Almost 400k visitors expected to descend on Cornwall over the half-term holiday

Almost 400,000 thousand visitors are expected to descend on Cornwall over the half-term holiday.

Visit Cornwall is predicting 390,658 trips over the next week, following the latest lifting of lockdown restrictions and as the weather warms up.

Tourism bosses say 20% of those will be made during the Bank Holiday weekend alone.

It comes after a hectic Friday on the our roads - with 10-mile queues reported on the A30 between Chiverton and Carland Cross.

Later that night, police shared a video of thousands travelling on the M5 towards the Duchy and Devon: Read more.

On Sunday, South Western Ambulance Service declared a 'critical incident' due to 'extreme pressures': Read more.

In a statement, Visit Cornwall said: "This is the first important chance for businesses to make money having lost Easter and parts of Christmas. This is a real chance for Cornwall’s tourism industry to start making money, having lost over 50% of business revenue due to the pandemic".

They are among the organisations supporting the RNLI's latest safety campaign, with figures suggesting the Duchy will be at 97% capacity this summer.

The charity has teamed up with HM Coastguard, as lifeguards say they are expecting their busiest ever season.

It is estimated that around 30 million people are planning to visit a UK beach this summer, with more people choosing staycations because of the current uncertainty around foreign travel and holidays.

A new study, commissioned by the RNLI, also shows 75% of those questioned - aged 16-64 - expect to visit a UK beach or the coast between April and September, with around half of that number likely to do so three or more times.

What is the key summer safety advice?

The RNLI and HM Coastguard say:

• Visit a lifeguarded beach and swim between the red and yellow flags

• If you get into trouble remember: Float to Live – lie on your back and relax, resisting the urge to thrash about

• Call 999 in an emergency and ask for the Coastguard

Steve Instance, the RNLI's Water Safety Lead in the South West said: "In a normal year, around 140 people lose their lives accidentally at the coast and we know that more than half of those never intended to be in the water" added Steve Instance.

"If you find yourself in trouble in cold water, your natural reaction can be to panic and thrash around, which increases the chances of breathing in water and drowning. The best thing to do is to float on your back and wait for the effects of cold water shock to pass until you can control your breathing. You can then plan your next move to reach safety".

Steve Instance, RNLI

You can read more about the RNLI and HM Coastguard's summer safety campaign here or watch the 'Float to Live' safety video below...