Local resident Ella Erijota described noticing a massive decline in visitors this summer and emphasized that Cornwall relies on tourism to survive. Tourism in Cornwall was down by 12% in 2024 before rising slightly last year, with high costs, gridlocked traffic, and crowded beaches leading some visitors to stay away. The region's official tourist board entered voluntary liquidation last autumn, citing insurmountable financial problems.
Business closures have accelerated, including four pubs closing on one February day—The Golden Lion in Port Isaac, The Pityme Inn at St Minver, The London Inn in Padstow, and The Lugger Inn in Polruan—and trendy Falmouth restaurant Hevva! announcing its closure in March just weeks after being listed in the 2026 Michelin Guide. The Cornish Inns group shut its pubs suddenly after co-director Jason Black said there was not enough capital left to continue safely and responsibly, and St Moritz Hotel and Cowshed Spa in Trebetherick reduced its staff from 95 to 83 despite the biggest summer staycation since the pandemic.
1% rise. Rises in the minimum wage, national insurance contributions, and the introduction of pension auto-enrolment have left many Cornish business owners fearing insolvency. Historically, tensions between locals and tourists have simmered, with locals in some of Cornwall's most popular towns previously vocal about reclaiming coastal areas from tourists.
In St Ives, about one in six houses is a holiday home, and the term 'emmets' (Cornish slang for tourists) has appeared on road signs across Cornwall.