A Cumbrian MP is calling on the Government to provide a year-long package of support for the county’s tourism and hospitality trade which he says employs 80 per cent of the working population in the Lake District.
Liberal Democrat Tim Farron, whose Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency stretches up towards the north Lakes, has tabled a parliamentary motion asking for 12 months’ financial backing for the industry in Cumbria from now right through to spring 2021.
His move comes amid fears that many businesses will not be able to re-open until the autumn, just at the point when the industry’s low season begins. Mr Farron said; “The Cumbrian economy is the most exposed in the UK as a result of this crisis, largely because of the importance of our incredible hospitality and tourism sector.
“The industry has been hit more than any other and will be doubly hit if it is expected to stand on its own two feet after the summer at the very point when visitor numbers would normally drop heavily. Therefore it’s absolutely critical for jobs and businesses that the Government works with us to provide the financial support needed to keep hospitality in the Lakes going until the high season.”
A new survey by Cumbria Tourism found that by the end of June, the coronavirus pandemic will have cost the county’s tourism industry £1.45 billion, with over 18,000 jobs set to be lost
The wording of Mr Farron’s early day motion includes: “That this house notes that hospitality and the UK tourism industry are among the hardest hit by the necessary social distancing policies in place during the Covid-19 outbreak; further notes that 80 per cent of workers in the hotel and food industries are furloughed and up to a third may be at risk in the longer term of losing their jobs; recognises that in the Lake District 80 per cent of the working population are employed in tourism or hospitality;
“Further notes that the seasonal nature of the tourism industry means that many businesses will not be able to generate the necessary level of income to avoid closing down after the support packages end; and calls on the Government to introduce a 12 month financial support package to secure the survival of the UK tourism and hospitality industry until the summer of 2021.”
