Coronavirus: how British tourism has responded to one of its toughest challenges

The coronavirus is predicted to cost the UK tourism industry at least £22bn in lost revenue. Domestic tourism has always been a booming industry for a nation that loves to explore its beaches, forests, lakes, moors and mountains. But in the face of a global pandemic, stories about closures and empty beauty spots make for grim reading.

Tourism is one of the UK’s most successful economic sectors, employing 3.1 million people and supporting 200,000 small businesses and entrepreneurs right across the country, as well as being the main employer in many coastal towns and rural communities. For two months, most of those staff have been furloughed and the businesses shut. Many businesses with shorter spring or summer seasons have seen that timeframe radically reduced, while also considering how to offer their services or experiences in the light of social distancing and government safety measures. It has been a lot to consider.

And yet, in the midst of uncertainty came ingenuity, creativity and a deep and renewed sense of community. For the British tourism and hospitality industry, this is a challenge, but not an unassailable one. David Adams, general manager at the Cary Arms Hotel & Spa in Devon, explains that uncertainty, on some level, is something they’ve always been prepared for. “We get thrown curveballs all the time in this industry. Yes, this was a particularly big one, but being a success in hospitality gives you a lot of practice at being caught off guard and adjusting to the situation.”

BRAND NEW BEACH HUTS AT CARY ARMS & SPA, DEVON

SUPPORTING EACH OTHER

Across the nation, pubs, bars, hotels, parks, estates and tourist boards have worked to consider the best way to cope through lockdown, and to support those around them in difficult times. Across Britain, The National Trust opened all of its carparks and estate land for free, while the IHG hotel group provided temporary accommodation for three months for rough sleepers.

In the heart of London, Strand Palace Hotel remained open to house key workers, as well as providing free meals to the NHS. “Strand Palace kept its doors open to those who protected our country during the war years, which is why today we are proud to offer our help to those on the frontline working tirelessly in the fight against COVID-19” says Matthew Beard, Managing Director of Strand Palace.

The iconic Claridge’s hotel offered over 40 free hotel rooms for staff from the nearby St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, while also delivering daily packed meals to over 500 NHS workers and community support teams. Close by, The Connaught donated over 200 meals a day to St Patrick’s Church to help feed the homeless and vulnerable. Healthcare professionals working on the frontline were also offered free food and accommodation from large hotel brands including Four Seasons, Hilton and OYO Hotels.

Many hotels chose to recognise the sacrifices of so many with giveaways and weekend breaks reserved for key workers. Small Luxury Hotels of the World chose to recognise 500 NHS workers by giving away two-night stays for use at any of their properties.

Iconic Luxury Hotels, the privately-owned collection of four classic British hotels - Cliveden House, Chewton Glen, The Lygon Arms and 11 Cadogan Gardens – recently joined a Mr & Mrs Smith Crowdfunder campaign to reward NHS and care home staff with a night away at some of the UK’s best boutique properties, which also includes Dormy House in the Cotswolds, The Rose in Kent and Limewood in Hampshire, for just £50 each.

Working to help both restaurants and the NHS, Fuel the Fight is a fantastic not-for-profit grassroots campaign, which simultaneously feeds NHS workers while supporting the hospitality industry during COVID-19. Acting as a broker between restaurants and hospitals, Fuel the Fight uses every penny raised to buy meals at full retail price from restaurants and deliver them to local hospitals. “In terms of the restaurants, two have said they could not have survived without us,” says founder Evelyn Booth-Clibborn. “They had been on the brink of closing. And, for all the restaurants we have partnered with, Fuel the Fight has truly been a lifeline enabling them to keep their cash flow afloat and core staff going.” Jackson Boxer, chef at Orasay who is part of the initiative added: “We are so thrilled to be able to cook for the local hospital staff at this time. To be able to have Fuel The Fight help with the cost of this is incredible. We're so grateful for the donations which have allowed us to do this.”

Turning their expertise to something different, gin distilleries such as Silent Pool, Portobello Road, Harrogate Tipple, Isle of Harris, Dyfi and Nelsons all turned their expertise to making hand sanitisers and gave them out to key workers and the local community. Silent Pool, who branded their sanitiser ‘The Silent Treatment’, has given away 50 bottles of hand sanitiser a day at its distillery shop, focusing on the elderly and NHS staff including nurses, doctors and surgeons, paramedics, a charity for the homeless and GP surgeries.

Similar creativity could be found on Alderney, where one business found that they had all the materials and bottles to make hand sanitiser, while a volunteer support programme, called Alderney Spirit, worked to provide help and support across the community where needed, from support at the care home or hospital to dog walking or meals on wheels for vulnerable or selfisolating residents.

