As hospitality businesses across the county reopen their doors, Cumbria Tourism has invited the county’s six MPs to meet with industry representatives.
English Tourism Week runs from today until May 31 and Cumbria Tourism said it was a great opportunity to celebrate the sector’s vital contribution to the economy.
All six of Cumbria’s MPs have agreed to take part and hear about the challenges businesses in their constituencies have and continue to face, alongside future opportunities and the support required to make the most of them.
- Barrow & Furness MP Simon Fell will be travelling around the Furness Peninsula alongside Cumbria Tourism representatives to meet and learn from business about the future potential for the area as a distinct destination, including through the Cumbria’s Year of the Coas’ campaign.
- Carlisle MP John Stevenson will be hosting a business briefing at Carlisle Cathedral. Alongside Cumbria Tourism chair Jim Walker and representatives from Carlisle City Council he will meet with key tourism and transport businesses to gain a fuller understanding of current issues and how the sector can be supported out of lockdown restrictions.
- Copeland’s Trudy Harrison will be joined by Lord McLoughlin, chair of the British Tourism Association. Together they will experience the fabulous visitor offering and future potential of Cumbria’s western coast, as well as attending a roundtable discussion on the topic of transport infrastructure and future opportunities.
- Penrith and the Border MP Neil Hudson will learn about Cumbria Tourism’s plans to further increase the profile of the Pennines and Eden Valley with visits to both Alston and Kirkby Stephen to highlight the tranquillity of the area, including its potential to become a dark sky tourism hotspot. Both visits will also feature opportunities to speak with local business representatives.
- Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron will meet tourism and culture representatives at the Lakeland Motor Museum, hearing what support businesses need in order to reopen fully as quickly and safely as possible. Alongside a growing recruitment staffing crisis social distancing rules, whilst important to help stop the spread of COVID-19, limit business capacity and could slow recovery if Government aid is not extended.
- Workington’s Mark Jenkinson has been invited to learn about Cockermouth’s tourism industry. He will learn about the area’s huge potential for corporate tourism as well as how quality establishments benefit the local community, increasing spend in local restaurants, pubs and experiences.
The recent move to Stage 3 of the Government’s reopening roadmap has allowed many businesses to either reopen or extend their services.
A spokesman for Cumbria Tourism said: “However, after such a long period of closure, and with social distancing requirements limiting capacity, the industry is relying on the support of British holiday makers and local residents to help it through the coming months and, in turn, provide them with the much longed for leisure experiences they have been missing.
“Looking beyond COVID-19, these events are also an opportunity for visitor economy representatives to highlight priorities, including the urgent staffing crisis facing the industry, the importance of growing the winter tourism market, strong transport connectivity and ensuring visitors are inspired to discover every hidden gem Cumbria has to offer.”
