Devon's tourism businesses have reported a positive summer, with strong visitor numbers and solid spending. However, heatwaves and last-minute bookings created challenges.
The county depends on a strong summer to support its many leisure, accommodation and hospitality businesses. Positive readings have been issued about this summer.
Many businesses confirmed strong visitor numbers, helped by the government's Great British Summer Savings scheme. That scheme cut VAT on visitor attraction tickets and children's meals to 5 per cent, down from the usual 20 per cent.
But the extreme hot weather at the start of the season was an issue for some, with visitors perhaps preferring outdoor activities to indoor ones, or avoiding going out altogether.
"We can say with confidence we have been much busier this year," said Daniel Fox, marketing manager at Stuart Line Cruises. "A significant proportion – around 50 per cent – of passengers are returning customers, showing we are continuing to offer value for money and a wide variety of trips. We have also seen an increase in foreign travellers this year."
Mr Fox said some people contacted the company before booking during the heatwave, worried about temperatures on board. He said that as a family-run business since 1968, the company could reassure people that being out on the water was probably one of the cooler places to be. "We had some concerns about the heat but we alleviated them pretty well, and we are adapting our marketing to make sure people know it is cooler out there on the water."
The Big Sheep in North Devon acknowledged the heatwave "wasn't great" for visitor numbers, but said there was a clear bounce back once temperatures cooled slightly. Tara Stapley, the attraction's general manager, said the government's VAT reduction scheme also helped. "We had some visitors asking about it in advance and others who were just pleasantly surprised that the ticket price was reduced," she said. "The scheme meant we were able to expand our children's menu and also serve it in both our food sites rather than just one."
In East Devon, Josh Haywood, resort director at Crealy Theme Park, said the business had a good summer but acknowledged the challenges of the extreme heat at the start of the season. "That level of heat is just as challenging as the rain for an attraction like ours," he said. "We were helped by our investment of around £2 million in two new rides, as we now have the South West's tallest ride and the only inverted one. We really pushed the marketing on that and that helped increase visitor numbers."
Mr Haywood, who sits on the management committee of the British Association of Leisure Park, Piers and Attractions (BALPPA), said some businesses had also confirmed that the soaring temperatures were a challenge. He added that he met the former chancellor, Rachel Reeves, at a BALPPA event aimed at securing the summer VAT cut. "It's difficult to say whether some people came because of that, or the rides here," he added.
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