Norfolk man working at local tourist attraction says rising costs means a bumper Easter Weekend is vital
Figures from 'Visit East of England' showing that the value of Norfolk and Suffolk tourist economy stands at £5.5 billion- the same as it was in 2019
Last updated 31st Mar 2024
A man working at a tourist attraction in Norfolk's telling us rising labour costs mean the sector needs to have a bumper Easter Weekend, more than ever
It's despite figures from 'Visit East of England' showing that the value of Norfolk and Suffolk tourist economy stands at £5.5 billion- the same number that was recorded in 2019.
"There's a limit that people will pay to enter an attraction"
Ben Marshall is general manager of Pensthorpe in Fakenham and is also chair of the Norfolk and Suffolk tourist attractions network:
"It has been more of a struggle, recently. From what I'm told, there were less holiday-makers in their area and accommodation was not full in the county. It's something that's quite worrying when you consider that most attractions make the full year's profit in July and August.
"Wages are about to go up again by about 9%, (on the back of it doing the same 12 months, ago). It means that before attractions open their doors they have got an extra 18% of labour costs. This has all got to be plugged from somewhere, and there's a limit that people will pay to enter an attraction".
"Norfolk has a wealth of attractions for everyone"
"This is the first time where attractions are able to plug some of their financial gaps, from October half-term. If there's not as many tourists about as expected, it will be really hard for local attractions to recover and sustain themselves for the rest of the year".
"Covid threw a huge spanner in the works and after the pandemic there seemed to be a lot of money in the area and there was a bit of a staycation boom. But since that it seems that more people are going aboard again".
"Norfolk has a wealth of attractions for everyone. From Holkham at the beach, Dinosaur adventure parks to the first polar bears in the county. I do believe that we've got the best attractions in the country.