TOURISTS are "noticeably more cautious" about spending money, according to the tourism board.

Easter marks the start of the traditional holiday season, so it is a key indicator of how hospitality and leisure businesses catering for tourists will perform over the coming months. 

In the run-up to Christmas, many businesses in the tourism industry were struggling with issues related to cost of living, inflation, and lack of staffing blamed on there being little affordable accommodation.

Managing director of Cumbria Tourism Gill Haigh said: "The weather really helped in the first week and we saw what we would class as ‘normal’ numbers, although it was noticeably quieter the second week and of course, there is definite evidence of people being more cautious about their spend.

"Affordability is certainly key. Cumbria offers a broad range of experiences for every taste and budget."

The board pointed to the £2 bus tickets as an example of the area being an affordable place to travel around, and the MyCumbria residents' discount scheme getting locals out for days on their doorstep. 

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Ms Haigh said: "Looking further ahead to summer, our research shows us that visitor intentions to book are strong, but we know that bookings are increasingly often being made closer to the intended visit, with weather the biggest factor on decision making, according to Visit England’s Sentiment Tracker."

Cumbria Tourism and MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Farron have previously backed a youth mobility visa which would include nearby countries such as Spain and Poland as well as Australia, New Zealand and South Korea in order to plug the gap in recruitment.  

In January, the MP and the board met the minister for immigration Robert Jenrick. 

Mr Farron claimed that two-thirds of all hospitality and tourism businesses in Cumbria are operating below capacity, and the government introducing a new visa would help resolve this.

He said: "It is an answer and they just need to do it. We have got twenty million visitors a year and demand is not being met."

Mr Farron said that an ideal visa would be three-year for anybody up to 35.