CORNISH GEMS

REFLECTING ON THE UKS MOST POPULAR HOLIDAY HOTSPOT.

e caught up with Julianne Shelton, co-managing director of Cornish Gems, a Cornwall based, awardwinning, tourism business which boasts a mission to ‘showcase the best hand-selected, luxury self-catering holiday homes in Cornwall’, to find out what it is like to be immersed in such a vibrant sector and how it’s evolving.

The trajectory of demand for holidays in Cornwall seems on an inexorable upward trend, which must be immensely exciting to be a part of. Why do you think it is that Cornwall is so popular now?

It really is. With the huge demand for staycations we’ve seen a rise in website traffic to cornishgems.com of over 100% (from 400,000 to 800,000 YoY) and our travel advisors are handling hundreds of enquiries every week for 2021 and 2022 holidays, with no signs of slowing.

Cornwall has of course always been popular as we’re blessed with miles of stunning coastline, vibrant and historical picturesque villages and the general sense of a more relaxed pace of life. A combination of Cornwall generally upping its game with regards to accommodation standards and offering world class things to see, experience, eat and drink has certainly widened Cornwall’s appeal and demand. Add on the ‘Covid-effect’ and it takes popularity to new heights we never thought possible.

Julianne Shelton and Nadia Macer-Wright From when you started Cornish Gems in 2007, you have grown to now offer around 200 properties across Cornwall, with a team of 100 strong. How has the market evolved in this time?

When we launched Cornish Gems 14 years ago the competitive landscape was very different. We were entrepreneurial to identify a gap in the market for an agency that specifically offered a luxury standard of selfcatering accommodation, coupled with a fully managed service - something property owners really bought into as a new concept back then.

Although we’ve grown organically at a steady pace, during this time the market has become crowded with competitors all vying for a slice of the cake. There does seem like plenty of business available for us all to tuck into however the largest concern is the dominance of owner direct booking engines like Air BnB and booking.com, which although a completely different business model to Cornish Gems, have impacted the industry generally in terms of safety and quality standards whilst depleting the former abundance of accommodation to residential let.

With very little cost-effective residential accommodation available to rent in Cornwall, I’m concerned that as Cornwall becomes increasingly popular, how are we all going to sustain being successful in recruiting seasonal staff and where are the many people that can’t get on the property ladder going to live if there’s very little to residential let? I appreciate there are many other factors that affect the availability of residential lets, not just AirBnB of course! However, I do feel strongly against the global giants eating into market share in our sector as they do not provide local jobs like we do, Cornish Gems employs 100 people which scaled up in context means at least 300-400 people rely on us for their livelihoods.

It seems the sector is becoming less seasonal, where often a cold-water swim or an invigorating winter beach walk followed by a book in front of the fire can be just as enjoyable as a summer holiday. Is this something you have noticed?

Yes it is. We’ve always promoted the year-round benefits of Cornwall as there really is so much to see, do and enjoy here, whatever the season or weather. There is nowhere better to switch-off from daily life and soak up the fresh air and nature - whether that might be lazy summer days on the beach or storm-watching from the comfort of a beautiful holiday home, a cosy pub or on the coast.

I feel hopeful that with the world’s spotlight on Cornwall for the G7 Summit 2021 and the new markets introduced to Cornwall due to the rise in demand for staycations, that this trend will continue and we may gradually be able to lose the traditional ‘low-season’.

It is now quite a crowded sector, how have you managed to keep on top of your game and hold your own against much competition?

We are consistently monitoring the competition, looking at trends, evaluating our service and trying to enhance and improve it to appeal to new customers whilst ensuring existing customers remain loyal. This year sees the introduction of a ground breaking new welcome service for guests and we’ve bolstered our service to property owners with the launch of Gems Interiors, our interior design service specifically to help owners create their unique, Cornish Gem at competitive rates.

We have recruited many new jobs including; interior designers, customer service personnel (handling inbound calls) and created a role specifically focussing on further developing the guest experience and Cornish Gems’ commitment to corporate and social responsibility.

Of all of your properties, which would be your current number one for both a summer holiday and winter one?

We are immensely proud to showcase some of Cornwall’s finest homes to rent for holidays stretching from coast to coast, so for that broad reason your question is a little unfair. However, I’m happy to share my personal choice for my family would be Laflouder Thatch, Mullion. It ticks all the boxes as a true Gem for all seasons. The Gems Interiors team helped curate the interiors and I absolutely love the decor. The heated outdoor pool is sublime and is available from Easter right through until the end of September. The pool water is very warm and whilst swimming or sitting around the pool you have a view of the sea in the distance. I love it so much that I’ve stayed this year and already booked it again for 2022 along with a celebratory stay at Molesworth Manor, our flagship north coast property (I would love to tell you about that one too, maybe another time)! Adjacent page: Julianne (left) and Nadia (right) collecting a British Travel Award for Best UK Self Catering/Cottage Holiday Company 2020

Above: 1). Laflouder Thatch Mullion, 2). Moleswsorth Manor exterior, 3). Molesworth Manor dining room

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