Is Torbay facing tourism crisis and job cuts? No need for kitchen porters and chambermaids..

Cynical Mayor Decision of full cut to ERTC puts Bay growth (£84m pa) at risk & back to falls – difference £400m in 4 years! To avert storm, I would ‘financially support TRTBID (£250k pa plus £250k extra year 1) helping 3,300 businesses for the good of our Torbay’.

Torbay was in decline. Visitor numbers dropping fast. Jobs being lost. Our area looking tired. Along comes a new strategy called turning the tide with the English Riviera Tourism Company selected as the means to do so by both business and council.

Launched in 2010 right in the recession IT HAS turned the tide. The value to the economy growing from tourism from £504m to £585m – up an incredible 81 million or 16%.

This industry support over 12,500 jobs as at 2013, right across the bay from our B&Bs to our eateries to attractions to retail; so this growth accountable to around 2000 jobs. These are all now at risk as the mayor proposed that a 100% cut in grant to this organisation!

So much for past election pledges of increased Marketing and even now, if you look at his new flyer, on the lovely back page, no message firm commitment to tourism!

A solution needs to be found to maintain this organisation and continue growth for jobs, jobs, jobs.

If we don’t will we experience falls as before where in previous years they lost over 78 million per annum.

We want to continue going up not down.

A solution would make for a BETTER TORBAY and one that I will propose.