CORNWALL will call on the Government to provide a financial support package to the coach tour industry.

Putting forward a motion to Cornwall Council, Councillor Jackie Bull said that the coach tour sector had been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, with several large operators having already gone out of business.

She said that hotels which were operated and used by coach tour companies in Cornwall were also at risk – but that it was ‘impossible’ for coach tours to operate with the current social distancing guidelines.

Cllr Bull added that coach tours were a lifeline as they were the only way of going on holiday for some pensioners.

Coach tours bring more than 150,000 visitors to Cornwall and are worth some £45million to the county’s economy, said Looe Councillor Edwina Hannaford.

She said that, while the industry was fairly small across Cornwall, it was ‘highly important to places like Looe and Polperro, both economically and socially’.

‘Some hotels in Cornwall which rely on visitors on coach tours to keep them going outside the main holiday season have already been forced to close. I don’t want to see this happen in Looe,’ she said. ‘We really value the all-year business these coach holiday support.

‘Fewer day visitors on coach tours to Looe and Polperro would also affect retail, visitor attractions and other sectors of the visitor economy.’

A voice of caution came from Councillor Olly Monks, who said he agreed with the aims of the motion to support the coach tour industry, but he questioned the longer-term future of the sector.

He said: ‘I am not convinced that a large-scale public bail-out will help it to survive if a long-term sustainable model is unavailable.’

The motion put to Cornwall Council to lobby Government on this issue was supported by 68 members, with 11 against and 22 abstentions.

The Council will now ask the Government to consider: extending the furlough scheme or industry-specific measures to Easter 2021; a relaxation of the rules around the release of bonding and refund times; a VAT holiday; and a broader, tailored package as necessary and established in liaison with bodies including the Confederation Of Passenger Transport and the Coach Tourism Association.