Stump Cross Caverns: Yorkshire cave business has flourished since appearing on The Hotel Inspector last year with visitors increasing to 38,000
Stump Cross Caverns is owned by the Bowerman family who bought the attraction in 2003 and has been managed by the matriarch of the family, Lisa, who expanded it with its own cinema, gift shop, cafe and outdoor play area.
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Hide AdIt grew into a very popular venue for locals and tourists alike but when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, Ms Bowerman experienced challenges keeping the business afloat especially due to the cost of living crisis.
After seeing an advert for The Hotel Inspector on Facebook in February 2023, she applied and was successful.
During the filming of the episode, Alex Polizzi, visited her shop at Stump Cross Caverns and helped her navigate her business through reorganising and offered advice and guidance to Ms Bowerman.
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Hide AdSince the episode aired in October last year, the business has undergone some changes including Ms Bowerman passing it over to her son, Oliver, who now handles the marketing and business side this year.
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“The shop has really done so much better since Alex changed the layout,” Ms Bowerman said.
“We’ve really stuck to everything that she told us. Oliver has done quite a lot of changes, he’s had this amazing video made for when you go down in the caves as well.
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“It’s made a massive positive impact on the business and not only has it helped with visitor numbers and people spending in the shop, but it’s also made it so much easier to work in because it’s organised, we’ve decluttered which is really nice.
“People do come in and say we’ve come to your shop and we can’t help spending, we always have to buy something. So Alex definitely did what she said she was going to do.”
The visitor numbers of the attraction have increased exponentially.
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Hide Ad“Regarding the business's progress over the last few years, I’m pleased to share that our visitor numbers have increased from 33,000 to 38,000 since Alex Polizzi's visit on ‘The Hotel Inspector’,” Oliver said.
“This boost in attendance has significantly improved our profitability, as the additional visitors have outpaced the associated costs.
“Looking ahead, one of my key goals is to open a 120-meter extension of the cave to the public.
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Hide Ad“This will be the first expansion of our show cave since 2000 and will greatly enhance the visitor experience by creating a one-way system through the cave.
“The formations in this new section are truly stunning, and with proper modern lighting, they will be even more spectacular.
“I’m proud to work closely with my family as we continue to take the business forward.”
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