£800,000,000 – This was the amount injected into the local economy through letting of second homes to self catering holiday makers in Devon and Cornwall in 2012.
This figure does not take into account the employment and tax revenue this also generates. Tourism is an very important employer in the South West and with the ‘season’ getting longer, many traditional seasonal jobs are becoming permanent.
Second Home statistics:
Cornwall – there are 19 second homes per 1,000 usual residents
Most of Devon – there are 3-14 second homes per 1,000 residents
South Hams is the highest at 45 second homes per 1,000 residents
Although many people, quite rightly, complain of no light’s in Salcombe in the winter, or deserted streets in Padstow, in reality these seaside towns are only a small proportion of the South West’s towns and villages and the problem is nowhere near as bad as many reports and headline grabbing politicians would have you believe.
Employment
According to the 2011 census there are 2.7 million people employed in the tourism industry in the UK (about 9.5% of total employed people) with 260,000 employed in the South West.
In Cornwall alone, the proportion of people employed in the tourism sector is 14.9% and in Torbay South Devon this rises to 16.7%.
When researching the information for this release we talked to holiday letting agents like Pure Cornwall www.purecornwall.co.uk, specialists in 4* and 5* self catering holiday properties. Since opening 5 years ago they have employed 8 local people.
They went on to say that they use local contractors, plumbers and carpenters who are now busy all year round, doing running repairs in the summer and maintenance, refurbishments in the winter. They also use local suppliers for food hampers, surf lessons and classic car hire who in turn also gain.
Spending by self catering holiday makers
This research was carried out by leading self catering letting agent Blue Chip Holidays (www.bluechipholidays.co.uk) who specialise in the South West and their findings were very positive.
In 2012, the amount spent by an average family staying in self catering accommodation in the local community was £683 per family per week.
The main components broke down to;
Ice cream, toys, clothes etc £100
Events ie. Theme parks. Concerts etc £135
Food and Drink outside holiday homes £179
Food and Drink in holiday home (spent locally) £217
Developers
Una St Ives, Cornwall
A few of the more forward thinking developers have seen this increasing demand for self catering over the past 10 years and are creating specific schemes that tap into this demand which in turn helps the local area benefit from the se holiday makers.
One such initiative is Una St. Ives www.unastives.co.uk where eco inspired holiday homes are being constructed around a stylish leisure centrepiece including indoor pool, restaurant, gym, spa. The scheme will create many jobs throughout the year on the site as well as promoting local business such as surf schools, local farmers markets, and the local tourists attractions.
Whereas the former campsite created a few seasonal jobs the new scheme is designed to operate all year, thereby bringing holiday makers with their disposable income to this area of Cornwall.
Talland Bay, South Cornwall
Another such scheme is Talland Bay, where four newly designed detached holiday homes are being built on the upper slopes of this established luxury.
The homes and on site leisure facilities are managed throughout the year by an on site team and because of the luxury indoor swimming pool, bar and gym it has become an all year round destination which not only provides permanent employment but gives the local beach café welcome clientèle in the quieter months.
They have a proven track record for holiday lets, with record bookings already for 2013.
With panoramic sea views from their huge roof terraces these 3 bedroom contemporary homes are ideal for that relaxing getaway.
