An insight into Somerset tourism business scenario

Tuesday, August 8, 2023

It has been “dampening” for many tourist-oriented businesses still struggling to recover from the pandemic, although some claim the rain has boosted sales in Somerset.The BBC published a detailed report by talking to businesses in Somerset to find out how the wet weather has affected business.

The poor weather, according to Exmoor-based Styles Ice Cream owner David Baker, has caused a 40% drop in sales for this time of year which is huge.

He recently attended a West Country show where just 1,500 people showed up despite 12,000 being predicted, and he describes it as being “absolutely dreadful.”

The maker of ice cream claims that they are cutting back on the quantity of food they are producing.
The Bed and Breakfast Association chairman David Weston, who is headquartered in Bruton, told BBC that his industry is still in recovery mode.

“It does have a dampening effect on bookings [as] these days people do tend to book a bit later so it’s even more sensitive to weather,” he said while speaking to a BBC correspondent.

However, he added, “If August is excellent weather and we get a longer summer into September being good weather too, that will help a lot.”

In addition to the recent drizzle, Royston Connor, the owner of the Top Ship and Bottom Ship pubs in Porlock, mentions the scarcity of available chefs, rising interest rates, and the expense of materials.

The repayment of government loans issued during the Covid-19 outbreak is another problem, the author confessed. Nevertheless, he claims that the area has excellent camping spots and that once people are there, the weather doesn’t matter too much.

“We will get on with it… and after 17 years, we have a really good business and work really hard, so touch wood we’ll be alright,” he added.

The curator of the Dovery Manor Museum in Porlock, Dr. Lita Strampp, claims that her indoor business has benefited from the unpleasant weather.She claims that since the rains arrived, foot traffic has grown by 20%.

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