HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM
FOCUS FEATURE
Chatsworth House Domestic tourism set for busy year
On Saturday 21 March 2020, after the usual three- month closure for conservation and maintenance, the 105-acre Chatsworth Garden in the Derbyshire Dales reopened to the public. The next day, on the eve of Boris Johnson’s announcement that the UK would enter national lockdown for the first time, it shut again. “We were geared up for a
normal year so were as shocked as anyone at the speed at which things evolved,” says marketing manager Jonathan Fish (pictured). The 14 months since have
‘A lot of what we’ve done during the pandemic has been about staying in people’s hearts and minds’
been plagued by a stop-start approach for tourism attractions like Chatsworth, which is run by a charitable trust, making a huge dent in its ability to generate an income. About 600,000 annual visitors usually pour into the
17th century house, as well as its garden, park and farmyard, but lockdown restrictions have wiped out just over half of those. It typically employs between 400 and 500 people at peak times but a huge chunk have either not been contracted during the usual seasonal period or placed on furlough. The impact was compounded by the cancellation of
key events, including the international horse trials and Chatsworth Country Fair – which together welcome in the region of another 85,000 people – and the Christmas at Chatsworth festivities. Jonathan says: “Our team had been ploughing ahead
with the preparations for Christmas because there had been little reason during the summer and early autumn to believe it wouldn’t be able to go ahead, albeit with a limited capacity. But the second lockdown meant all the wonderful Christmas displays in the house were never seen by a single visitor.” But there is light on the horizon for Chatsworth, which
fully reopens on 18 May. The garden has been a “saving grace” as it remained accessible throughout much of the pandemic and, along with an outdoor festive lights display, brought a new, younger demographic as people have looked for things to do without being able to travel far. And with holidays abroad shrouded in uncertainty, it could offer opportunities for domestic tourism. Jonathan adds: “We’re gearing up for a very busy year.
With the vaccine rollout meaning people are more relaxed about going out, combined with the restrictions on international travel, we expect there could be huge demand. Usually, annual outbound tourism in the UK is about double the numbers we see of inbound tourists, so the ongoing international travel restrictions could provide a big boost for the UK tourism industry.
business network May 2021 53 “Like many organisations, the Chatsworth House Trust
suffered massively in 2020 but we’re feeling much more positive about 2021.”
ANOTHER PERSON KEEPING a watchful eye on the return of events and the evolving international travel situation is Nisha Pahuja. She owns the 18-bedroom Charnwood Regency Guest
House, in Loughborough, which relies on not just the nearby university’s graduation ceremonies but major gatherings like Download Festival, in nearby Castle Donington, for demand. Nisha, who also works full-time as an occupational
therapist, says: “We’re all hopeful of getting back towards normality within the next 12 to 18 months, and I know our sector will bounce back strongly. “I’m a strong believer in pumping into your own
economy, so I think there will be lots of domestic tourism this year that we can benefit from.” Charnwood has been one of the few guesthouses to
remain open during the pandemic as larger chain hotels and other smaller accommodation have opted to close, enabling it to take on their business and support key workers in the area while being Covid-secure. A reasonable occupancy level has not only allowed all
six staff to remain employed, but it’s given Nisha the confidence and funds to invest in an ambitious £250,000 renovation project that aims to turn the venue into a boutique hotel. “We decided that while we were relatively quiet but
lucky enough to still have people staying here, it would be a good time to give the guesthouse an update,” says Nisha, who also plans to eventually host networking events for business groups in the area. “Lockdown has caused challenges with suppliers and
contractors, but I’ve completed six rooms so far, along with some other work in common areas, and the idea is to make sure every single one is unique, including our disability-friendly rooms. “I haven’t been able to find any boutique hotels in
Loughborough so I’m excited about what this could do for our business.”
Charnwood Regency Guest House
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
