms of where we could visit/eat from.

But even if the UK has 'opened for business', as it were, it sounds like hostility from locals might be a real thing. I hadn't considered that.

If that is likely to be the case I shall get a refund and wait til next year. TBH, if the locals are likely to be hostile even with the OK to travel, I'd rather spend my money elsewhere.