CENTRAL Devon MP Mel Stride is appealing to his constituents to think about having a local holiday this year and enjoy the many attractions right on our own doorstep.

As part of English Tourism Week, running from May 22 to 31, Mr Stride paid a visit to Dartmoor View Holiday Park at Whiddon Down near Okehampton on May 28.

Owned by the Haulfryn Group and with an outdoor heated pool, the park is ideally located to explore Dartmoor. The MP was shown around by Park Manager Ben Davis.

Speaking after his visit, Mr Stride said: “Revenue from tourism is absolutely vital here in Central Devon.

"The vast majority of local businesses are reliant to some degree on the income generated from visitors to the area and the pandemic has had a big impact on this. Instead of jetting off somewhere abroad and potentially needing to quarantine on your return, why not stay here in Devon and enjoy our fabulous county?”

Co-ordinated by VisitEngland, English Tourism Week is an annual celebration of the tourism industry, highlighting its economic importance to local economies and promoting the innovation, quality and range of products and services on offer to encourage more domestic breaks.

The agency’s latest forecasts show that domestic tourism spending is estimated to be up by 51 per cent in 2021 compared to 2020, but still only a little more than half of the £91.6 billion in 2019.