3 Tourism in Cornwall
Tourism is vital to the well-being of Cornwall and has been estimated to contribute as much as 24% of the County’s GDP (Cornwall Tourism Board). In 2003, domestic and overseas visitors made in excess of five million trips to Cornwall and spent in excess of £1.216m (South West Tourism). The trend in annual visitor numbers is shown in Figure 5.1. The overwhelming majority of visitors are from the UK, with 30% being from the South East.
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At the peak of the season, there are over 290,000 visitors in the County on any one day, which adds around 60% to the resident population. London and Devon are the only areas of the UK that attract more visitors than Cornwall. The seasonal influx of visitors has a far-reaching effect upon Cornwall’s character and life during the summer. It enables many businesses to operate which would not otherwise be viable. However, the increase in numbers creates problems such as traffic congestion, pressure on services and environmental damage.
In 2004/05, the Cornwall Visitor Survey found that 84.5% of visitors travelled to the County by car, 11.4% by bus or coach, 2.5% by train and 1.7% by air. It can be seen that the use of the car has been slightly reduced since 1997, but it still dominates the way in which visitors travel to Cornwall for their holiday. Approximately 15% of visitors surveyed in 2004/05 said they used public transport whilst in Cornwall, predominantly the bus.
Tourism undoubtedly contributes to Cornwall’s prosperity, and the numbers involved are significant. Annual visitor numbers equate to around 10 times the resident population countywide. In some of Cornwall’s more popular destinations, the figure is much higher, with annual visitor numbers in the Newquay area approximately 31 times higher than the resident population. The peak visitor numbers compared to the resident population for each district is given in Figure 5.2.
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The average visitor duration of stay has also changed, with an increase in the shorter breaks of three to seven days throughout the year and less of the conventional seven or fourteen day holidays of the 1970s and 1980s.
The Cornwall Visitor Survey in 2004/05 showed that the majority of visitors were staying in Newquay, St Ives, Bude and Falmouth - almost 50%. More than a fifth planned to visit the towns of Newquay, Padstow, Penzance, Falmouth and Truro during their stay. The Eden Project is still the most popular tourist attraction in the County with over one million visitors in 2004. Other important tourist attractions include the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth and Tate St Ives. The numbers of visits to some of the main attractions in the County are provided in Figure 5.3.
The influx of visitors has a noticeable impact on the County's highway network, with significant increases in traffic flow on some parts. The implications of this are discussed later.
