The rail strikes paralysing train services into the Lake District this week have been called “disappointing” by Keswick tourism chiefs.
With fuel prices soaring, any eco-conscious members of the travelling public wanting to get the train to Penrith and then a bus to Keswick, have had to opt for expensive car journeys during the first rail strikes since 1989.
Tourism manager Vanessa Metcalfe said: “The rail disruption is disappointing, particularly at a time when we are trying to encourage people to have a more sustainable holiday and leave their car at home.
“Hopefully this will be resolved sooner rather than later, but if visitors do have to bring their cars, there will still be plenty of opportunity to bus, bike and walk.”
The industrial action won’t have helped local efforts to cut carbon emissions and reduce the number of cars on Lakeland roads.
Despite the challenges, the town is expecting a busy summer. The all important advanced bookings – which give some peace of mind to operators – are looking “strong” right through to October.
She said: “Things aren’t quite back to pre-Covid levels, but it is definitely heading in the right direction. Obviously there has been a fair bit in the press recently about nationwide staffing issues and Keswick is not immune. Businesses and their staff are working incredibly hard to ensure visitors still have an amazing experience.”
New data from Google shows that search entries “join union” and “how to strike,” have “exploded”.
