What’s at stake if insurance companies turn their backs?
It’s a sad irony that last week should have seen VisitEngland launch the annual English Tourism Week.
A welcome boost to the £2.72bn Cumbrian tourist economy or an environmental backward step?
This week we saw the much anticipated reopening of Carlisle Airport for all general light aircraft aviation flights.
LDHA
Aug 11, 2018
In spring 2019, the airport will further expand in partnership with Stobart Group and Loganair to provide commercial passenger flights from three destinations: London, Belfast and Dublin with connecting flights to USA cities.
Stobart Group is leading the multi-million-pound redevelopment project recruiting over 100 local contractors to stand tall at 11 metres high, 66 metres long and 18 metres wide with major work being carried out to revamp the runway and ensure it is ready to accept passenger aircrafts. An expected 50 new jobs will be created at the upgraded airport and new terminal complex once flights have commenced.
Businesses across the county, South Scotland and wider North West region believe this will be a welcomed injection needed to boost the visitor economy. Inviting international and national tourists to explore this newly accessible part of the UK and largely spend within the hospitality, retail and tourism sectors. Figure show in 2017, the Lake District saw 40.7 million day trippers with 6.6 million overnighters.
Talent recruitment will be another key factor. An increase in visitors will drive the demand and desirability amongst these sectors, encouraging new talent to apply and fill the current employment gaps within existing hospitability and catering roles as well as potential new roles being created.
With Cumbrian’s ‘super-ageing’ demographic, talent retention is essential. By 2020, over quarter of the Cumbrian population will be aged over 65 years old. The airport will bring opportunity to a thriving younger population just starting their careers to create a home, a family and regenerate the North-West.
However, there has been concerns raised if the airport is required, with environmental groups believing investment could have been better spent on the North-West transport hubs, investing on improving the connecting rail and road services instead. Will the airport be a step-backwards in reaching the UK and Global climate change targets? Could the land have been better used to provide community-benefitting solar panels to deliver our environmental programmes in reducing emissions and provide a better, cleaner planet?