From big gestures to smaller ones, from landmark hotels to country pubs, the message from hospitality seemed clear throughout the country – that despite hard times and uncertainty, their priority was giving back what they could and helping in some small way. In Cornwall, catering company Fees Food created the Cornwall Community Kitchen, fundraising themselves and donating meals to local food banks and working with small charities helping those most in need. “Food banks and charities in Cornwall are seeing unprecedented demand, so we started Cornwall Community Kitchen to help in any way we can,”, said founder Fee Turner. While in the Cotswolds, village pub The Bell at Sapperton set up a click and collect service, using their suppliers to get access to much-needed bread, flour, vegetables, eggs and milk, and used any excess of food and drink to create emergency ‘Survival Bags’ of essentials, which they delivered to local neighbours and the vulnerable elderly community.

LOOKING FORWARD

Now, as the focus turns to reopening and what the rest of the summer season will look like, it’s clear that this characteristic pragmatism remains. Hope remains that the late summer season will also push forward into autumn, and discussion about an additional bank holiday in October have been met with positivity by the industry. “We are working across the industry and with the UK Government to save as much of the valuable summer season as we can and to extend the tourism season into October and beyond,” explains Patricia Yates, CEO of Visit Britain. “And we have also been talking to destination management organisations in England about how they coordinate their destinations, coming out of lockdown.”

Working together has been a key feature for organisations that might previously have worked more on their own agenda. Mark Hooper, project lead for Visit Shropshire, explained to British Travel Journal that Covid-19 has changed the way they work, creating closer ties to other organisations. “During lockdown we became all about supporting our businesses, and forming closer relationships with our neighbouring counties and local authority to work together to ensure Shropshire recovers in the strongest way possible. We have created partnerships which we will take into the future.”

DISCOVERING BEAUTY SPOTS

Mark Hooper also explains how a big focus for Visit Shropshire has been on promoting hidden gems or off-the-beaten track locations, over the usual tourist hotspots, to try and spread tourism across the UK and avoid busier areas. “We are aware that social distancing will need to be in place for a little while longer once we start to reopen. We are encouraging visitors to explore Shropshire off the beaten track." It’s a great opportunity for those areas in Britain that are less busy to make a difference in terms of social distancing and visitor numbers.

NESSCLIFFE VILLAGE IN SHROPSHIRE, LOCATED NORTH OF THE RIVER SEVERN

In the Cotswolds, the theme across social media has been one to showcase the beauty of the area, but at the same time, to reiterate the message that says: “For now, please stay away.” It’s a brave message for any business to share, but speaks volumes about its commitment to safety. Mette Poynton, founder of tourist guide and membership organisation Cotswolds Concierge, explains how they have tried to tread the delicate line between promotion and social responsibility: “We have made it clear, through our promotion of the Cotswolds during lockdown, that we will promote the area by encouraging people to #PlanAVisit. We want people to plan to visit when it is safe and advised to do so. It is of great importance that the tourism industry recover, so we see it as our responsibility to do whatever we can to make this happen, and that includes continuing to promote all the wonderful things in the Cotswolds.”

On the island of Alderney, director of tourism Helene Turner explains that how promoting the positives while encouraging people not to visit is a challenge they have risen to. “We are committed to singing from the rooftops about our lovely little island and want to keep sharing the Alderney love with everyone through social media and our website during this difficult time, when visiting is not advised. Be assured our island community will be ready and waiting to welcome you with open arms once we are all able to return to a healthy safe state of normality.”

HOLIDAYS AT HOME

It is clear that the UK will be a main destination for anyone taking a holiday this year. “This will be the year of domestic tourism,” said Patricia Yates, something that is a really positive sign for many in the hospitality industry.

At the Cary Arms in Devon, which responded to lockdown by reassuring guests that refunds and date moves would be met with no quibbles, the mood is positive. “The next 12 months will be very different but also very successful,” says David Adams. “The reduction in availability of overseas travel, and particularly cheap package holidays, will allow guests to really look at what UK tourism has to offer. There are so many genuine and amazing businesses in the UK already offering everything a guest could want from their holiday, now is our chance to shine. The tricky part is doing that without losing sight of why guests are coming to stay, to relax and enjoy themselves!”

Rural or seaside areas are seeing particular interest, as Julie Hastings, marketing director at Hastings Hotels in Northern Ireland explains. “We have properties in the cities, countryside and also close to the beach in Northern Ireland and we have seen an increase in enquiries for bookings at our coastal and spa properties which are all in very beautiful natural locations.” September and October are looking to be popular and busy months for many in the industry, while longer stays are also looking more common. Luxury Cotswold Rentals say they have seen a sustained rise in enquiries for much longer-term rentals, up to two and three months, which the company is now calling ‘holi-stays’ – and properties with swimming pools and tennis courts the most popular. “Many of our guests have cancelled European trips and are looking for somewhere to settle into for the summer months,” says founder Nigel Stengard-Green.

