New hospitality funding pot

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Cornish hospitality businesses, at the heart of the Duchy’s vital tourism economy, are being offered what could potentially be the last opportunity to benefit from significant EU funding and investment.

A pot of over £500k has just become available for a new Together for Tourism Futures (TFT) programme which will be delivered over the next 12 months. Programme delivery team, Newquay for Excellence Training, (NfET) is urging Cornish hospitality businesses to act fast so they do not miss this chance to benefit.

Hospitality businesses are a vital cornerstone of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly economy, accounting for 25% of all employment and contributing in excess of £10 billion to the local economy through visitor spend.

However, tourism delivery businesses of all sizes are experiencing a concurrent set of key challenges including difficulty recruiting and low rates of staff retention, the need for a more highly-skilled workforce to raise productivity, seasonality and forecasting pressures as well as the loss of a number of a large valued employees as a result of Brexit uncertainties.

Several businesses have already signed up to the programme including Red Hotels (The Scarlet & Bedruthan Hotels) Mawgan Porth, the Budock Vean Hotel, Mawnan Smith, the Bowgie Inn, Crantock, Headland Hotel, Newquay, and the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company, plus others countywide.

Businesses that join for the programme will access a Skills Mentor who will work with internal team members to swiftly identify the key issues faced by the establishment and build a gold-standard tailored development programme.

Ruth Atkinson, Director of Newquay for Excellence Training, who is leading the programme, said, “As we approach Brexit, the pressures on our brilliant hospitality businesses are intensifying by the minute. We would hate businesses to miss out on this time-limited opportunity for vital investment in their teams and in their businesses.

“Our hospitality industry has been extremely fortunate to have received such an impactful level of ongoing support from the EU over the past few decades, this £500k is likely to be one of the last major funding opportunities for establishments of all shapes and sizes up to 250 employees. Time is ticking, so we’re encouraging them to get in touch with us immediately. The sooner they sign-up, the more benefits they’ll get.“

TFT is holding a Breakfast meeting on Monday June 3 at The Headland Hotel and would like to invite any tourism, hospitality, leisure or travel business to come and meet members that are already getting the most out of the programme as well as the TFT team. To book your places, email Claire Evans on claireevans@nfet.co.uk.