Stormy year for Lake District B&Bs and hotels as rain batters area (From The Westmorland Gazette)
When news happens, text KENEWS and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
Stormy year for Lake District B&Bs and hotels as rain batters area
10:00am Thursday 3rd January 2013 in Business
By Anna Clarke, Reporter
Tony Blaney, chair of the Lakes Hospitality Association and owner of the Fairfield Garden Guest House, Bowness
TOURISM businesses across South Lakeland are taking a major hit as the ‘wettest year on record’ threatens to cripple trade well into the New Year.
Accommodation providers and owners of eateries and attractions say there has been a dramatic fall in the number of day trippers and holidaymakers because of the ‘devastating and unprecedented’ weather.
And they expect to be counting the cost of the deluge well into the New Year, with bookings for Easter already showing signs of drying up.
Now they face having to hike up prices in a bid to claw back earnings.
Met Office figures reveal that 2012 was Cumbria’s 10th wettest year since records began in 1910 with rainfall topping 1,890mm in Westmorland - 200mm up on the previous year.
Tony Blaney, chair of the Lakes Hospitality Association and owner of the Fairfield Garden Guest House, Bowness, said: “Bookings over New Year have been down by about 50 per cent and those we did get were last minute.
“Projected bookings for the next three months are down by about a third.
“People don’t want to book a holiday when it’s raining outside.
“The problem is that for the price of a holiday in an expensive area like this, you could get a week in Spain.”
Caroline Langham, owner of the Cote How Organic Guest House and Tearoom at Rydal, revealed that the number of people visiting her tearoom was down by about half.
“My guest house has had its worst year on record and the next few months are looking quiet too,” she said.
“If you haven’t filled up your Easter slots by Christmas then you should be worrying - and I haven’t.”
Sarah White from Easedale Lodge, Ambleside, said: “The weather has been putting people off. We’ve not had as many people here as this time last year.”
She thought business had fallen by about 30 per cent.
Sharyn Rush, owner of the Gables Guest House and the Sheila’s Cottage restaurant in Ambleside, said the weather, recession and the Olympics had all impacted on her business.
“We’re considerably down and August was our worst loss when it should have been our best month.”
As a result she has employed fewer people this year. Her suppliers have also suffered.
“The knock-on effect to suppliers is also bad,” she said. “It’s the little people who suffer.”
David Greenwell, owner of Workington-based Shortridge Laundry, which supplies around 600 Lake District B&Bs, said: “My gut feeling is that trade is down by about 10 per cent overall.”
Chief executive of Cumbria Tourism, Ian Stephens, admitted flooding across Cumbria last month might have put visitors off coming over Christmas and New Year.
“Our thoughts are with all those who are suffering but we are doing all we can to keep people coming,” he said.
“We are a resilient and robust county and I am sure that once again Cumbrians will be stepping up to the mark and showing the rest of the world that we can bounce back.”
Comments(20)
Ben Berry
says...
2:28pm Thu 3 Jan 13
zaney5 wrote:Most have lowered their prices significantly.
Maybe some of these establishments need to lower their prices to attract more visitors then. After all, if it's the choice between somewhere with guaranteed sunshine versus a wet week in the Lakes for the same price, which would you choose?
"We're charging the same as we were ten years ago." Is what I got from one local tourism boss.
zaney5
says...
4:41pm Thu 3 Jan 13
Ben Berry wrote:Regardless....
zaney5 wrote:Most have lowered their prices significantly.
Maybe some of these establishments need to lower their prices to attract more visitors then. After all, if it's the choice between somewhere with guaranteed sunshine versus a wet week in the Lakes for the same price, which would you choose?
"We're charging the same as we were ten years ago." Is what I got from one local tourism boss.
“People don’t want to book a holiday when it’s raining outside.
“The problem is that for the price of a holiday in an expensive area like this, you could get a week in Spain.”
Says it all.
dancer58
says...
6:49pm Thu 3 Jan 13
Lakeuk
says...
8:01pm Thu 3 Jan 13
Got work colleagues living 60 miles south, normally come up to the lakes for a day trip once in a blue moon, at half term they at the last minute came up for a long weekend - it was the special offers that temped them, plus it was raining/snowing that weekend, didn't bother them, they just staying in the hotel longer using the facilities
Suppose I depends how much effort you're prepared to bring the customers
Lakeuk
says...
8:17pm Thu 3 Jan 13
dancer58 wrote:Looked at a local hotel on these booking sites and they're cheaper than the discount rate they advertise on their own websites booking page, some prices are 30% cheaper - they can't be that worried about the commission rates.
May be if all accomodation providers boycotted on line booking sites , they could then lower prices a little these companys take up to 20% for bookings online which surely is passed onto the customers, 6 years ago approx these sites did not exist & everybody did ok then
They're also not using social sites like facebook, twitter, Google Plus - missing out on opportunities to promote themselves
Gone are the days when you just wait for the customers to find you. There are some local accommodation businesses promoting themselves to attract bookings in 2014, they're looking well ahead to get in first.
Stick in the Mud
says...
