Ask someone to think of Torbay and Devon and what do they think of? Swishing palms, azure seas, golden sands, green rolling hills and sunny, hazy days filled with laughter and fun. It’s the traditional view of Devon, and we’re very fortunate that our assets can speak for themselves. Our lush green county makes us one of the premier destinations in the whole of the British Isles, so it’s only natural that tourism is one of our key industries.
Tourism spending contributes almost £810m to South Devon's economy each year. It directly employs around 11,000 people in the industry, with over 2,500 more indirectly involved in supplying the sector with food, drink and many other related goods and services. Over 25million people visit our county each year – with a whopping 11.9 million heading for South Devon and Torbay. Throughout the year, visitors come for many reasons: short breaks, longer family holidays, conferences, meetings, days out – you name it, people come.
So it’s a bit of a pity that the first thing that greets our valued guests is a traffic jam. Imagine the scenario – you look up the route on your sat nav and it’s 125 miles to your destination in the Bay. Marvellous. What your technology won’t tell you is the last 25 miles could take anything up to an hour or more. That’s not the best greeting we could offer is it?
I talked to Vince Flower, Managing Director for Shearings Hotels. They bring in 35,000 people each year, accommodating 30,000 of them in one of their four hotels in Torbay, so they know a thing or two about the roads. Vince says: “ From a customer point of view, a new road is needed very very badly. When our transport logistics team plan the tours to Torbay, we have to factor in an extra hour for the traffic. That’s far more than any other comparable resort. Torbay is a premier destination, but this does affect customers’ experience. They get to Penn Inn and think they’re there, - it’s only 8 miles or so to Torbay, but it’s often another 40 minutes or more before they’re outside the door.
“So, they start their holiday later than planned. And of course, they have to finish it earlier. We have to take the traffic into account, so we give people earlier breakfasts, load the coaches earlier and they leave earlier.
“And it’s the same situation for people who drive here. If you’re on a short break, you want to make the most of every minute. You don’t want to waste valuable beach, shopping or leisure time staring at someone’s exhaust, do you?’’
Quite. In fact, Torbay is fortunate that 64% of its guests are repeat visits, so we’re definitely doing something right. There’s a wealth of entertainment, fabulous countryside and marvellous food and drink on the doorstep. But trying to get to it can be frustrating. Stuart Wright, Marketing Manager for Living Coasts is clear about the impact the long journey has on customers. “When you are planning your day out, you want to do the most you possibly can, don’t you?” he asks. “Our customer surveys regularly show that the congestion represents a real barrier to tourism and our attraction but it also causes issue for retail and other activities. It affects local people who might otherwise come into Torbay for a day or night out, but can’t face the traffic. A new road would help us attract people from a far greater area, bringing more money and vibrancy to the Bay. We need to bring in more people and we can only do that if they can get here!”
After 30 years lobbying for the new road, Torbay hotelier Laurence Murrell is also clear about the urgency of the new bypass and its contribution to helping the economy recover. “Torbay should be the number one premier destination. It has everything you need with Devon on the doorstep and plenty of excellent accommodation. But the access to it is rotten. Tourism needs a vital and active community, but the lack of a decent road is stifling economic growth. It can’t generate commerce and growth if people can’t get here.
“I find that it impacts on our workforce, for instance. We employ local people because that’s important, but it’s also difficult to attract new talent here because of the transport issue. Skilled people have fewer jobs to choose from so they leave, creating a vicious circle.
He continues: ”And at a time of high unemployment, tourism is a great jobs generator. Opening up resorts like Torbay will provide masses of employment opportunities – many aimed at young people, which will help them develop the skills, experience and enthusiasm to get on in life and succeed. We owe it to our young people, if nothing else.”
Laurence, like me, is also passionate about the environment. He points out that whilst the new road will undoubtably affect the environment, it will also protect it. “The bypass links key destinations, where there is a natural concentration of activities, including accommodation, food, drink and entertainment. It utilises and helps improve the existing facilities, which is far better than spoiling our countryside by creating new developments. There will be less environmental impact this way, and with the planned landscaping, this could make it a memorable journey into Torbay for all the right reasons.”
And from my perspective, I want people to be able to get out as much as get in to Torbay. Having looked at our catchment area, at Pennywell Farm, visitors come from miles away – Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset and further if they’re staying locally. The Link Road isn’t just going to help people get to their destination. It will help people enjoy the grand array of other assets and top attractions that Devon has to offer. It gives people control and choice over their time off, giving them scope to make their own decisions. Holidays are all about being free to enjoy your time. Let’s bring back the pleasure and freedom. After all, who wants to spend their break in the car?
Chris Murray, Pennywell Farm and Devon Association of Tourist Attractions
