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the dots we’ve joined

the dots we’ve joined: community and visitor economy

Photo: Jackosapien

Tourism is a big part of the community in Cornwall, and across the Tin Coast. But it brings burdens as well as benefits. And when lockdown was lifted, many people streamed into Cornwall desperately looking for clean air, beautiful places and a warm welcome.

Some, however, did not seem to want to join in on the effort to stay covid safe; and some went way beyond the line when it came to respecting local communities, from trespassing across people’s gardens, fly-camping, leaving litter and waste for volunteers to pick up and blocking emergency access on narrow country lanes.

The impact on the local community, and the backlash onto tourism related businesses, was significant. Working collectively by meeting every week through lockdown, sharing problems, and resources, and finding new and constructive ways to engage with each new challenge that each week threw at us, was our very own superpower against Covid.

The challenge has ranged from offering and moving granite boulders to encourage safer parking, offering staff and volunteers to help with community activity, moral support to residents who had been at the sharp end of some of the worst behaviour, and sharing ideas around signage, events and community assets such as shareable equipment and electric charge points. Each time the Partnership has faced down the covid impact collectively and genuinely helped the community come out the other side even more resilient than when it began.

❝ "Having weekly meetings ... has helped me to get through these extraordinary times – as a one woman band it can be quite a burden thinking through all the challenges and your support has been invaluable." - Local accommodation provider

"Working as part of the Tin Coast Partnership has been great, in my 7 years at Geevor this has been the most effective and collaborative project I have had the pleasure to be involved with." - Local attraction and community business

"Let's see what Geevor can do to help Portheras beach (point of huge congestion, environmental damage and community conflict) and the community find a practical way forward." - Local attraction and community business

"Providing community equipment is a great way of ensuring the Tin Coast has a strong tangible legacy in place...am really pleased to hear that." - Local attraction and community business

"Thank you so much for the support with this - I really do think it will make a difference, the local residents will be very reassured by the plan, and our volunteers who have been trying to deal with these wild/fly campers will be hugely grateful for whatever assistance the GDS patrols can give." - Local resident.

"Everyone really enjoyed the session… it made them think about working with local communities in Cornwall and the links between community, tourism and environmental concerns.” - Programme Leader, BSc Applied Media, Truro and Penwith College
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