MILLIONS of pounds have been invested in a revamp of facilities by tourism businesses blighted by the winter floods.

Over the past three months there has been a huge push by enterprises to be ready to welcome back visitors in what is set to be an important year for Cumbria.

When the waters of Windermere rose by three metres, following two days of torrential downpours in November, businesses along the shore were swamped.

Family-owned Windermere Marina Village’s 29 ground-floor self-catering cottages, 35 apartments and Spinnaker Club were damaged by the water.

However, the firm, based near Bowness, is bouncing back and is on course to complete a £3 million revamp.

“When you have a ground zero situation, it provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reinvest and upgrade everything all in one go,” said Jason Dearden, managing director of Windermere Marina Village. “It was a chance to take a step back from the business with the staff and look at what we wanted to do and how we could improve for visitors.

“There was barely a ground floor room untouched by the water but that means that by the time we re-open, there won’t be a room that hasn’t been significantly improved, which is really going to please our guests and kick start tourism again.”

Owners of The White Cross Bay caravan park, near Windermere, have pumped £2 million into the site creating a new fleet of lodges, a play area, restaurant, a beer garden and a full refurbishment of its clubhouse.

The Lakeside Hotel, situated on the shore of Windermere by Newby Bridge, had all of its ground floor flooded. Owners have invested £200,000 to enhance the facilities - including its kitchens, bar, restaurant and conservatory. The hotel will officially re-open tomorrow (Friday, March 12) following three months of works.

Jonathan Robb, operations manager at The Lakeside, said it was crucial that visitors came this year - particularly following the hotel’s investment. He was also optimistic of a lengthening of the ‘staycation’ effect with people choosing to holiday at home.

“I think it is going to be an important year,” he said. “It is crucial to the business to keep busy. The floods has given us the opportunity to renovate and it is important to get that back.

“Everyone has had the recession and I think everybody is looking forward to it being a more optimistic year. The pound is slipping against the Euro again so we hope that means people will stay at home again.”

The Whitewater Hotel and Cascades health centre, at Backbarrow, near Ulverston, was left with only 11 full-time staff remaining out of an original 37 before the rain hit and caused the River Levens to rise and flood the complex.

But its lounge bar is set to reopen next week, offering teas, coffees, cold drinks and sandwiches before welcoming guests back in mid-April.

Ian Stephens, chief executive of Cumbria Tourism, welcomed the investment by the flood-affected businesses and said this was going to be both a crucial and tough year - because of lingering economic uncertainty - for the tourism sector in the county.

“It has been necessary to get back up and running as quickly as possible,” he said. “But it is an opportunity also to upgrade the products they (hotels) have. We are delighted that these establishments are coming back on stream quickly.