11:22pm Thu 3 Jan 13
and
"The problem is that for the price of a holiday in an expensive area like this, you could get a week in Spain."
Says it all really.
They need to stop whinging, raise standards and lower costs, or get out of the business.
Stick in the Mud
says...
11:34pm Thu 3 Jan 13
Also, don't accept kids under 10, but will take dogs.
Moleskins
says...
11:57pm Thu 3 Jan 13
2. How can someone get out of the business, which is also their home? The banks aren't lending for someone else to buy it.
3. Cut prices you say, a couple running a small B&B would be working for no income, would you go into work and not get paid?
Clearly some of the comments above come from those who don't know the other side of the story.
And Cumbria Tourism need to realise that being a resilient Cumbrian doesn't stop you from going bust.
laker1
says...
8:53am Fri 4 Jan 13
Stop whinging and blaming everything on the weather and start looking a little bit closer to home - the bubble has burst!!
fellsman
says...
9:04am Fri 4 Jan 13
Moleskins wrote:Quite true - but you have to go into the B&B business with eyes wide open - many owners have mortgaged themselves up to the hilt in order to buy an overpriced property where the number of letting rooms can offer a living in good times (just!) - but when times go bad, they are in deep doo doo. If you look at the prices of B&B's which are on the market now, the sums cannot possibly add up, yet people continue to put their savings on the line, borrow and think they are entering utopia. When times get rough only the best can survive.
1. The online booking systems have hiked up prices, make no mistake about that! Guest house owners have had to pass that cost on.
2. How can someone get out of the business, which is also their home? The banks aren't lending for someone else to buy it.
3. Cut prices you say, a couple running a small B&B would be working for no income, would you go into work and not get paid?
Clearly some of the comments above come from those who don't know the other side of the story.
And Cumbria Tourism need to realise that being a resilient Cumbrian doesn't stop you from going bust.
Milkbutnosugarplease
says...
5:30pm Fri 4 Jan 13
Ladyxxmacbeth
says...
10:28am Sat 5 Jan 13
laker1 wrote:I do agree ... There is very little to do in the lakes if I is bad weather. The places are expensive there is very little entertainment.
It's not just the weather and the cost of accommodation that is putting people off - it's the ripp of charges of car parking, pub food and drink that is adding to the problem. How can you buy a pint of micro brewed beer in parts of the country for £2.50 ish and pay over a £1 more for the same in pubs here? How can you get a good bar meal for around the £10 mark elsewhere and pay £14 - £15 for the same here? How can you park all day at tourist car parks elsewhere for £2.00 per day or less (Usually free in touristy parts of Scotland) and and have to fork out £6 plus here. Accommodation and self catering charges are usually horrendous here, hi jacked by the letting companies who have to make their 25% come what may.
Stop whinging and blaming everything on the weather and start looking a little bit closer to home - the bubble has burst!!
When I went to Norfolk this year there were loads of free places to visit that we're indoors...or such a minimal fee or a donation it made it easy to find somewhere to go.
If you look on the same website to find free places in cumbria there is nowhere.
People want more that pretty hills on a holiday nod we are in danger of becoming like all the other old fashioned holiday places.
churchy66
says...
3:55pm Sat 5 Jan 13
Ger-onimo
says...
3:01pm Mon 7 Jan 13
Talk about scaremongering! Anyone in the industry knows that the trend for booking tends to be much more last minute nowadays. Yes, in an ideal world it would be great to be booked up for Easter by Christmas but we don't live or work in an ideal world. Many hoteliers are too quick to point the finger elsewhere when things aren't going well instead of looking at what they can do to help themselves.
lancashirelife
says...
11:03am Tue 8 Jan 13
Not everyone wants to go abroad and many people, especially couples like to have a weekend break with the option to snuggle up if the weather is bad.
Cumbria is known for it's weather, it's nothing new yet year after year there's always an excuse.
Get with it!
Lakeuk
says...
1:35pm Tue 8 Jan 13
It resulted in them having a year good Decemeber and year. I did wonder why other businesses are not as proactive in making sales happen for them
warfwell
says...
7:07pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Keep the price level where it is, improve your service level and get out there and promote why your property is the one to stay at. Not having free basic pages on Facebook etc is shocking but easily fixed. Think where potential customers come from and what channels they use.
Also you can extend guest's stays with add-ons. The lake district the the ideal place for these and once people arrive give them 5-6 places to visit for a day. Put a black board out at dinner with tomorrow's must see activities!
Lead time has greatly reduced but there's business out there if you put the effort in.
warfwell
says...
7:07pm Wed 9 Jan 13
Keep the price level where it is, improve your service level and get out there and promote why your property is the one to stay at. Not having free basic pages on Facebook etc is shocking but easily fixed. Think where potential customers come from and what channels they use.
Also you can extend guest's stays with add-ons. The lake district the the ideal place for these and once people arrive give them 5-6 places to visit for a day. Put a black board out at dinner with tomorrow's must see activities!
Lead time has greatly reduced but there's business out there if you put the effort in.
Waterside Lodge
says...
12:44pm Thu 31 Jan 13
zaney5 says...
11:40am Thu 3 Jan 13