£1.2m fund allocated to South Devon region following water parasite outbreak

A £1.2m fund, intended to support tourism and address “reputational damage” in south Devon following a cryptosporidium outbreak, has been characterized as “desperately important.” South West Water (SWW) committed these funds as part of a Destination Marketing Recovery Fund, established after the water parasite outbreak in May. This event led to approximately 100 confirmed cases of the diarrhoea-type illness in Brixham and its surrounding areas. According to business leaders, the incident generated 3,500 instances of negative media coverage globally and resulted in tens of millions of pounds in lost bookings. A significant portion of this funding was earmarked for television advertising, they further stated. Chris Hart, chairman of the English Riviera BID Company, commented, “The headlines were appalling.” He further stated, “We were able to demonstrate to SWW that there were around 3,500 pieces of negative coverage about Brixham and the wider Devon area, not just here but across the world.“Our research showed that around £34m of bookings were lost at the time of the outbreak, with an estimate £6m in future bookings also lost.” He mentioned that a substantial part of the funds would be allocated to a national TV advertising campaign, noting that one advertisement was already in development. He also added, “The aim now is to use the funding to repair the reputational damage that has been caused, and to present Brixham and the English Riviera in a really positive light, showing off the great area this is.” Local businesses expressed confidence that this new funding would assist in resolving the situation. Alex Foley, operator of the Guardhouse Café at Berry Head, remarked, “It’s going to open up channels of marketing we currently can’t afford, such as television advertising.“It will allow us to reach many more potential customers and show how great the area is.” Linda Lowe, owner of Brookside Guesthouse in Brixham, declared, “This is desperately important.” She elaborated, “The only way we can get our reputation back in the public eye is to get the marketing out quickly… a massive advertising campaign showing just how beautiful it is here.” From the £1.2m committed by SWW, approximately £250,000 is also designated for a legacy project within Brixham, which the local Chamber of Commerce is managing. South West Water stated: “It’s important to us that we do what we can to support local businesses and the community in Brixham.” The company further added: “The fund will help promote tourism in Brixham and the surrounding area in partnership with the English Riviera BID.” Readers can follow BBC Devon on X, Facebook, and Instagram, and submit story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external sites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.