4 minute read
THE SKILLS HUB
Groundhog day
As tourism gets ready to go again in 2021, the Skills Hub is here to help.
As the summer of 2020 approached, Alex Horsfall was hopeful. His luxury, self-catering holiday cottages, The Valley, in Carnon Downs was preparing to open its doors with the 46, 5-star cottages close to capacity. Fast forward to 2021 and Alex finds himself in a similar, if not identical position, to that of 2020. Once more, and like many others within the tourism industry, he is juggling the competing priorities of a business being on pause and staff placed on furlough, while also managing the day-to-day demands of a business that will be looking to restart as soon as government regulations allow it to do so.
In May last year, Alex worked with the Skills Hub to up-skill his staff for this new way of working, suggesting the impact of COVID-19 would truly be felt in 2021. So where does he stand 12 months down the track?
“Because it has all gone on a lot longer than anyone could have imagined, I don’t think the impact hasn’t truly been felt by all yet. It’s been a rollercoaster of extreme lows, and extreme highs. Last summer for all of Cornwall was incredible, and the lockdown either side has been pretty dire,” Alex says. For Alex, the impact the pandemic has had on his business has not been as bad as first thought, however being a holiday park means ongoing maintenance and the need to keep some staff on to keep things ticking over. The Valley – a secluded village of its own– has with it two pools, a squash court, tennis court and restaurant. Maintenance and upkeep of these facilities has needed to continue throughout the lockdown period. This maintenance is usually carried out across the winter, with a smaller number of guests keeping an income coming in to sustain the payment of wages for his staff. This past year, that has not been an option.
“Unlike hotels and restaurants who can often just close their doors, we very much have to keep on top of maintenance when it comes to the cottages and our grounds and, with that in mind, we’ve had to dig into the war chest a little these past 12 months to keep paying the bills,” he says. With the books full again for the summer, Alex is hopeful once again. But he also remains cautious, knowing that one good summer season will not be the panacea for all financial ills. “Similar to last year, everyone is going to want to come to Cornwall. I don’t think 2021 will provide much more of an opportunity than last summer, with us not really being able to open our full offering until 17 May, so in our case we’re still missing out on a good four months of rental income,” Alex says. With the safety of both his guests and his staff of the utmost priority, Alex
believes there are a couple of essential skills needed to ensure a safe and prosperous summer is had by all.
Firstly, Alex worked with the Skills Hub on staff development. His staff have been trained in areas such as digital marketing, and this has no doubt been of great assistance in keeping existing and future guests abreast of updates with regards to The Valley.
Secondly, Alex believes that the emphasis is now on decision makers to provide timely guidance to everyone within the tourism industry, to make sure that both safety and enjoyment is front of mind.
“I think a lot of the skills we need within the industry have been built up already, as after last year we have an idea of what we need to do. Timely guidance will be key and being advised of what we need to do should anything change for a safe summer for all,” he says. What does the ideal summer look like for tourism operators in Cornwall? According to Alex it is a matter of respect. “All we really ask is for people to be sensible and respectful. A little bit of respect and common sense, and we’ll be able to take care of both our guests and our staff.” With many businesses within the tourism sector now doing business differently, perhaps we can help you just as we have done with Alex and The Valley Cottages. Call us on 01209 708 660 and let us help you make your business better and ready for the summer.
