Alliance hit back at concerning remarks by Cornish council official over tourism

The Countryside Alliance has responded to a series of concerning remarks made by a senior Cornish councillor in relation to tourists visiting the county over Summer.

Speaking to the Times, Cllr Tim Dwelly, the council's cabinet member for the economy, said: "You are going to find lots of places aren't open, lots of places you will need to queue and please don't be surprised if there are some tensions [with locals],".

While the headline states: 'Stay away, says Cornwall as lockdown eases', the comments do not directly call for people to stay away, although they are incredibly concerning. Through the Countryside Alliance Awards, we have worked with numerous Cornish businesses and have never experienced sentiment like this.

In response to the article and comments, Mo Metcalf-Fisher, a spokesman for the Countryside Alliance said: " Cllr. Dwelly needs to realise that his words could have damaging consequences for the future of Cornish tourism, at a time when the situation is incredibly fragile. His position is concerning and we urge him to think again."

He added: "Yes, people are concerned about Covid-19, that's understandable. Cornwall like rest of country will relax restrictions as it takes advice on the science. If it says it's OK to safely re-open then it absolutely must do so and in time for the peak Summer season. Local businesses must be trusted to implement the appropriate safety measures. The county respects its status as a key location for domestic tourism and as such, it thrives off the back of people visiting to spend money, which in turn keeps thousands of local people in employment."

NEW: "Stay away" messaging from some local authorities, as seen in Cornwall this week, will have long-term damaging consequences for hard working local businesses that rely on tourism. It's time to drop it. Mo Metcalf-Fisher writes for The Telegraph.

In a statement, the Conservative MP for St. Austell and Newquay, Steve Double, confirmed that the comments from the councillor were made without any apparent consultation to the wider membership of Cornwall Council.

Describing the comments as "incredibly ill-timed and mis-judged", Mr. Double said: "Right now, what we need to see is all organisations in Cornwall coming together to support the tourism and hospitality businesses that make up such an important part of Cornwall's economy. Cornwall Council don't seem to understand that if these businesses don't reopen soon, with people being encouraged to visit them, they may never reopen at all. This will result in tens of thousands of local people losing their jobs and the knock-on effect of all those businesses in the supply chain."

As lockdown restrictions ease the Countryside Alliance has been pushing for the countryside to open up again, in order to protect the future of the rural economy. The Alliance argues that three vital areas for reopening are: campsites & cottages, cafes and pubs with outdoor gardens and re-opening all national park car parks to spread visitors across the countryside rather than concentrating them at select 'honey pot' sites.

The Government's "Covid-19 Recovery strategy" - published earlier this month - made clear that in England "people may drive to outdoor open spaces irrespective of distance, so long as they respect social distancing guidance while they are there, because this does not involve contact with people outside your household".

However the same guidance said that campsites, hotels and other parts of the hospitality industry could not open until July 4 at the earliest.

The Camping and Caravanning Club has already reported that camping and caravan sites have already missed out on £25 million of income during the Covid lockdown period.