Cruise company riding high again after tough year
ONE of Devon’s best known visitor attractions has emerged from a global pandemic and family tragedy to scoop a prestigious travel industry award.
Stuart Line Cruises was crowned the best passenger boat company in the UK during a recent national awards ceremony in Birmingham.
The win came after the family-run company, which runs boat trips along the coast and the Exe estuary from its base in Exmouth, not only had to endure the stormy seas of Covid, but also had to come to terms with the death of charismatic former owner Ian Stuart in October of last year.
Ian’s wife Philippa says it has been a challenging time, but since the summer business has been booming again.
Like many in the tourism industry, she pinpoints staff shortages and uncertainty about future restrictions as the main issues, but is positive about Stuart Line’s prospects for the next year.
“During lockdown we were able to keep busy and did a lot of maintenance work,” she said. “Then we had a slow start this year as we couldn’t start operating again until May.
“Then in July things started to lift and once we got into the main summer holiday it was really busy and has stayed that way ever since.”
Stuart Line Cruises was founded by Ian’s father, Tony, in 1968, and he took over in 1992, building on its foundations, buying new vessels and expanding the cruise trips.
When Ian died of cancer in October 2020, tributes were paid to the ‘charismatic, good-humoured and generous’ man who championed Devon as a tourist destination.
“It’s been hard obviously,” said Philippa... We promised him we’d keep the business running.”
She said much of the credit for winning the British Coach Tourism Award 2020 can be given to the hard-working team around her, including son and skipper, Jake, and daughter-in-law Lauren. “They took on the business when
Ian wasn’t well and coped with all the issues around the pandemic that we had never dealt with before on that scale,” she added.
Innovations included extended boat trips for people who wanted a close-up view of cruise liners stranded in Tor Bay.
“People wanted to go out and see them so we put on sightseeing trips lasting two-and-a-half hours,” Philippa said.
The fortunes of the business are directly linked the number of holidaymakers visiting Devon, many staying in campsites or arriving by coach.
With coaches now returning, Stuart Line Cruises hopes to continue operating at almost full capacity through the winter months, particularly during the lucrative Christmas period.
Like many in the industry there have been staffing shortages. Philippa says many of the students who usually provided an extra pair of hands on deck did not apply for part-time jobs this year.
The British Coach Tourism Awards 2020 took place at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham. The prestigious ceremony brought together the finest firms within the group travel industry from across the UK.
Stuart Line Cruises was invited to attend alongside Devon’s Association of Top Attractions and despite being up against operators from Plymouth, Poole, Liverpool and Scotland, brought home gold award for ‘Best Inland and River Cruise Operator in the UK 2020’.
Jake Stuart said: “The past two years have been extremely tough on the tourism and leisure industry as a whole and only in the last couple of months have things started to look more positive for visitors, as people regain their confidence in travelling to and holidaying in the region.
“We pride ourselves on our commitment to offering bespoke and personal experiences for groups and to be recognised with this national award speaks volumes and offers a huge sense of achievement.”