English Riviera Performance Monitor

The English Riviera Performance Monitor (previously known as the How’s Business Survey) will be circulated monthly by email to all ERBID businesses.

This survey is very important. Your individual input remains confidential but the consolidated figures allow us to measure trends across the resort and benchmark against performance across the South West.

The new style confidential survey takes just 5 minutes to complete and collects data regarding the previous month regarding footfall and occupancy and forecasts moving forwards, highlighting any areas of concern. The data once analysed will be uploaded below by month for everyone to view.

January 2020

Overall, January 2020 saw a decrease in visitors compared to last year (-3.1%) with no real change in turnover for the English Riviera (-0.3%) with both below the region as a whole (-0.1% visitors and +0.4% turnover).  The largest proportions of businesses are anticipating increased or level performance for February (57%) whilst, in contrast, 58% are anticipating decreases for March which is more of a concern but this could improve by the time the data is collected.  However, the increasing media coverage around the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) which is rapidly changing on a daily basis could also potentially have an impact on bookings during this time and moving into the key holiday taking period.  Whilst it is still very early days, some businesses have already started raising concerns this month over the impact of the virus on their potential future bookings, particularly with Easter fast approaching which usually marks the start of the season for most businesses.  As discussed, we will be keeping a close eye on any potential impacts of the virus on tourism businesses and tracking these impacts through the survey over the next few months.  At 6.13 business optimism however has remained almost unchanged compared with last month.

February 2020

The February 2020 survey saw businesses already starting to feel the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic with very significant decreases in both visitors (-37.7%) and turnover (-38.6%) compared to the same time last year and both decreases were higher than the region as a whole (-23.8% visitors and -22.6% turnover). We estimate the value of turnover decrease in February for the ER to be approximately £8.1m with the COVID-19 pandemic accounting for £3.4m of this.

90%, 93% and 90% of businesses respectively were anticipating decreased performance for March, April and the Easter holidays.

Business optimism has also decreased dramatically to 2.84 compared with 3.23 for the region as a whole.

April 2020

The April 2020 survey saw businesses really feeling the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic with 98% of businesses closed during April as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 1% had been closed for part of the month and 1% had remained open. To the end of April it is estimated that approximately £59 million of anticipated tourism business turnover has been lost on The English Riviera due to COVID-19 since February.

May 2020

In May 2020, 96% of businesses said their business was closed as a result of the COVID‐19 pandemic, 3% had been closed for part of the month and just 1% had remained open. To the end of May it is estimated that approximately £98 million of anticipated tourism business turnover has been lost on The English Riviera due to COVID‐19 since February: 99% of turnover was lost in each case during May (£39 mn) and April (£35 mn), 81% of March turnover (£21 mn) and 14% of February turnover (£3.4 mn)

June 2020

In June, 90% of businesses said their business was closed for the whole month as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, 4% had been closed for part of the month and 5% had remained open. To the end of June it is estimated that approximately £141 million of anticipated tourism business turnover has been lost on The English Riviera due to COVID-19 since February: 95% of turnover was lost in June (£43 mn), 99% in each case during May (£39 mn) and April (£35 mn), 81% of March turnover (£21 mn) and 14% of February turnover (£3.4 mn).

July 2020

In July, 91% of businesses said they had now re-opened, 6% hadn’t re-opened but planned to in the near future and 3% still had no plans to re-open. To the end of July it is estimated that approximately £174 million of anticipated tourism business turnover has been lost on The English Riviera due to COVID-19 since February: 50% of turnover was lost in July (£33 mn), 95% of June turnover (£43 mn), 99% in each case during May (£39 mn) and April (£35 mn), 81% of March turnover (£21 mn) and 14% of February turnover (£3.4 mn).

August 2020

In August, 11% of English Riviera businesses were closed as a result of COVID-19 and 42% of those still open to some degree were operating at increased turnover levels compared to August 2019. The overall change in turnover for all businesses trading was +3% compared to August 2019. To the end of August it is estimated that approximately £184 million of anticipated tourism business turnover has been lost on The English Riviera due to COVID-19 since February. 14% of turnover was lost in August (£10 mn), 50% of July turnover (£33 mn), 95% of June turnover (£43 mn), 99% in each case during May (£39 mn) and April (£35 mn), 81% of March turnover (£21 mn) and 14% of February turnover (£3.4 mn).

September 2020

In September, 10% of English Riviera businesses were closed as a result of COVID-19 and 37% of those still open to some degree were operating at increased turnover levels compared to September 2019. The overall change in turnover for all businesses trading was -8% compared to September 2019. To the end of September it is estimated that approximately £191 million of anticipated tourism business turnover has been lost on The English Riviera due to COVID-19 since February. 17% of turnover was lost in September (£7 mn), 14% of August turnover (£10 mn), 50% of July turnover (£33 mn), 95% of June turnover (£43 mn), 99% in each case during May (£39 mn) and April (£35 mn), 81% of March turnover (£21 mn) and 14% of February turnover (£3.4 mn).