Brits hoping to head down to sunny Cornwall this year could face chaos similar to last year.
In 2021, a shortage in staff across the hospitality industry resulted in closed restaurants and massive crowds on beaches and in popular towns.
Plus, many hospitality staff were unable to find rooms to rent meaning holiday lodges were forced to house workers instead of holidaymakers, claims the Sun.
The owner of a number of restaurants in Cornwall, Ben Quinn, now sparks fears that the same could happen again.
He told the BBC that he was unable to open his new restaurant in Perranporth in the current staffing climate.
And, he added that the hospitality industry as a whole was “on its knees”.
Ben stated that some of his current staff included an A&E nurse and even trained teachers who were hired to bridge the gaps.
The major issue with staffing in Cornwall is that there is a lack of accommodation, reports claim.
Meaning that people who would happily work in the industry are unable to live locally.
Holiday park Mother Ivey's Bay in Padstow had to transform three chalets into staff accommodation.
And, Holiday park Mother Ivey's Bay in Padstow said that the staffing issues were “interlinked” with the housing crisis.
Visit Cornwall's Malcom Bell is pushing for a registration scheme on holiday homes that could "return more accommodation to the long rental market”.
Meanwhile, CornwallLive reported that the increase of home working has meant that wealthier people from around the country have moved into cottages in the area outpricing locals.
As a result, house prices, evictions, homelessness and the demand for social housing all skyrocketed.
Meanwhile, the number of rented homes and amount of affordable housing dropped off a cliff.
This means that people who would normally work in hospitality and tourism in Cornwall are unable to locate living spaces.
Now, it’s thought that the staff and housing shortage could lead to another summer where holidaymakers are faced with packed or clothes restaurants and overflowing beaches.
So if you're thinking of booking, we'd recommend doing it fast and making sure your holiday is protected if cancellations occur.
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