TOURISM NEWS

CENTRE STAGE

Cornwall took centre stage in June, as the world tuned in for the G7 Summit. While the Carbis Bay Hotel served as the principal venue for the Summit, down the road, Tregenna Castle Hotel was also proud to host many of the leading delegates. Other Cornish locations had a key role to play in the successful running of the Summit. The Eden Project hosted a special reception attended by the Queen; the Falmouth Maritime Musuem hosted the world’s media, while the Minack Theatre put on special show which was attended the leaders’ partners.

INTERNATIONAL REACH

Visit Cornwall has launched a media and travel trade engagement drive to entice international visitors and encourage British holidaymakers to discover the county’s lesser-known delights following the G7 Summit. Cornwall’s tourist board has designed a dedicated media and travel trade portal which was launched at a special virtual event for overseas media and tour operators at the end of May. With free to use imagery, newly commissioned video footage and example itineraries, the new portal www.visitcornwalltraveltrade.com also features a bank of blog articles. Here tour operators, travel agents and travel press can access everything they need to be able to write about or sell Cornwall. Whether that’s new product developments, an overview of the vast range of accommodation, activities and wellness offerings and G7 facts and connections.

NEW FOOD WASTE RECYCLING SERVICE

Hospitality businesses throughout Devon and Cornwall now have the opportunity to save money on their waste disposal costs while contributing to a sustainable recycling service which transforms their food waste into clean, green and eco-friendly energy. The new ‘One For One’ wheelie bin collection service from Holsworthy-based Andigestion enables businesses such as restaurants, pubs, cafes, hotels and leisure venues to significantly reduce their environmental impact while benefiting from lower waste disposal costs. “Many hospitality operators are charged for excess weight in their general waste which can be very expensive to dispose of,” explained Mike Lowe, operations director at Andigestion. “By having a separate food bin they can reduce or even eliminate the excess weight charges and possibly also reduce the number of general waste collections they have.” Customers also benefit from Andigestion’s Wheelie Bin Exchange which swaps the full food waste bin for a fresh, steam-cleaned one every time it’s collected, to help keep premises clean and hygienic with no mess, smells or liners for customers to worry about. The service is aimed at small to medium-sized businesses producing from 20kg and up to 1 tonne of food waste per week. The food waste is then taken to one of Andigestion’s processing plants in Devon or Somerset where the gas produced by the anaerobic digestion process is converted into biomethane and injected into the local grid, providing green energy to heat local homes.

Cornwall’s first fully accessible watersports centre and accessible accommodation is set to open in August. Based at a former serpentine quarry near Cury on The Lizard peninsula, Trevassack Lake will feature a community events space, learning centre, café, watersports provision and six holiday properties that cater for a range of abilities and needs. Jakie Jewell, Trevassack Holidays accommodation manager, said: “We’re proud to be creating this exciting space for all to come and enjoy. Years of hard work and planning have gone into every detail of our accessible accommodation and every aspect of making this as welcoming a space as possible. “Throughout the challenges of the past year and Covid-19, we’ve adapted to make this project a real success and are so thankful to everyone who has supported us to get here.”

TOP CAMPSITES

Cornwall is home to some of the most adventurous campsites in the UK, according to a new survey. The research, commissioned by Land Rover, lists three Cornish destinations in its top ten most adventurous campsites listing – Hendra Holiday Park, Ayr Holiday Park and Trenance Holiday Park. Hendra also appears on a list of top ten family friendly cycling holidays, along with Trevornick and Yurtcamp Devon.

INDUSTRY WEBSITE

VisitDevon has launched a new industry website. Described as “a one-stop shop” for the latest industry news, networking opportunities, suppliers and services, the industry blog will also keep members up to date on webinars, funding opportunities, and industry information. You can also access the Visit Devon image library where you can use a host of high-quality images to promote Devon.

AIRBNB HITS THE HEIGHTS

Cornwall has overtaken London as Airbnb’s most-booked summer location.

Landlords in Cornwall are increasingly seeing the financial appeal of short-term holiday lets opposed to longer-term arrangements. According to figures, Cornwall currently has more than 10,290 active Airbnb listings. Airbnb chief executive, Brian Chesky, said: “Rural nights booked in the UK used to be a quarter of our bookings, they’re now half.”

FOUR STARS FOR ESPLANADE HOTEL

The Esplanade Hotel in Newquay has been awarded four AA stars following an extensive multi-million-pound refurbishment.

The family-run hotel, which overlooks Fistral Beach, reopened its doors on May 17 with a new look and facilities including its own boutique cinema, a flexible all-day dining offering and adults-only cocktail bar. Operated by Philema Hospitality Management, The Esplanade Hotel used the lockdown closure period to undergo an extensive investment programme. Operations director, Laura Cameron, said: “It’s so incredibly rewarding to receive this achievement after such a challenging year for the hotel and our teams. The lockdown has allowed us to carry out planned improvements that would have ordinarily taken years, so it’s a poignant moment for us.”