A PETITION calling on the government to help the Lakes' flagging tourism industry rebound and recover after the coronavirus pandemic has been launched.

Cumbria Tourism and South Lakes MP Tim Farron have revealed their campaign to support the hospitality industry, allowing it to survive post COVID-19 .

It comes as Lakes business owners say they are being 'left in the dark' over government guidelines, just a fortnight before they are due to reopen.

The financial support drive hopes to attract support from MPs and tourist boards across the country in the coming weeks.

"We all know how important hospitality and tourism is to our local economy here in Cumbria and just how devastating a blow this crisis has dealt to our local pubs, hotels, cafes and restaurants," said Mr Farron.

"Having lost most of the 2020 season, these businesses are now facing three winters in a row.

“I’m proud to be joining forces with Cumbria Tourism to launch our petition for the government to provide a package of financial support to help tourism and hospitality all the way until it is able to stand on its two feet again next spring.”

New data from the Department for Work and Pensions shows that, up to May 31, 14,300 jobs had been furloughed through the government's Job Retention Scheme in Mr Farron's Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency. 

This is equivalent to around 30 per cent of the area's population aged between 16 and 64. 21 per cent had been furloughed across the UK overall.

A further 4,000 claims were made to the Self Employment Income Support scheme across Westmorland and Lonsdale, equivalent to 71 per cent of the potentially eligible population. This compares to the marginally lower UK-wide take-up rate of 70% across the potentially eligible population.

Most notably, the number of welfare claimants in the area rose to almost 2,200 last month.

This figure was 490 higher than the April 2020 count and 1,650 higher than the number for March 2020, before the UK lockdown began.

Earlier this week, Mr Farron also pushed the government to publish its data for businesses to reopen, arguing that many employers and workers are living in 'considerable anxiety' every day, 'having been robbed of even the small amount of certainty that a road map would provide'.

Mike Turner, managing director of Treetop Trek told The Gazette that without cash support, job losses would be inevitable.

“Many tourist businesses like ours have already lost 40 per cent of their annual sales during the forced closure period and are facing another 30 per cent drop during the rest of summer with social distancing restrictions, said Mr Turner.

“The government support to date has been hugely helpful in the short term but without support during the winter many businesses and associated jobs will simply not survive.”

Dan Visser, director of sales and marketing at Langdale Hotel and Spa, echoed Mr Turner's job concerns, saying: “Our industry is facing unprecedented challenges and the timing of the Covid crisis could not have been worse for destinations with a seasonal pattern of demand.

“The government support so far has been very welcome with many jobs saved and businesses supported through the most difficult times they have ever faced.

"Without the support carrying on into the winter many more jobs will be lost.

"The effect on a region with few services in place to support the people and families affected.”

Ahead of a partial reopening of Lakes businesses in two weekends' time, Adrian Faulkner, secretary and treasurer of the Windermere and Bowness Chamber of Trade, said the petition was 'much needed'.

"A lot of businesses here are feeling the pinch, since there has been no clear direction from government.

"Eventually, the generous grants will run out and this pandemic will be around for longer than most people are envisaging.

"So any extra financial benefit is very welcome indeed at this time.

"A lot of our members who are guest houses and B&Bs are looking at only letting a certain number of rooms out once the ban is over and they're bringing in a fill-out card system for food deliveries to people's rooms to reduce potential meal-time transmissions.

"So whether this becomes financially viable to do that - who knows yet.

Rob Johnston, chief executive of the Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, said: “We have been lobbying through the British Chambers of Commerce for ongoing support for tourism and hospitality businesses.

“The sector employs more than 60,000 people in Cumbria, many of whom have been furloughed under the government’s Job Retention Scheme.

"Our concern is that, as the scheme is phased out this autumn, many of these people will be made redundant.”