MAN LAUNCHES TOURIST BAN BID

thisiscornwall.co.uk

Long tailbacks on the roads and queues for the ice-cream van will have been a familiar sight in the Westcountry over recent days - but for one resident it has proved too much.

Most people would accept that jostling with holidaymakers laden down with buckets and spades or hunting for a parking space is a small downside to living in a part of the country blessed with rolling countryside and stunning beaches chosen by so many for a holiday.

Not so for Andy Salter. He claims his summer has been "ruined" by the hoards of visitors and thinks it is time to pull up the drawbridge.

He wants to bar all tourists from Devon and Cornwall for the whole of August - still peak season despite the tourism industry now being a year-round success worth £3.8 billion to the two counties every year.

He has gone straight to the top - launching a petition on the Downing Street website calling on Prime Minister Gordon Brown to step in and ease the congestion on the region's roads and coastlines.

However, his move is struggling to find support - of the six "signatories" on the website, all bar one have posted comments ridiculing the idea.

The e-petition website was launched in November last year to make it easier for the public to make their views known to the Prime Minister.

More notable successes in attracting backing include more than 41,000 people calling for the repeal of the Hunting Act while more than a million signed up to oppose the introduction of road pricing.

However, Mr Salter has been a good deal less successful.

He has posted: "We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ban all tourists from Devon and Cornwall in August."

He goes on: "The Devon and Cornwall locals have every summer ruined by the influx of tourists, we should be allowed to enjoy our summer and not spend it stuck in traffic or fighting for a spot on our beaches."

Supporters, if they exist, have until October 13 to sign. Only one signatory - Wendy Salter - appears in favour of the plan. So far the rest who have "signed up" are at odds with the petition.

One wrote: "Your local economy would collapse so you'd have plenty of time to spend on "your" beaches."

While another added: "Don't take any notice. Most of us have enough sense to realise the importance of tourism." Nick Jones warned it would "kill the only industry - income - Cornwall has left".

Last night Robin Barker, deputy chief executive of South West Tourism, said he was "delighted that this gentleman is in a very, very tiny minority".

Recent research of community attitudes towards tourism in the region left bosses "delighted, gratified and pleasantly surprised" with 97 per cent of people seeing tourism as a good thing for the region.

"I think that's proven when you see the benefits to the local shops and businesses that wouldn't exist without tourism visitors, the services, the local employment, not just in summer time but year round," said Mr Barker.

"Although there will be times when I am sure we would all wish to have a bit more space for ourselves, the reality is this brings universals benefits to the region."

Printable Version | published Aug 30, 2007

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