Another company specialising in Lake District holiday cottages has opened for business in Keswick.
Lakeland Retreats is independently owned by Michelle and Adam Wilkin, who opened their first branch in Ambleside in 2017 and now have more than 150 self-catering holiday lets on their books.
Having launched a branch in Windermere recently, they have now moved into a building on Station Street that was once home to The Keswick Reminder, which now has offices on Bank Street.
Operations manager Ross Hayton said: “We have found there is a definite market in Keswick, especially for businesses like ours that provide an independent, personal service.”
The latest economic analysis of Cumbria’s tourism industry reveals the sector is now worth more than £2.9 billion to the local economy, with nearly 50 million people expected to visiting the county in 2022.
Holiday let landlords in sought-after areas of the Lake District can expect earn up to 30 per cent more yield than their buy-to-let counterparts, with some properties delivering an annual return of eight per cent.
But it can also be a lucrative sector for the owners of independent holiday let businesses. Sally Fielding set up Sally’s Cottages in Keswick in 2003, and watched it grow from a portfolio of a single rental in Eskdale to more than 500 cottages across Cumbria and the Lake District.
Last year, the business was acquired by Travel Chapter, known nationally for its flagship brand holidaycottages.co.uk, for an undisclosed sum.
