Five ways to help Yorkshire tourism during lockdown – Susan Briggs

COVID makes it hard to feel in control. Some believe we just have to wait it out, powerless until lockdown ends.
What can be done now to support tourism prepare for the lifting of the lockdown? Photo: Jonathan Gawthorpe.What can be done now to support tourism prepare for the lifting of the lockdown? Photo: Jonathan Gawthorpe.
What can be done now to support tourism prepare for the lifting of the lockdown? Photo: Jonathan Gawthorpe.
Read More
Read more:

I’m no Pollyanna but I prefer to deal with adversity by planning for better times. Action can nudge away anxiety.

It may feel too early to think ahead, but I find it comforting to remind myself that new businesses emerged out of the ravages of foot-and-mouth. Others reinvented themselves, some even flourished.

Susan Briggs is a tourism consultant.Susan Briggs is a tourism consultant.
Susan Briggs is a tourism consultant.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the face of so many deaths and losses, the reinvention of the tourism industry may seem an irrelevance. Yet 8.5 per cent of all Yorkshire jobs are tourism-related. It’s also an industry that brings pleasure to so many. We’d miss both the jobs and the joys of travel.

Luckily, no matter how restricted travel is now, we can still dream. Anticipation enhances travel. Research and planning are part of the enjoyment. We can still be armchair travellers, choosing where we’ll eventually go and assembling the ultimate wish list of destinations and experiences. The tourism industry’s rallying cry is ‘‘dream now, visit later’’.

We don’t have to wait until lockdown ends to help Yorkshire tourism recover. Here are five ways we can be ready for a better future.

Let’s dream out loud. When lockdown first ends, many will still stay fairly close to home. We’ll feel more comfortable in familiar destinations. Trips within Yorkshire can include contemporary cities, coast, and countryside so there are plenty of options. We can’t travel, but we can talk about why our favourite places are special and the best ways to enjoy them.

Dales towns like Masham have enjoyed no visitors since the Covid-19 lockdown. What can be done to support them later in the year?Dales towns like Masham have enjoyed no visitors since the Covid-19 lockdown. What can be done to support them later in the year?
Dales towns like Masham have enjoyed no visitors since the Covid-19 lockdown. What can be done to support them later in the year?
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Short daily walks are a good time to deepen knowledge of where we live. Tourism businesses are spending time now researching their local history, trying new walks from their front door, taking photos of great views. They’re taking a fresh look at their doorstep delights, ready to pass on their recommendations. Visitors love insiders’ tips and discovering hidden gems.

For the first time ever, we have an opportunity to think about the kind of tourism we want in Yorkshire. What would ‘‘good tourism’’ be? Now is the ideal time to think about how we might reduce our impact on the world by encouraging more sustainable tourism. Which aspects of Yorkshire deserve most promotion? What kind of visitors do we want to welcome? What new ideas can we add? Residents and businesses all need to be included in the debate. This is our chance to shape the tourism of tomorrow.

There’s been much speculation that tourism businesses may not be able to open until the shoulder months. This is when many are normally closed, meaning no income for a whole year. But we could try a new approach. This might be the chance to experiment with winter openings to change perceptions and create a different cosy ambience. Let’s plan now how to make Yorkshire more welcoming all year round.

Small businesses rarely get thinking time. Necessity is the mother of re-invention so some are considering how they can improve their business for the future and create new experiences. Perhaps they can build on lockdown trends such as an increased appetite for local food, new hobbies and creative activities. Small businesses could lead the way out of lockdown, if they’re given the right support to work on product development and marketing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

As the lockdown continues, some restaurants have already pivoted to become take-aways. It’s possible that, over the past few weeks, lessons have been learnt that might even make some businesses stronger or give them a new income stream.

We’ll need to consider what adaptations can be made to make recovery as fast as possible. Bed and breakfasts may struggle to open if people from different families have to share a breakfast space, yet they could be ideal for the sole use of a group of friends and relatives eager to enjoy time together.

During the last few terrible weeks, we’ve re-learnt that a sense of community is essential. We’ve realised that sometimes independent small businesses are the most adaptable and reliable. Many residents and visitors recognise the importance of businesses that really care about their customers.

When lockdown ends, the tourism industry is unlikely to return to ‘‘normal’’. It will be different. Not every business will survive and many will emerge battered and bruised. Let’s plan for recovery now so we can all heal quicker and look forward with hope.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.