Newquay traders say look 'beyond Boardmasters'
BBCA business group is campaigning to change what it says is a perception Newquay is too busy and should be avoided during the festival.
The Boardmasters surf and music event has become one of the country's biggest festivals, with 58,000 people expected to descend on sites at Watergate Bay and Fistral over the coming days.
But in a survey last year many traders in the town centre said they actually saw a drop in footfall and revenue during the week.
The Newquay Business Improvement District group said the Beyond Boardmasters initiative would celebrate what the town had to offer and was designed to attract visitors and locals to shops, restaurants and bars. Festival bosses are also supporting it.
BID manager Mark Warren said, while supermarkets and some larger shops said they benefitted from Boardmasters, "so many other people were telling me it was their quietest week".
He said: "We're almost left alone by the regular tourists, and when businesses say to me they're 50% down or more during what should be peak trade for them, it's sad.
"It's why Beyond Boardmasters has been created.
"I do think it's going to take a while to change the perception that Newquay should be avoided that week - but this is a starting point."
Aimee Dabrowski, from Johnny's Tobacconist on Bank Street, said she had too many staff on and not enough customers during the festival period over the past two years.
She said: "It used to be the best weekend of the year, but, in the last few years it's been much lower than we would usually expect at that time of year - sometimes quieter than a winter day."
At the No Worries Surf Co, Ruby Pettit said she felt families and visitors "avoid" Newquay that week because they thought it would be so busy with young people.
"But a lot of people that go to Boardmasters stay at the festival sites, so town does feel very quiet and it's definitely not a bad time for a holiday."
Director of the Waverunner Group, Peter Davis, runs four businesses in the town and said he welcomed the initiative to persuade people Newquay was not too full of fesitvalgoers and traffic.
"The town is open and, to be fair to Boardmasters, they've got it dialled in with the way they're getting people to park and travel; and it really doesn't have an effect towards the town that you might think," he said.
Rob Spring, festival director of Boardmasters, said he was pleased transport planning changes had made a difference to the town.
He said: "We know Boardmasters brings a huge amount of energy to Newquay every summer, and we want as much of that energy as possible to spill out into the town centre too.
"The Beyond Boardmasters campaign is a brilliant way of showing festivalgoers and visitors alike just how much Newquay has to offer beyond the festival gates, and we're proud to support it."
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