Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce report

Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce held its monthly breakfast meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, February 10. The chamber's president Richard Eley has provided this report.

''Another well-attended Chamber Zoom breakfast meeting this week was devoted to allowing members to explain their business activities. A number of local businesses took the opportunity, in entertaining and informative fashion, to describe the ways in which their businesses operate; and in particular, to explain how they were coping with the pandemic.

The mood in the meeting was quite upbeat, as speaker after speaker took an optimistic view about the prospects for their businesses, and how they had used lockdown as an opportunity to refocus their activities.

Sidmouth, with its heavy dependence upon the hospitality industry, has been especially hit by the virus. So it was encouraging to see the efforts that have been made by so many local enterprises to look beyond the disruption of lockdown to a busier and more prosperous future.

Hospitality businesses report healthy levels of interest, and it looks like accommodation providers could enjoy an excellent summer if the weather is good and the virus is controlled. There is no doubt that many people are contemplating a 'staycation' rather than travelling abroad.

The Chamber is currently developing a Recovery Plan, that will recommend a number of measures that could be pursued over the coming months to improve the overall offer of the town for both visitors and residents. The document will also be used as a template for any applications for government funding and support.''