Following the unprecedented weather that has hit the county this week, Carolyn Custerson, Chair of Visit Devon, has issued the following statement.
Visit Devon is concerned for our tourism businesses that have been affected by the recent storms, which has in some cases seriously affected their livelihoods.
We are working to ensure that local and national government give maximum support to help them get them back on their feet and to ensure that our rail infrastructure is repaired quickly and that a long term strategy for resilience is agreed.
We are committed to giving our businesses as much support as we can and we will work hard to help them with communications with visitors to ensure that everyone stays well informed.
Our visitors can be re-assured that the majority of our road networks are still open and that despite the rail damage there are good contingency plans in place to allow them to travel to their destinations.
We remain one of the most beautiful holiday destinations in the UK and we are confident that we will overcome the current challenges we face quickly and look forward to continuing to welcome visitors to Devon.
The government are taking this matter very seriously and transport minister Patrick McLoughlin visited the damaged rail line at Dawlish and said: “The South West is not closed, it is open for business. It is a great place for tourists to come and they will be very welcome here.”