Cumbria welcomes strong June booking rise

Some 39% of Cumbrian hospitality businesses have reported an increase in bookings for June this year, according to Cumbria Tourism’s latest Business Tourism Tracker. 

As a result, 93% of hospitality business owners across the North West feel confident about their survival over the next six months – up from 89% six months ago.  

Cumbria Tourism has also reported that 43% of businesses have seen an increase in turnover this year, with 28% seeing an increase in overall profits. 

This follows figures from Visit Britain reporting that a forecasted 39.5 million overseas visitors will be holidaying in the UK this year, spelling a 4.5% rise from last year. 

Overseas tourism is due to boost the economy by £34.1bn, a 7.6% increase from 2023, showing that the situation for some hospitality businesses is potentially beginning to look up ahead of summer.  

Earlier this year in January, 45% of Cumbrian hospitality businesses reported a fall in visitor numbers compared to the year before, according to the latest Cumbria Tourism business tracker. 

Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, said: “Amid rising costs and continuing issues around recruitment and skills, the challenges being faced by the industry are by no means over. However, there are positive signs heading into summer and a definite pick up in last minute bookings. 

“We are continuing to focus on raising the profile of the county all year round to ensure Cumbria remains at the forefront of people’s minds when considering potential holiday destinations.” 

Alasdair Swan, senior commercial relationship manager at The Cumberland Building Society, added: “There’s no denying that the hospitality and tourism sector has suffered several setbacks over the past few years, especially here in Cumbria.

“We’re not out of the woods yet and there is still a lot of work to be done in order to ensure that businesses can continue to operate, but it’s fantastic to see a shift in the dial forecasted for this summer.”