Ertach Kernow - Is Cornish culture the future of our tourism?
Cornwall’s heritage is rich with a huge variety of historic, cultural and environmental strings to its bow. The weather can be kind to Cornwall’s tourist industry and it seems short last-minute staycations have been popular this year so far. How the rest of 2025 fairs is yet to be seen.
Cornish tourism makes up fifteen percent of Cornwall’s economy, so not the largest business segment as many believe. There are many other ventures which may rely on tourism indirectly so the net may be a little wider. How can Cornwall benefit from its tourist sector which is increasingly coming under threat and often seen as overpriced and weather dependent. Many smaller business owners struggle to make a good living or even survive in our town centres as those spending money use out of town shopping facilities. The challenge for community councils and Business Improvement District managers is to bring those with higher disposable incomes back to Cornwall’s town centres. Mass tourism brings footfall but is this transferred into spending in shops and businesses or are the out-of-town tourist parks reaping the benefits?
As always click the images for larger view
This year marks the bi-centenary of the railway in Britain. The Stockton and Darlington Railway opened on 27th September 1825 the start of the modern railway. Whilst in Cornwall there were various early railway interests it wasn’t until the completion of the Royal Albert Bridge in 1859 that Cornwall joined England’s rail network. Travellers had been coming to Cornwall for centuries, many writing about Cornish towns its people and activities here. However, the catalyst that turned Cornwall into a tourist destination for ordinary people from throughout Britain and ultimately the world was the railway.
Richard Butler Emeritus Professor of Tourism at Strathclyde University developed what is known as the ‘Butler Tourism Area Life Cycle’ which can be applied to Cornwall. Stage one saw Cornwall visited by only a small number of adventurous travellers. Entrepreneurial Cornish people then start to provide additional facilities beyond the inns offering accommodation for coaches and other travellers. Acknowledgement of improved facilities led to an increase in travellers and recognition as a destination with a growth in a seasonal business model. Consolidation saw an increase in tourism with large hotels. Later as seen now the huge growth of Airbnb’s which have led to tension between many local people against mass tourism. There then follows a period of stagnation leading to decline, with changes in visitor aspirations. Facilities gradually start to become outdated and rundown leading to their closure. The final stage is the potential opportunity for rejuvenation involving investment and rebuilding appropriate infrastructure to attract new visitors.
Many towns and parts of Cornwall have been through the early stages of this model, several are beginning to reap the rewards of rejuvenation. Over the past decades there has been a change in what tourist look for in accommodation. The average family is now less likely to stay in hotels, with traditional bed and breakfast accommodation now almost a thing of the past. What has expanded is the tourist park evolving from caravanning and camping. From the late 19th century holiday camps began opening caravanning becoming a cost-effective recreation and holiday. In Cornwall the Penwarne Farm Touring and Campsite has claim to be one of the oldest in Cornwall from the 1920’s and is still operating. Duporth Holiday Camp near St Austell opened in 1934, built on the site of the old Duporth estate and manor. It was later bought out by Butlins and closed in 2006. There are over 175 camping and tourist parks in Cornwall. Larger tourist parks such as Hendra, just outside Newquay, covers some 130 acres and offers virtually everything a family would need on their holidays.
Whilst enterprises such as this have evolved, many of the nearby towns have not. With restaurants, fun pools, cinemas, playgrounds for children, BBQ facilities, games rooms and so much more there is often little to encourage holiday makers to town centres. Cornwall’s beaches remain a major attraction with surfing and other water-based activities but does this relate to economic income for other businesses when so many visitors return to their out-of-town accommodation.
It's easy to blame online sales as part of the decline in our highstreets or even the out-of-town shopping centres. High carparking fees, lack of a variety of shops and few activity and entertainment facilities are also an issue. Looking back to the 1960’s many seaside towns in Cornwall were buzzing late into the evenings with lots of activities and entertainments in town centres drawing people in.
