21
Is Dartmouth Bouncing Back?
The sight of busy streets in Dartmouth this summer is in stark contrast to empty city and town centres as a higher than usual number of UK holidaymakers opted for a home grown holiday in the UK rather than jetting off to a foreign destination. Pleasant summer weather, extending into September, has encouraged many more to visit the South West, often for the first time. This ‘escape or holiday’ from Covid has possibly irritated many local residents and threatened a local spike in new Covid cases but it has been a boon to many local businesses who were faced with an existential threat following lockdown. At the end of last month, By The Dart spoke to many local businesses to take the ‘temperature’ of the local economy and gauge the confidence with which they face winter and the year ahead… writes Mark Simpson
O
ver the past couple of months, the footfall camera on the Boatfloat
has consistently showed a sharp upward trend in footfall compared to last year and often significantly better than the rest of the UK and indeed, much of the South West. Local accommodation providers are reporting they are full up until the end of October with many reporting strong bookings for the rest of the year and much earlier bookings being made than usual for next year. The Dartmouth Visitor Centre told us that for much of the summer anyone turning up in the town looking for accommodation that night was likely to be disappointed! The Visitor Centre has been busier than usual this summer – they are one of the few visitor centres in Devon who have stayed open.
Despite the various social distancing measures, many businesses – retail, hospitality etc - have seen a sharp uptick in business since much of the town reopened in July. This is not, however, a uniform experience e.g. clothes shops have struggled and some e.g. hospitality and accommodation have seen
their capacity much reduced to ensure they are compliant with the Covid regulations. Nonetheless, many, primarily those who are dependent on holidaymakers for the bulk of their business, have reported a significantly better summer (July onwards) than usual and that has remained strong well into September/October. Some have experienced the best midsummer since they opened and one or two have almost doubled their sales over the summer compared to last year.
Visitors appear to be having a good time
despite the restrictions that social distancing causes and many have pledged that they will return
This is obviously welcome news for the local economy given that many local businesses are comparatively small, run by their owners and unlikely to have much of a financial cushion to ride out any ‘storm’ or disruption of significant length. That
said, the various financial support measures instigated by central and local government has been critical, much welcomed by all businesses and avoided what could have been a catastrophic roll call of businesses closures – it’s worth noting that many new businesses in Dartmouth (retail, hospitality etc) actually chose to open either just before or after lockdown! Some of these, such as Andria (Lower Street) have quickly made their mark and built a loyal following. Other support such as significant rent holidays offered by major landlords e.g. the Dartmouth Trust, have also had a very positive impact and kept businesses afloat.
It’s been commented that the
upsurge in visitor numbers has been driven by holidaymakers who ordinarily would not switch a Mediterranean beach holiday for the UK seaside and would be unlikely to return once travel restrictions and Covid worries were lifted. But many businesses report that the pleasant summer weather and attractions of the town and of South Devon more widely has been a surprise to many visitors. Visitors appear to be having a good time despite the restrictions
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
