Could this be our best summer ever?
TOURIST SPOTS ARE BOOKING UP FAST FOR STAYCATION
HOTELS and tourist attractions across Derbyshire say they are booking up quickly ahead of what some say could be their “best summer yet”.
As England’s coronavirus lockdown continues to be eased, uncertainty remains about whether people will be able to go on holiday abroad this year – with a Government review on international travel due to report on April 12.
Businesses across the county say they are now seeing the effects of this uncertainty, as momentum builds around a summer of staycations.
Roger Weston, the owner of The Cables bed and breakfast in Matlock
Bath, said: “There is going to be a knock-on effect from the uncertainty around international travel because around 20% of our business comes from abroad.
“But I think that the domestic demand is going to more than compensate for that and overall I’m almost certain that we’re going to have our best summer yet.
“I think everybody is in a similar situation at the moment because everybody will be desperate to get away for a break, but they’re not going to want to run the risk of quarantining at either end if they go abroad.
“It’s a very fluid situation at the moment and I think that people will be mostly staying in this country for the next three or four months.
“We’re in a great location to be able to take advantage of that in Matlock Bath because we’ve got the scenic views of the Peak District, and then we’ve got nearby attractions like Chatsworth House and Gulliver’s Kingdom as well.
“All of the weekends for May and half of June are already booked up and so we are really starting to see that momentum build up now.”
The Government’s road map out of the coronavirus lockdown says that bed and breakfasts and hotels won’t be able to open until May 17 at the earliest – but that self-catering accommodation could open from April 12.
Self-catering accommodation is the focus of Tissington Hall in Ashbourne whose owner, Sir Richard Fitzherbert, said: “We’ve got four cottages and two apartments and they’re all beginning to fill up nicely as we speak.
“One of the places that people can stay in is our gardener’s cottage, which used to be home to the gardener of the estate, and that’s full until the end of October.
“We’re also making further investments by converting a barn that’s been dis-used and un-loved for the last 20 years into an eco-friendly holiday spot.
“Overall, weekends are pretty full for the next couple of months, but we’ve still got plenty of availability, particularly during the weekdays.
“That’s going to be good for all the other businesses associated with the area as well such as the cafés, independent shops and pubs which have all been having a really hard time over the last few months.
“The weddings side of our business has been the most affected by the lockdown and those waters have been very tricky to negotiate because weddings that were booked in for 2020 have been moved to this year, but a lot of our clients came from abroad and those are people who can’t travel here and so we have lost them.
“For the accommodation side of the business the council’s local restriction grants have been a godsend, but ultimately we’d prefer getting back to welcoming people rather than taking hand-outs because that’s what we do here.”
One of the most popular tourist attractions for families in Derbyshire is the nearby Alton Towers theme park and resort, which is also reporting a growing demand ahead of the summer period.
Francis Jackson, operations director, said: “In line with current regulations, we’re delighted to be able to offer some of our self-contained accommodation for families to enjoy from April 12th, including our stargazing pods, woodland lodges and our luxury tree houses.
“We are already seeing demand which is a really positive sign in terms of UK staycations and the industry in general.” Attractions at Alton Towers this summer will include a new “Gangsta Granny” ride based on the bestselling children’s book by David Walliams. Francis said: “From May 17, under current guidelines, our remaining hotels will open ahead of the summer holidays which is going to be really key for both us as a business and our guests who like to spend more than one day exploring everything the resort has to offer.
“Summer is always a busy time for us here at Alton Towers Resort and we expect this summer to be no different, so we are using this time to re-instate our robust health, safety and hygiene measures across all our accommodation and wider resort to provide a memorable and safe experience.”