THE CREDIT crunch is failing to damage Cheshire’s tourism industry as business booms.
Cheshire’s rural and city hotels, camp sites and caravan parks are all reporting a busy summer despite the global economic climate and disappointing weather.
But they are also reporting people are changing the way they holiday to cut costs. They are altering the way they book holidays, the amount of time they spend on them and the method of transport they use to go on holiday.
Angela Dutton owner of Manor Wood Country Caravan Park, Coddington said people are booking their holiday much later.
She said: “The way people are booking is very different this year, many more people are leaving it last minute, booking the week before rather than months before. They are looking at the weather and being much more picky about when they will go.
“We are getting more people who live locally, those who live only an hours drive away, and are staying for a weekend or three or four days rather than a two week stretch.
“Our visitors are using public transport much more frequently.”
Sally-Anne Chesters, owner of Millmoor Farm Holidays, Malpas said her business is fully booked this year.
She said: “Things have been going well for us this season. We have both a bed and breakfast and the self catering cottages. The cottages are now all booked up for the summer.
“The bed and breakfast hasn’t quite been so busy.
“People are booking much later often even the day before, often checking out the weather to decide if they want to come.
It is not just the self catering family friendly destinations that are doing well, the luxury end of the market is also managing to draw in the customers.
Lucy Nelson, marketing and events manager at the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel and Spa, said: “Our summer so far has been very busy and we are in fact up on last year.
“One of the major reasons is our new Spa, which is proving very popular, it is the only real Spa in the area and we have put a lot of money into it and it is paying off.”
Barrie Kelly, director of operations of Visit Chester and Cheshire, said: “A recent business survey of our members showed that only 14% are pessimistic about the current economic climate, the majority have a positive outlook about the coming months. However, we are working on a number of carefully planned initiatives to help alleviate the economic slowdown by providing a range of reasons to visit.”
Jonathan Slater, managing director of Chester’s Grosvenor Hotel said: “Overall business at the hotel is looking positive but the various sectors of our business are affected in different ways.
“Business in La Brasserie has always been affected by the number of people in the city as well as factors such as the weather.
“Our policy is to look at added value for our guests and focus on experimental packages and not just market the hotel as a bed for the night.
“Everybody in the city needs to be pushing in the same direction to ensure that Chester gets its fair share of the tourist industry in a very competitive market.”
