Tourism industry keen to bounce back says Visit Cornwall boss

Cornwall’s struggling tourism industry is “keen to bounce back” after a tough year in 2024, the head of its tourism board has said.

It comes amid a two-day tourism summit in Truro organised by Visit Cornwall.

Jon Hyatt, chairman of Visit Cornwall, said: “There are obvious challenges, not least economic pressures but there’s a real sense of determination to do as well as we can.”

UK Hospitality chief Kate Nicholls, who was attending the summit, warned tax increases in April would be “the end of the road” for some. However, the government said more than half of UK employers would either see a cut or no change in their National Insurance bill.

Increases in National Insurance contributions for employers, rises to minimum wages and changes to business rates come into force in April.

Ms Nicholls said many firms in Cornwall were finding it tough to break even and she argued the hike would hit small businesses, independent workers, part-time workers and seasonal workers the hardest.

“You can’t balance the nation’s books on the backs of those small businesses in places like Cornwall, it will have a devastating impact,” she said.

“Those are the ones facing the highest hike in their taxes and those are the ones that are going to suffer the most from the costs.”

Last year, Tim Jones, chairman of the South West Business Council, said tourism in the south-west of England was at its “lowest point for 10 years“.

Mr Hyatt said Cornwall was “keen to bounce back in 2025”.

He said he hoped the summit would be a way for industry leaders to “share ideas, gain inspiration and really find a way of moving forward together in a collaborative way”.

“We’ve all got to navigate the economic landscape and the substantial cost burden we’re all having to carry,” he said.

“Cornwall is unique, we’ve got a fantastic offering, both at an aspirational level and an accessible level.”

The government said the measures announced in the Budget would “wipe the slate clean” and “deliver the stability businesses so desperately need”.

“Thriving hospitality and tourism sectors play a crucial role in growing the economy, as the UK was the seventh most visited country in the world in 2023,” a spokesperson said.

“We have ensured that more than half of UK employers will either see a cut or no change in their National Insurance bill from April and are providing 40% business rates relief ahead of introducing a permanent, new lower business rate from 2026.”