Hot on the heels of the chancellor’s budget announcement, Cumbria Tourism has launched a new business tracker survey to gather real-time information about the challenges and expectations tourism and hospitality operators are facing right now. 

While the budget offered some measures to help put extra cash back in consumers’ pockets, there were no fundamental announcements around business or tax reform. This means the big issues around rising costs and staffing remain unchanged for the tourism and hospitality industry.

Carried out in collaboration with accountancy firm Lamont Pridmore, Cumbria Tourism’s in-depth, anonymous business tracker survey aims to provide first-hand, up-to-date evidence that Cumbria Tourism can use to strengthen the county’s case with national politicians and decision-makers.

The spring 2024 business tracker covers a wide range of topics - from the ongoing impact of rising costs and recruitment issues, to transport, staff housing and forward bookings for the upcoming summer season.

Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, said: “This vital research will enable us to dig deeper into the experiences of individual operators and provide Cumbria Tourism and key decision-makers with concrete evidence about the expectations and issues businesses are facing on the ground.

"It only takes a few minutes to complete and every business that fills in the anonymous survey is helping us advocate on Cumbria’s behalf.

“We’ll be exploring everything from how bookings for the rest of this year are looking and how much international visitors are returning post-Covid, to whether or not there have been any improvements to the staffing crisis and how businesses are dealing with rising costs. 

“Tourism and hospitality play a crucial role in sustaining local employment and it is essential for tourism businesses to voice their concerns and keep making their presence known.”

Graham Lamont, chief executive at Lamont Pridmore, added: “As trusted business advisers we are advocates for the importance of information to drive business decisions.

"We support Cumbria Tourism’s Business Performance Survey because it ensures tourism business leaders can make informed decisions about their direction and ensures that professional advisers, like ourselves, have the most up to date picture.

"It also provides vital, research-based evidence to inform government and policy makers about the wider needs of, and issues affecting, Cumbria’s tourism industry.

Tourism-related businesses are being urged to complete the survey by Friday, March 22. It can be found at: cumbriatourism.org 

Cumbria Tourism is one of Visit England’s official ‘Local Visitor Economy Partnerships’ (LVEPs) and in 2024, marks 50 years supporting the county’s £4.1billion tourism industry.

It is also the largest membership organisation in Cumbria, representing 4,500 member businesses.