The threat of coronovirus and increasing prospect of restrictions on travel could have a major impact on the tourism industry in the Harrogate district. 

With the area’s economy heavily reliant on tourists and business visitors, anything which deters people from coming – or any cancellation of large events – could have serious repercussions. 

Kim Wilson, who is chair of guesthouse association Accommodation Harrogate and runs The Camberley and The Lodge with her partner, said although there had not been cancellations, occupancy rates had been below average for this time of year. 

“The hardest thing to quantify is reasons for not booking,” she said. “It has been one of the quietest periods we’ve had – we’re normally full every Saturday night, but in February we’ve been half- or three-quarters full.” 

Although several events around the UK, such as the London Book Fair, have been called off because of coronavirus, no conferences have yet been cancelled in Harrogate – including the Conservative Party Spring Forum, which is set to go ahead at Harrogate Convention Centre in early April.  

Meanwhile, other events are still expected to go ahead this month around the district, including Harrogate Charity Beer Festival this weekend and Springtime Live at the Great Yorkshire Showground at the end of March. 

Springtime Live is still going ahead as planned at the end of March

A spokesman for organisers the Yorkshire Agricultural Society said: “We continue to follow advice from the Government regarding Coronavirus and as such, there are no plans to cancel any events held here.   

“Appropriate measures have been put in place including stepping up hygiene messaging across the site and we are arranging for extra sanitizing gels. We will continue to monitor the situation.” 

Boost for ‘staycations’

Some hotels, meanwhile, are hoping to benefit from British people taking more holidays in the UK this year. 

Simon Cotton, managing director of HRH Group, which owns The Yorkshire Hotel and The White Hart in Harrogate, said: “I’ve heard quite a lot of people saying, ‘I was going to go abroad and now I’m thinking of just making a staycation of it’.” 

As vice-chair of the Harrogate Hospitality and Tourism Association, representing the larger hotels in the district, he said there did not yet seem to be any cause for alarm. 

“We’re preparing in case things get worse,” he said. “That’s sensible and the right thing to do, but in the hope that these are things we won’t need to do.” 

Measures being taken include stocking up on sanitising gel, carrying out additional cleaning of frequent touch-points such as door handles and lift buttons, and asking staff to report any signs of illness before coming to work. 

Mr Cotton said, in the event of a hotel being directly affected by a case of coronavirus in a guest or member of staff, the association would work together to support it and to honour other guests’ bookings so they could still visit Harrogate. 

Businesses struggling to stay afloat could be dealt a devastating blow if the coronavirus crisis worsens in the Harrogate district. 

After months of Brexit uncertainty, the negative impact of the UCI cycling for some businesses in September, and weeks of bad weather at the start of the year, spring could have brought much-needed relief. 

Now, fears are growing that restrictions on travel and public gatherings could further impact businesses – many of which are teetering on the edge of survival. 

Sue Kramer, who owns Crown Jewellers on Commercial Street with her husband, said:

“If it does take hold, I think it could be catastrophic for many businesses.

“We’re fortunate not to be struggling, but there are many who are. How many businesses have enough of a cushion to tide them over for an unknown length of time?” 

Her views were echoed by William Woods, of Woods Fine Linens of Harrogate, who said: “We’re very concerned. There are no cases in Harrogate yet, but it could have a devastating effect not only on our business but the whole town centre.” 

Concerns over self-employed

The government this week announced it would offer statutory sick pay from the first day of absence to anyone who was self-isolating in order to avoid the risk of spreading coronavirus. However, this would not benefit self-employed people, or those on low wages or zero-hours contracts. 

With a higher than average number of start-up businesses in the district, along with many jobs in low-paid sectors including care and hospitality, there could be resistance to self-isolating among people who would stand to lose two weeks’ wages as a result. 

The Victoria Shopping Centre in Harrogate has reported no noticeable impact on footfall so far

Kate Curtis, an independent inventory clerk who works with estate agents in the Harrogate area to assess properties, said it could also affect people working on commission, who rely on the extra money on top of their basic wage and would lose it if they were not working. 

“If you are the main bread winner, there’s a huge amount of pressure to keep earning,” she said. “As a busy self-employed person, I’ve struggled to keep up with the advice because it seems to change all the time.” 

Energy surveyor Nick Cushing, who lives in Wath near Ripon and works across North and West Yorkshire, said: “As somebody who works on my own, if I’m incapacitated, the earning stops immediately. 

“If you worked for somebody else, you would be more willing to drop tools and say, ‘it’s not worth it’. When you are self-reliant and self-employed, you will carry on doing what you are doing until the very last moment and sometimes beyond.”