Sidmouth’s post-Covid recovery is among the strongest in the south west, according to new figures on visitor numbers. 

A report by Place Informatics, which analyses footfall, puts Sidmouth in the top five towns in the region and the top two in Devon, where it is matched only by Kingsbridge. 

In July this year visitor numbers for both towns were just one per cent lower than July 2019 – compared with seven per cent, on average, across the south west. 

Sidmouth Town Council’s chair of tourism and economy, Cllr Louise Cole, said the top five ranking is ‘a significant indicator of success’. 

She said: “It shows the strength of our tourism economy and reflects the hard work of so many in the sector to adapt, respond and improve at a time when the challenges to businesses are relentless.” 

Since 2019 the town council has been working with marketing experts to better promote Sidmouth to tourists. A new Visit Sidmouth website was launched in September 2020 as part of a digital marketing package, and the revamped Tourist Information Centre opened in October 2021. 

Cllr Cole said: “We had not anticipated a global pandemic, but we had recognised that being prepared for any unpredictable economic shocks was about future-proofing our tourism based economy, and we continue to take a proactive, never complacent, approach.  In this current difficult economic climate for our hotels, self-catering and all accommodation providers and our high street shops, cafes and restaurants and for our visitors, working together for our shared aims has never been so important.” 

A spokesperson for Sidmouth Chamber of Commerce said: “These numbers are encouraging and suggest that Sidmouth has recovered well from the problems caused by Covid, and is coping reasonably well with the current economic travails. There are certainly a lot of headwinds at the moment, and business is very challenging indeed. 

“The strong comparative performance of Sidmouth in attracting visitors may well be due to the excellent work of the Visit Sidmouth team. The new marketing methodology undertaken by the town council appears to be working well.  We have attracted some new businesses to the town centre, which is encouraging, and everyone is working very hard to put on events that will bring people to our town. 

“Town centres are coming under great pressure nationally, and the recent hike in parking charges has been a significant blow, but the Chamber is hopeful that all the groups within our town can keep Sidmouth going forward in very difficult times.”