REACTION has poured in to the news tourism marketing body Visit Cornwall has entered enter into voluntary liquidation.

A Community Interest Company (CiC) since 2015, Visit Cornwall has played a central role in marketing and representing the county and its 500 Cornish business members. Cornwall has the biggest visitor economy in the UK by population size and the third biggest overall after London and Manchester; the tourism industry brings £2.1-billion per year into the duchy, and accounts for 20 per cent of all jobs, plus many more in service industries.

In their announcement, the directors of Visit Cornwall said they had “been working tirelessly, in an extremely challenging environment, to forge a long-term sustainable future for the body”.

A business review and organisational changes were instigated by the board of non-executive voluntary directors in August, following which it became clear the organisation’s financial position was “far less robust than was previously understood”, with “insurmountable financial problems in the short term”.

Chairman Jon Hyatt pointed to the forthcoming end of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF), a government fund worth £2.6-billion to support investment in communities and local businesses and drive growth. “The board has explored every avenue possible, including discussions with funders and key partners, to find a solution to these problems,” he said.

“However, with Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) funding, which has been vital to Visit Cornwall for the last four years, ending in March 2026 with no sign of a replacement programme, and another round of payments due to come from our members in the next two months, we had to act.

“Sadly, today’s was the only responsible decision – this was about doing the right thing by our members and doing the right thing for our staff … We want to thank those staff, our members and partners for their commitment and contribution to Cornwall’s visitor economy over the last decade.”

Mr Hyatt confirmed Visit Cornwall’s six paid employees would receive redundancy payments. Francis Clark has been appointed to assist with the liquidation process, with details of the appointed liquidator to be revealed in due course.

“Visit Cornwall will be missed. It has proved that there is a need for a voice that represents, supports and promotes the sector and it leaves behind it an opportunity for a new voice to emerge. We hope the sector will unite and, with Cornwall Council, make that a reality.”

Visit Cornwall once took its core funding from Cornwall Council. In 2010, the council’s budget for tourism was £2.2-million, but this was reduced to £850,000 before being completely withdrawn in 2015. Visit Cornwall established itself as a not-for-profit Community Interest Company (CiC) at this point.

Over the past 10 years, it has achieved more than 30-million website visits, 180,000 subscribers to its e-news weekly update and a social media following of 430,000, taking Cornwall to a global audience.

It supported the wider visitor economy sector through the pandemic and was a key partner in delivering the G7 summit in Cornwall in 2021. In addition, Cornwall has been voted Best Holiday Region in the UK in 10 out of the past 12 years in the British Travel Awards.

Visit Cornwall’s collapse follows that of similar bodies in Kent and Hertfordshire, after parent company Go To Places folded in September citing a “challenging economic climate” and “rising costs for the sector”. Kent County Council (KCC) told BBC Radio Kent it would set up and fund a new group to replace the tourism organisation.

Cllr Sarah Preece, Cornwall Council’s Cabinet Member for Tourism, Localism and Planning, said she was “deeply saddened” by the news, adding: “Tourism is at the heart of our economy, supporting jobs and communities, but we know the sector faces real challenges. We will now move quickly to bring partners and stakeholders together - to listen, and to work with them - so that we can support the sector and safeguard the future of Cornwall's visitor economy."

Industry comment to the news was swift. Kevin Georgel, chief executive of St Austell Brewery, said it was “deeply concerning and marks a critical moment for Cornwall’s visitor economy”, adding: “As one of the region’s largest employers and a proud champion of Cornish hospitality, we urgently need to understand what a robust and coordinated plan to support the tourism sector looks like moving forward.

"Tourism remains the backbone of Cornwall's economy, supporting thousands of jobs and sustaining so many local businesses. The loss of Visit Cornwall comes at a time when the sector is already facing unprecedented challenges: falling visitor numbers, rising costs and the closure of iconic attractions and venues.

"The sector needs leadership, investment and a clear strategy to navigate the current climate and build resilience for the future, which we recognise can only be delivered by a collaborative approach that brings together public and private businesses to drive recovery and growth."

Keith Southwell, managing director of Lappa Valley Steam Railway and chairman of the Cornwall Association of Tourist Attractions (CATA), said Visit Cornwall had played “a crucial role” in supporting Cornish tourism. “As a fellow membership organisation with complementary objectives, it played a pivotal role in helping to encourage visitors to discover and enjoy our county,” he continued.

“At this time, our thoughts are with all those connected with Visit Cornwall - we recognise this is a very difficult period for them.”

Robin Barker, director of Services for Tourism Ltd, organisers of the forthcoming Cornwall Tourism Awards in November, said he hoped Visit Cornwall’s demise would be temporary, adding: “The future must involve a mix of industry and public sector, as tourism is a major part of Cornwall's economy and infrastructure, and simply cannot be neglected. This is especially true of the many smaller businesses that need the collective voice that Visit Cornwall has provided.

“As proven by repeated surveys, the people of Cornwall welcome and appreciate tourism - we now need to see that turn into long-term support. In the meantime, we stand ready to help and be part of whatever comes next.”

But there was also criticism. Kim Conchie, former head of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, described the announcement as “devastating … but not surprising. I know some major hoteliers have stopped their subscriptions because nothing was happening”.

He added: “I’m horrified. I do not know why it was allowed to get to this stage without taking action … Cornwall has been named the UK’s favourite holiday destination, but it has no god-given right to that if there’s no plan, no strategy for what our offer is and marketing it to the right people.”

The way people book their holidays has changed, he said, from long-term planning to last-minute getaways. “We need to get a 21st century social media-driven organisation set up in the very short term, with a chief executive who is full-time and hands-on, rather than someone with a very busy job finding time for a strategy meeting.”

Toby Ashworth, owner of The Nare Hotel on the Roseland peninsula said he felt “very uncomfortable” that financial support was being withdrawn from Cornwall’s tourism sector. “It’s very surprising that in a county that depends on tourism, which affects so many people, we do not recognise the importance of the industry,” he said.

“I believe we need a commercial leader to take things forward – a person with commercial experience of tourism management, at the level of organising the Olympics in London, say. We need to think internationally about what Cornwall needs, strategically rather than short-term.

“There’s a golden opportunity to press reset here. Let’s see this as a positive opportunity to bring the whole industry together.”