Tourism boss confident despite weather's impact

Cornwall's tourism boss has urged people to "have faith" in the county after a wet Easter.

Cornish business owners said recent weather conditions have impacted trade as people stay indoors and away from the rain.

One trader in Newquay told the BBC he has heard the poor weather had contributed to some businesses folding.

But Visit Cornwall chairman Malcolm Bell urged businesses to remain positive ahead of the summer.

Visit Cornwall said it estimated the Easter bank holiday weekend brought 225,000 visitors to the county and generated about £80m - which was down from £95m the previous year.

Mr Bell said hopefully the weather will improve over the next month and despite recent "tough" times, he believed businesses and the tourism industry locally would do well.

He said: "There's two bank holidays in May and hopefully by then we would've got into a decent late-spring, early-summer weather pattern.

"So it's a tough time, but we've got to have faith in the product and how wonderful Cornwall is."

Traders in the county said it had been difficult for them recently because the weather was keeping shoppers off the high streets.

Dan Pettit, who runs the No Worries clothes shop in Newquay, said he had even heard of the weather playing a part in some businesses closing down.

"There's no people on the high street, it's pouring down with rain, people just aren't walking past the shops, are they?" Mr Pettit said.

"They're just running straight to the nearest coffee shop."

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