Don't Blame the Weathermen

Tourism Chiefs Accused of Shooting the Messenger

London July 19, 2012: A travel boss has accused tourism bodies of trying to blame weather forecasters for poor visitor numbers. Laurence Hicks, director of international tour operator and holiday rentals firm CLC Leisure, said: “There has been a trend of late among tourism organisations, resort and holiday park owners to pass the buck for poor visitor figures onto the weathermen saying that the forecasters are pessimistic, alarmist or have become obsessed with the wet weather.”

Last week Belgian tourism officials made the headlines when they threatened to sue weather forecasters and now the Visit Cornwall chief Malcolm Bell has waded in accusing weathermen of adding to the gloom and saying his colleagues at other resorts including Blackpool and Bournemouth agree.

Hicks, whose UK resorts include two in Cornwall and one in Scotland continued, “This all smacks of shooting the messenger. We can’t escape the fact it’s been rather damp and while that continues its going to be the top item in the weather news. Do these people really expect the met office to pretend it’s sunny?”

The CLC boss says that instead of blaming the weather forecasters tourism organisations should put more effort into promoting all weather attractions. “The UK is uniquely rich in visitor attractions which are not dependent on sunny weather and Cornwall with the likes of the Eden Project, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pendennis Castle and National Maritime Museum to name just a few, is no exception. We should spend more time promoting these rather than worrying about the weather.

“Despite predictions we do not yet have a Mediterranean climate – as usual it’s mixed, if a little more wet – let’s just get on with it and spread the word that the UK is a great place to holiday – whatever the weather!”

Ian Rumgay/Jane Owen
CLC Leisure PR
jane@saxondene.com; 01732-760451, 07747036050

CLC Leisure is the rentals division of CLC World, an international travel and leisure organisation founded in 1984. CLC Leisure has access to 11 of CLC World’s 28 mixed-use resorts worldwide - in England, Scotland, Austria, mainland Spain, Tenerife, Turkey and the USA.  CLC World manages 250,000 holidays per annum.
www.clcleisure.com www.clcholidays.com 0800 009 6020

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