Hot spots of Yorkshire tourism batten down the hatches

Holiday accommodation bookings have suffered across the region as sun-seekers opted instead for last-minute continental breaks and to visit countries such as Greece and Spain, where prices have tumbled amid their debt woes.

And outdoor visitor attractions, which normally enjoy their busiest months of the year over summer, have also struggled to keep attendance numbers up amid the unrelenting deluges.

Chris Parkin, a member of Tourism Association North Yorkshire, said the weather had “taken the icing off the cake” for businesses such as his bed and breakfast, the Carlton Lodge in Helmsley.

“The bread and butter is there, it’s the jam that we’ve been missing,” he said.

“Once people have elected to take their holidays they invariably have to stick to that week or two weeks they’ve booked off.

“If the weather is good there’s a good chance they’ll nip off somewhere like here. If the weather 
is poor they’d rather stay at home.”

Record rainfall has been blamed for Filey beach losing its Blue Flag status earlier this month, after heavy downpours caused sewer overflow pipes to discharge raw sewage into the sea – leading to several failed water quality tests.

Fears were raised that the downgrading would deter visitors – but Chris Smith, chairman of Filey and District Tourism Association, said that did not appear to have be en the case so far.

“You only need to walk down the beach to see that. I’m not quite sure how many people notice the Blue Flags,” he said.

Bookings at his guest house, Abbots Leigh, remained steady from last year despite coming in a little later this summer, he said.

Campsites and caravan parks have struggled, with visitors put off by scenes such as those at Cayton Bay near Scarborough, where holidaymakers had to be rescued by a lifeboat crew from rising floodwater in July.

Ilkley lido’s visitor numbers were down 10 per cent year-on-year from May to August, and attendance was down 22 per cent at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park in June.

Cheryl Williams, managing director of the Doncaster safari experience, said visitor numbers have picked up in recent weeks and business had been buoyed by strong school visits.

“Back in June and up to early July it was just miserable and we were really, really down,” she said.

“Fortunately we’d done very well in the first part of the year, then of course Easter was wet, which is when you expect 25 per cent of your business – then it just didn’t get any better.”

Visitor numbers to the Yorkshire Dales National Park Centres were down by around 7 per cent compared to last year.

Julie Barker, head of recreation, tourism and outreach at the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, said: “While we cannot be sure 
of the exact reasons, it would 
seem the weather has played a part.”

Visitor numbers held up better at the North York Moors National Park Centres, down 3 per cent at Sutton Bank and up by 4 per cent at Danby from May to July compared with last year.

Catriona McLees, head of promotion and tourism at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said more people seemed to be have been around in August.

But she added: “A combination of the Olympics, poor weather and people being more careful with their expenditure on leisure means that this year will not be a record year for tourism.”

National Trust spokeswoman Helen Clarke said visitor numbers were down at outdoor sites such as Fountains Abbey, near Ripon, and Hardcastle Craggs, near Hebden Bridge while more indoor-based attractions such as Nostell Priory, near Wakefield, did better.

“As summer draws to a close, we’re still in a mixed position of some sites performing stronger than others,” she said.

“The weather has been disappointing for everyone, I think the whole county is suffering at the moment, but we are very much open for business.”

English Heritage has reported a similar scenario at its outdoor attractions across Yorkshire.

A spokeswoman said: “All outdoor tourist attractions are reporting significant shortfalls against last year, due to record-breaking and drought-busting wet weather.”