Take Newquay as an example of development from a small fishing village, through shipbuilding and maritime trade to tourism. The year 1876 saw the first passenger train to Newquay and the town quickly grew as a popular Victorian watering-place. A rebuilt viaduct and improving infrastructure with large hotels led to a fast growth. The interwar period saw the town growing and the viaduct rebuilt again with the railway platform becoming the longest in Cornwall. At one time Newquay had three cinemas, two theatres and a very wide variety of shops. Yes there were the traditional seaside shops selling kiss me quick hats, rock and saucy seaside postcards, similar shops still exist. A student from Koln University attending a talk on tourism at Newquay Museum asked why the town was virtually closed so early in the evenings. Now only one cinema, although modern with four screens and increased live event facilities exists. The only remaining theatre is on the outskirts of the town, close to Hendra.
It's such a shame that talks about building a Winter Garden before World War I or a conference centre in 1939 didn’t take place. Talks of a surf museum based in Newquay failed to create what would have been a wonderful opportunity. Instead it was Braunton on the North Devon coast which grasped the nettle creating The Museum of British Surfing, opening on Good Friday, April 6th 2012. Winning national museum awards over 3,000 visitors came in first three months. The history of surfing and water sports are a huge part of contemporary Cornish heritage and should be better shared within the Cornish national heritage sector. Newquay Museum has a sizeable collection of surfboards but sadly nowhere to exhibit them. New plans are afoot to photographically digitise them in 3D which will allow them to be shared visually worldwide. Another activity that should be highlighted with its own museum and archive is the ancient sport of Cornish wrestling. Perhaps there should be a National Museum of Cornish Sport.
Thankfully Newquay is regaining a more positive reputation from its somewhat dark days a decade or so ago. Rejuvenation is underway but with some nineteen tattoo shops, countless coffeeshops, restaurants, numerous charity shops and so many pasty and pastry shops it’s almost a wonder there’s room for anything else. Fortunately there is a growing wider range of retail shops. Shops selling electrical goods, independent living equipment along with many surf shops and clothing stores are aimed at a local and visitor market. Art galleries, including within the museum have been joined by new niche businesses with a growing number of artisan retailers and manufacturers selling jewellery, pottery and artwork, in smaller units. On the high street ‘Clemo Books’ is a fairly recently opened bookshop as well as an interesting venture ‘The Studios, Newquay’ offering it seems all things musical. Proper Photography Kernow just beginning its second year has grown an offering a wide selection of photographic and printing services. Like other UK wide towns there are no longer any banks in Bank Street nowadays. Perhaps what Cornish towns need are more local people running niche businesses providing personalised services not available online. These make towns far more interesting and backed up with Cornish cultural entertainment and activities that would be a big step forward. Better interaction and transportation between towns, including cheaper car parking for Cornish people would hopefully encourage a growth of internal tourism.
Small niche businesses drawing people into town centres as a destination for people who then use other facilities. Some of the new smaller local businesses in Newquay town centre seen here.
How will Newquay evolve and will it somehow embrace what other towns have relating to Cornish heritage themes encouraging wealthier visitor as it did in the early 20th century? With growing interest in performance art and cultural interest on the rise perhaps investment in infrastructure to allow voluntary groups to work together would help enhance Newquay’s evolving character. Elsewhere in Cornwall from larger towns down to smaller villages there are facilities that share their local as well as Cornwall’s heritage. People from all over the world as well as local people take the opportunity of visiting these museums, archives and galleries. These folk are not necessarily the type that fall into the mass tourism category. Experience and statistics show these people are those who spend larger amounts of money and cause less adverse impact on Cornish infrastructure. Many of these are driven to visit Cornwall to explore their family history and Cornish heritage. Others are encouraged to visit to see the sites and buildings seen on Cornish related documentaries and television series such as Poldark. Cornwall has probably had more exposure to the world through these programmes than any of the English counties. Wales and Scotland benefit from their own national diasporas who also share Celtic interests worldwide.
The recent loss of attractions such as Dairyland, Flambards and Cornwall Aviation Heritage Museum are very unfortunate. Let’s build on the other great work being done within the Cornish heritage sector to strengthen and grow Cornwall’s economy in a sustainable way.
Heritage Column
