Stump Cross Caverns, near Pateley Bridge has said that it is bouncing back and enjoying strong visitor numbers.
It has been a tough few years for the visitor attraction sector, with many seeking alternative ways to strengthen their order books to survive the lockdowns.
Visit England’s Annual Visitor Attractions Survey for 2020 showed a ‘severe’ impact on the sector, with a 65% drop in visitors overall, compared to 2019, and a 55% decline in revenue.
Stump Cross Caverns saw its fair share of problems too, with falling visitor numbers and coping with numerous lockdowns. But through hard work and determination, it is now a thriving attraction once again, with families and educational visitors making up the bulk of their sales.
Owner, Lisa Bowerman, aka ‘The Cavewoman’ has spearheaded the rejuvenation of the caves through Crowdfunding, government funding and bringing unique events to entice visitors back to the stunning walkway of caves under the North Yorkshire landscape.
Already used by local businesses, this latest venture aims to make full use of their on-site cinema room, restaurant and ‘Pod’ conservatory as a place to hold meetings, presentations, product launches and workshops for businesses wishing to give their employees a taste of something different.
Lisa Bowerman said:
It’s been a real struggle for the whole team to keep the caves open as a viable business, but we are confident that the future is bright for us here at the Caverns. Our corporate offer was an idea which sprung out of local businesses wanting to use the caves, and our other facilities, to hold their corporate events. Feedback has been excellent so far, with teams relishing getting away from their desks, and home-working, to somewhere really unique.
We are starting to see the results of our plan to expand our offering to the corporate market, and believe we are in a unique position to give businesses an experience they will never forget, whist bolstering our bottom line.
Business tourism is a huge part of the UK economy, worth over £31.2 billion annually according to the Government’s Tourism Recovery Plan report.
Stump Cross Caverns hopes to attract inward investment into the area by increasing corporate traffic to help other businesses, including accommodation, shops and small businesses to boost the local economy.
