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Severe flooding in Cumbria has led to a “collapse” in tourism bookings across the county, according to tourism chief Ian Stephens.
Stephens, managing director at Cumbria Tourism, said that the impact on visitor numbers to the county was still “unfolding” but that they had seen a “collapse in forward bookings” which he called “very worrying” trend.
“Official visitor numbers over the Christmas and New Year period are being gathered but early indications show a significant decline in footfall in most towns and villages resulting in a negative economic impact.
“Also of major concern is the drop in advance accommodation bookings and coach tours.”
He said said there was a need to “reassure” travel firms and “get the message out businesses are operating as usual”, while adding that reopening the A591, in which a four-mile section closed after a landslide, was a “massive priority”.
Areas throughout Cumbria were hit by flooding as many as three times in the space of three weeks during December, with Storm Desmond documenting record levels of rainfall in the county over the weekend of 5 and 6 December.
He added: “It’s a big job to do. We’re talking to coach and travel operators so they don’t change their itineraries.
“There’s a big danger of them saying, ‘We’ll wait and go somewhere else in the UK until things are better in Cumbria,’ and we then lose a huge number of bookings across the year.”
Cumbria Tourism is continuing to work with VisitEngland and VisitBritain to put in place a positive marketing campaign to promote the county.
