Visitors to the Folkestone and Hythe district dropped by 42.6% in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to figures released this week.
Visit Kent's Economic Impact Model for 2020 also reveals there was a 59.3% decline in tourism value and a 34.8% decline in related jobs (from 5,345 in 2019 to 3,484 in 2020, which represents 9% of total employment).
Using the industry-respected Cambridge Economic Impact Model, the study measured the volume and value of tourism in the county in 2020, and the effect of visits and visitor expenditure on the local economy.
A total of 2.8 million trips were made to the Folkestone and Hythe district in 2020: 2.6 million day trips and 0.2 million overnight visits. There was an increase of the length of these overnight visits from 2.93 nights in 2019 to 3.13 in 2020 - a rise of 6.4%
Although the impact of the pandemic is reflected across Kent, the figures show that the county's visitor economy performed above the national average across several areas.
Cllr David Wimble, F&HDC's Cabinet Member for the District Economy, said: "Tourism, leisure and hospitality are vital to our economy, as they are to the rest of Kent. And while this study shows the huge impact of the pandemic and what a challenging time it was, we have been working hard over the last 18 months to welcome visitors back safely. We are looking forward to a bumper year!"
Cllr Wimble added: "We are grateful to our residents who have supported their local businesses throughout the last two years and who continue to do so. Eating out, changing shopping habits and hosting family and friends when the restrictions allowed have helped keep the economy going."
The release of the COVID-19 economic impact findings coincides with Folkestone and Hythe's recent recognition by global travel authority Lonely Planet, which named Kent's Heritage Coast as the fourth best region in the world to visit in 2022.
You can read the full Kent Tourism Economic Impact Study 2020 here: https://visitkentbusiness.co.uk/insights-and-resources/kent-cambridge-economic-impact-model/
Date published: 28 January 2022