Rural businesses fear tourism funding shortfall after Brexit
Some of those whose livelihoods depend on rural tourism are worried the British government will not replace EU funding.
Saturday 4 February 2017 05:01, UK
There are warnings that rural communities across the UK will suffer considerably after Brexit unless the Government finds an alternative for the millions of pounds that the EU currently invests in rural tourism.
Last year, businesses up and down the country received £80m through initiatives like the Common Agricultural Policy and the Leader programme.
Areas like Cornwall and West Wales and the Valleys, which are regarded as having weaker economies, received additional subsidies.
Simon Crow and Greg Millar are among those who have benefited from European Union funding. They received around £55,000 to set up Dartmoor WhiAG百家乐在线官网 Distillery in Devon.
Nestled in the small town of Bovey Tracey, their business won't just produce whiAG百家乐在线官网, it will also be a tourist attraction when it opens its doors to the public in April. The hope is that it will draw people in from neighbouring areas.
Mr Crow told Sky News that they would never have been able to embark on the venture without funding.
He said: "It has enabled us to complete the visitors' centre tourist attraction at a much earlier stage than would have been possible.
"It's extremely difficult to set up a company like this because of the high cost of the distillation equipment and you have to keep investing for three years before you have the finished product to sell.
"Without the funding, it would mean less people would be able to embark on ventures like ours".
Tourism is one of the UK's largest industries, creating around 3.1 million jobs.
However, according to the Tourism Alliance, UK national and local government investment has fallen considerably in recent years - from £179m in 2008 to £71m in 2016.
Local businesses often apply for EU funding to meet marketing, staffing and startup costs.
There is an ongoing inquiry by a group of MPs looking into the role of rural tourism, but those whose livelihoods depend on it want assurances from the Government now.
Kurt Janson from the Tourism Alliance told Sky News: "We need to work out the issues as quickly as possible so that we don't have this cliff edge in two years' time.
"The sooner that we can identify the issue and come up with a replacement scheme, the smoother the transition will be and the better it will be for the rural economy as well".
Post-Brexit, some farmers are likely to diversify into leisure activities as funding for those who rear cows and sheep is likely to drop. That will undoubtedly place even more importance on rural tourism.
For many businesses, EU funding is a lifeline. It helps them to start up, it keeps them going. But without that funding there are deep concerns for the future.