POST-LOCKDOWN LUXURY

It’s clear too though, that plenty of changes will need to be made, and hotels and restaurants have a lot to consider when looking at how they offer the same levels of quality and service amidst social distancing measures. Andrew Stembridge, executive director of Iconic Luxury Hotels, voices the concerns of many, saying; “There is no doubt that the reopening of hotels will not be easy. We are developing and adjusting our comeback plans and re-opening models daily for all our hotels in order to get through the numerous hurdles in place.”

Patricia Yates suggests that we might start to see the introduction of a common industry quality mark that would provide a ‘ring of confidence’ for tourism businesses, attractions and destinations as well as reassurance to visitors that businesses have clear processes in place when restrictions are lifted. “We can holiday at home again to give reassurance to the public that it is socially responsible to travel.”

At luxury hotel Cliveden House post-pandemic measures include new cleaning training programmes, changes to their dining room layout – including a one way system through the restaurant, as well as extra use of their wonderful Astor Grill. Previously the stables, the Astor Grill design lends itself naturally to social distancing with individual booths which organically limit the space and number of settings. In the spa there will be an increase in personal training and one-on-one yoga sessions, while all guest rooms will have in-room tablets which eliminate many touch points and allow for remote access.

In Sussex, Goodwood Hospitality Managing Director, Andrew Coggings explains "With such a high demand for the temporary Goodwood Farm Shop (a switch from our wholesale business to a fully-fledged farm shop offering our home-reared organic meat, cheeses, milk and beer directly to customers) we are considering making the shop a more permanent fixture on the estate and offering tours of our organic farm."

At the Headland Hotel in Cornwall, owners John and Carolyn Armstrong took advantage of lockdown to refurbish the indoor pool and changing rooms, and undertake various maintenance tasks, as well as preparing the hotel for opening post-Covid by finishing the build of their new Aqua Club, with six swimming pools and a restaurant, which will provide takeaway flatbreads from its new pizza oven together with freshly cooked lobsters and crabs from Newquay Harbour. The hotel also has 40 self-catering cottages which will allow people a safe and easy place to holiday. “We have a huge amount of space within the hotel and ten acres of grounds, with thirty sunny little dug-outs perfect for social distancing while safely enjoying Cornish cream teas and watching the waves,” says Carolyn Amstrong. The perfect vision of a socially-distanced way to holiday.

DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS

While work is being undertaken to make tourist spots and destinations safe for visitors, it is likely that many galleries, landmarks, theatres and museums will have to find new ways to be creative. Luckily, our increasingly digital world means that some of the most intriguing places and dramatic performances are all available to us online.

In Alderney, they have set up ‘Puffin Cams’ which shows the puffins in their natural habitat on the neighbouring islet of Burhou – a lovely way to connect with nature, even if you can’t get there; while many gardens across the UK are offering virtual tours around their beautiful grounds. At Waddesdon Manor, the grand house and gardens are renowned for their calm beauty and expansive Victorian horticulture including formal gardens, trees and walks, and you can also explore all of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Wisley garden online, as well as the gardens of the private residence of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall at Highgrove. The Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew have created a tour of the top ten sights to see, with guided commentary from Kew experts along the way - we love the Victorian glasshouses and Alpine rock garden. And don’t miss garden tours from Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire, Great Comp in Kent and Chiswick House in West London.

In Shropshire they’ve been using the campaign 'Shropshire from your sofa' - all built around seeing Shropshire virtually; while in Cornwall you can enjoy a video tour of the beach at St Ives. Stonehenge, York Minster, Edinburgh Castle and Loch Ness are all also offering virtual tours, while in London you can soak up such landmarks as Buckingham Palace, St Paul’s Cathedral and even Abbey Road.

For even more cultural exploits, many theatres across Britain have started to share their shows online for free, including the Bristol Old Vic, which is currently featuring its hit musical The Grinning Man which went on to transfer to the West End. In London, The Globe recently announced that it will release 40 free titles, including six mainstage shows and its 2020 one-act version of Macbeth. The National Theatre is offering Tom Hiddleston's Coriolanus and This House, and other theatres going online include The Old Vic, The Gate Theatre and the Southwark Playhouse. In addition, the Chichester Festival Theatre and Manchester International Theatre have both moved their planned 2020 festivals online, putting on full shows, musical performances, talks and Q&As, all for free, while The Royal Opera House is sharing a selection of past operas and ballets on its YouTube channel.

Art galleries are getting creative too, with Tate Modern moving its highly anticipated Andy Warhol retrospective online, where you can see over 100 of the artist’s most iconic works, including his Green Coca-Cola bottles and his equivocal Ladies and Gentlemen series. At Tate Britain you can walk through their 12 gallery rooms with work from the likes of Francis Bacon and John Constable; at The British Museum you can virtually tour the Great Court and discover the ancient Egyptian mummies; and at The Natural History Museum, children can discover the worlds of dinosaurs and dodos, as well as amazing plants and colourful butterflies.

Words|Emma Johnson